Data Entry: PATH Services and Referrals
Data Entry: PATH Services and Referrals
This guide is designed to provide guidance to PATH HMIS users in properly recording PATH-funded services and referrals.
PATH Services
PATH Service Transactions must be recorded once the client is PATH-enrolled. If the client is not PATH-enrolled, no services need to be documented. Any services recorded for clients who are not PATH-enrolled or recorded prior to the Date of PATH Status Determination (if enrolled) will not be included in the PATH Annual Report.
The HMIS data element P1 Services Provided–PATH Funded is used to determine the PATH funded services that are provided to a client during and throughout project enrollment and prior to project exit. The PATH Annual Report only requires that you collect one response for each service provided; however, State PATH Contacts (SPCs) may choose to require that their providers collect multiple instances of each service. Regardless, each instance of each type of service provided will only appear once for each unique client receiving the service in the PATH Annual Report. PATH providers are not required to record each instance of PATH-funded services provided to PATH-enrolled clients, but this may be useful in local analysis and planning. The HMIS Data Dictionary and the PATH Annual Report Programming Specifications direct HMIS solutions to allow multiple service occurrences without affecting the PATH Annual Report.
Recording a PATH Service in HMIS
1.Navigate to the client’s Service Transactions tab to add a PATH service.
2. Click Add Service.
3. Click the down arrow on Service Type.
4. Choose from the Service Type drop-down menu. Click Save and Continue.
5. Choose the Type of PATH FUNDED Service Provided from the drop-down menu.
6. Choose Closed from the Need Status dropdown. Choose Fully Met from the Outcome of Need dropdown.
7. Click Save and Exit.
PATH Referrals
PATH Referrals must be recorded once the client is PATH-enrolled. If the client is not PATH-enrolled, no referrals need to be documented. Any referrals recorded for clients who are not PATH-enrolled or recorded prior to the Date of PATH Status Determination (if enrolled) will not be included in the PATH Annual Report.
The HMIS data element P2 Referrals Provided–PATH is used to determine the referrals that are provided to a client during project enrollment. A referral has been attained once the PATH-enrolled client begins receiving services as the result of PATH assistance. PATH providers are not required but encouraged to record each instance of PATH-funded referrals provided to PATH-enrolled clients. ... A PATH referral can be recorded each time a referral is made, but it is only reported on the PATH Annual Report once. ... Each referral should be marked as “Attained,” “Not attained” or “Unknown” as of project exit.
Recording a PATH Referral in HMIS
1. Navigate to the client’s Service Transactions tab.
2. Click on Add Referral from the Summary Tab.
3. When the screen opens, click on the referral that is being made for the client in the Service Code Quicklist. You can click on multiple service codes by holding Ctrl on your keyboard (up to five at a time).
4. Click Add Terms.
After you click Add Terms, it looks like nothing has changed, but if you scroll to the bottom, you will see the Selected Needs are there.
5. Scroll back up to Referral Provider Quicklist directly under the Service Code Quicklist and select the referral provider from the dropdown and then click on Add Provider.
6. The provider will appear below under Selected Providers.
7. Do not forget to mark Type of Path Referral and select Outcome. You will use the Crosswalk to match the PATH term to the HMIS Service Description.
8. In this example, Community Mental Health is the PATH referral term for the HMIS Service description Mental Health Support Services.
9. Mark the If any "Type of PATH Referral" made, select Outcome as Unknown.
10. Scroll down to Referrals and make sure to check the small box under type of referral.
11. Click Save ALL to exit the referral screen
Then, you will see the referral you made.
IMPORTANT!!
12. When you later find out the outcome of the referral, go back to the referral record through the Edit pencil.
13. Mark the Referral Outcome as Attained or Not Attained.
PATH Referral Outcomes
The PATH Program HMIS Manual (October 2025, page 15) provides the following definitions for PATH Referral Outcomes.
- “Attained” means the client was connected and received the service (if the referral is for housing, it is not attained until the housing placement starts).
- “Unknown” means the status of the client’s connection or receipt of service is unknown to the provider entering the data.
- “Not attained” means the client was referred to, but may not have ever been connected with, the service or did not actually receive the service.
PATH Referral Crosswalk
Type of PATH Referral |
Service Code |
| Community mental health | Mental Health Support Services |
| Substance use treatment | Substance Use Disorder Services |
| Primary health/dental care | Health Care Referrals
Dental Care Referrals |
| Job training | Job Training Formats |
| Educational services | Educational Programs |
| Housing services | Housing Search and Information |
| Temporary housing | Housing/Shelter |
| Permanent housing | At Risk/Homeless Housing Related Assistance Programs |
| Income assistance | Basic Income Maintenance Programs |
| Employment assistance | Job Finding Assistance |
| Medical insurance | Health Insurance/Dental Coverage
|
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