HMIS Newsletter: May 2026

Table of Contents

• Announcement
• Feature Focus and a New Clarity Experience
• Help Desk Reminders
  
• In Our Community
• Upcoming Events 
• Bitfocus is Hiring

Announcement 

New Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Platform coming July 28th

We are excited to announce a major upgrade to the Clarity Human Services authentication foundation. On July 28th, 2026, we are migrating our multi-factor authentication platform to Auth0. From this date forward, the multi-factor authentication process to login to your HMIS account will look slightly different. While changing how you log in will require a brief adjustment, this upgrade is a critical step in providing a more unified, seamless, and highly secure foundation for protecting client data. View more details on Auth0 here.

• Training Site Rollout: July 14th, 2026
• Live Site Rollout: July 28th, 2026

Why We Are Making This Change
Authentication is one of the most critical parts of any software platform. Moving to Auth0 allows us to deliver better support for modern security standards to protect Clarity data. For more details check out this Help Desk article: Auth0 for Clarity Human Services: Toolkit

• Audit staff list for valid email addresses. Confirm every active user has a valid, unique email on file. Inactive users do not require attention. 
• Whitelist the Recovery Email: Ask your IT team to whitelist the email address noreply@bitfocus.com

What to Expect on Day One

• You will now use your unique email address to sign in rather than a separate username.
• Every staff user will be required to enroll in MFA on their first sign-in. Supported methods include:
  • One-time password via authenticator app (Bitfocus recommends Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator for iOS and Android devices)
    • Note: If users cannot use their phones to authenticate, they can use a desktop-based authenticator like Proton.
  • Push notification via the Auth0 Guardian app
  • Phone (SMS or voice)

Feature Focus and a New Clarity Experience 

We have been working steadily on a transition in Clarity’s look and feel – giving users an overhaul of the Clarity Human Services interface. This isn’t just a facelift; it’s an evolution of the HMIS experience designed to make your daily workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive.

And we are now entering the final stretch! In order to prepare internally, starting this month, we will begin to release weekly feature updates, rather than monthly, for the new Clarity interface and system improvements.

• For more details on what has been included in our most recent feature release, visit our HelpCenter webpage on News and Announcements.
• For more details and a preview of the new Clarity User Interface, visit our HelpCenter webpage on our New Clarity Human Services Interface.

We’ll be working hard internally to update your resources and training for a smooth transition! If you have any questions though, please reach out to your admin team: kcsupport@bitfocus.com 

Reminders from Our Help Desk Team

Help Us Keep Your Data Accurate! Merging client profiles is a great way to stay organized and deduplicate your system, but since it's a permanent change that can't be undone, we need to be extra careful when end users request a client merge! To ensure a smooth merge process, please keep the following in mind:

• Authorization: Before sending a request, please verify that you’re approved to make a client merge request.
• The "Triple Check": Please confirm that the Full Name, DOB, and SSN match up perfectly. When in doubt, it’s always best to consult your agency lead and program staff.
• Protecting Client Records: If our team spots a significant difference that suggests the records might belong to two different people, we will decline the merge to keep the data safe.

We appreciate your diligence in helping us maintain a high standard of data integrity!

For more details on how we use the Client Merge Tool in Clarity, please check out our online HelpDesk article.

In Our Community

Stay Informed! Get the Latest News from the KCRHA Blog 

Want to stay in the loop with the King County Regional Homelessness Authority? The KCRHA Blog is the go-to resource for real-time updates on regional efforts. This month, we’re highlighting critical information regarding seasonal shelter openings and the latest Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO). Don’t miss out on important deadlines and community resources. Bookmark the KCRHA Blog today.

Upcoming Events

Coordinated Entry Monthly Assessor Credential Training (ACT) | 6.10.26 @ 9:30am Open the Zoom Registeration Link Here

Users must attend an ACT training before they gain assessors access in the HMIS.

The Monthly Assessor Credential Training is hosted virtually every month. Come prepared to participate in a Coordinated Entry Assessor Onboarding Training that will cover an overview of the system, housing types, service match, documentation, and nomination process, followed by an HMIS demo on your basic assessor workflow.

2026 HMIS Training Series: Inventory | 6.17.26 @ 9:30am Open the Zoom Registration Link Here

In this meeting, we will review the allowable types of Client Consent in King County's HMIS and the best practices for gathering Releases of Information.

Bitfocus is Hiring

Join our Team!

• Visit bitfocus.com | Jobs | About Bitfocus

• Work with us at Bitfocus! Join a team committed to innovation, collaboration, and real-world impact in human services.  

Questions?

Your HMIS Administrators are happy to help.

Phone: (206) 444-4001, Ext 2

Email: kcsupport@bitfocus.com