What is AHS?
Apricot for Homeless Services (AHS) is a solution designed for Homelessness Services Organizations. Please review this article for more information on AHS.
What has changed?
HUD recently announced that Comparable Databases need to follow the full HMIS requirements. In the past, ESG or CoC programs have only been required to submit an APR and CAPER. Requirements from the CARES Act have expanded the reporting requirements for these programs. HUD informed vendors that Comparable Databases will need to meet all of the requirements of a full fledged HMIS solution.
How can I stay informed about upcoming changes?
To stay better informed on any upcoming changes that HUD may announce, we recommend:
Reviewing previously held HUD monthly HMIS Lead and System Admin webinars found here.
Establishing a relationship with your CoC contact.
Subscribing to appropriate HUD mailing lists found here.
What do I need to do if I want to opt out of the AHS Upgrade?
You must contact your Account Manager no later than 3/17/2023 to opt out. For more information on how to contact your Account Manager, please review this article on Who Should I Contact.
What are my options for migrating data from AVS to AHS?
You may contact your Account Manager to request a quote from our Professional Services Team to perform the migration, or you may self-migrate using the following guide: Legacy AVS to AHS Migration Process.
Are there any funds available for clients to use to assist with the costs?
Please reach out to your CoC contact to get information on if this is an available option.
Is Apricot the only HMIS solution having to upgrade their Comparable Database?
No, many Victim Service Providers (VSPs) are struggling with compliance requirements across multiple vendors. This is due to a variety of issues:
Lack of clear guidance from HUD in the past
Decisions by VSPs on how they implemented their software
How vendors have programmed their software
HUD has recognized that they have not been clear enough in their guidance with VSPs.
Who should I contact to discuss any requirements?
Please contact your Account Manager and Client Success Manager, please review this article on Who Should I Contact if you are unsure of how to get in touch with them.
Can we keep custom data points that we track in the new forms?
Yes, you can migrate custom data points into the new AHS forms. This can be done by editing the AHS labeled forms and adding a new section. Please see this article on Editing Forms for more information.
Feature Disclaimers
Connect
If you use Connect, your past registrations will no longer work after the data migration. You can re-activate Connect by following these two steps:
Reconfigure Connect and link it to your new forms
Participants will need to re-register after the migration. We recommend you send a mass communication to your participants with instructions.
Classes & Terms
If you use Classes & Terms, this will need to be reconfigured and linked to the new Participant Profile. You can migrate your historical C&T data to records in the Participant Profile, but cannot migrate data into the newly configured Classes & Terms.
Schedule
If you use Schedule, this will need to be reconfigured and linked to the new Participant Profile. You will not be able to see past appointments for a participant.
Alerts
If you use Alerts, you will need to create new alerts tied to the new forms.