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THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED
AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT
CAREFULLY.
Alliance to End Homelessness Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)
When you request services from this agency, we enter information about you
and members of your family that are with you into a computer system called HMIS,
or Homeless Management Information System. HMIS is a software system of the
Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County (ALLIANCE). HMIS is used by
many agencies in Suburban Cook County that provide services to persons and
families in need. The information collected in the HMIS will help us do things
like reduce duplicate intakes, document the need for services, and generate
reports such as the number of persons who are homeless in Suburban Cook County.
How your information in the HMIS may be used
Unless restricted by other laws, the information can be used by:
Authorized people who work in this agency for administrative purposes
related to providing services to you or your family, or for billing or
funding purposes.
Auditors or others who review the work of this agency or need to review
the information to provide services to this agency.
The HMIS system administrator, ALLIANCE, and its designees, and the HMIS
developer, Bowman. They may see the information for administrative purposes
(for example, to check data errors).
Individuals performing academic research who have signed a research
agreement with this agency or the ALLIANCE. Only aggregate data will appear:
your name, social security number or other identifying information will not
appear in any research report.
This agency or ALLIANCE may use your information to create aggregate data
that has your identifying information removed. Also, this agency may
disclose to a third party aggregate data so that the third party can create
data that has your identifying information removed.
Government or social services agencies that are authorized to receive
reports of homelessness, abuse, neglect or domestic violence, when such
reports are required by law or standards of ethical conduct.
A coroner or medical examiner or funeral director to carry out their
duties.
Authorized federal officials for the conduct of certain national security
or certain activities associated with the protection of certain officials.
Law enforcement officials, but the disclosure must meet the minimum
standards necessary for the immediate purpose and not disclose information
about other individuals. A court order or search warrant may be required.
Others, to the extent that the law requires a specific use or disclosure
of information. Information may be released to prevent or lessen a
serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of a person or the
public; if the disclosure is made to a person or persons reasonably able to
prevent or lessen the threat or harm, including the target of a threat.
You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your own protected
personal information for as long as it is kept in the HMIS, except for
information compiled in reasonable anticipation of, or for use in, a legal
proceeding.
You have the right to correct your protected personal information when
the information in the record is inaccurate or incomplete.
You have a right to request that your personal information be provided to
you by alternative means, (such as by mail or telephone), or at alternative
locations (such as at your home or place of work). This agency will
accommodate reasonable requests.
You have the right to receive a list of disclosures of protected personal
information made by this agency or ALLIANCE during the six years prior to
the date you request this information, except for disclosures for national
security or intelligence purposes or to correctional institutions or law
enforcement officials. If a law enforcement official or health oversight
agency requests that we temporarily suspend giving you an accounting of
disclosures made to them, the request must be time-limited and given to us
in writing.
Exercising your rights regarding your information in the HMIS
You can exercise these rights by making a written request to this agency, or
by making a written request to ALLIANCE. The addresses are listed at the end of
this Notice.
Enforcement of your privacy rights
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may send a written
complaint to this agency. If your complaint is not resolved to your
satisfaction, you may send your written complaint to ALLIANCE. Addresses are
listed at the end of this Notice. You will not be retaliated against for filing
a complaint.
This agency is required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected
personal information, and to display a copy of the most recent Notice of Privacy
Practice. This Agency reserves the right to change the Notice from time to time,
and if it does, the change will affect all of the information in the HMIS, not
just the information entered after the change. The revised Notice will be posted
in this Agency. You may request a copy of it from this Agency or ALLIANCE.
Addresses
