How to run a VI-SPDAT (vulnerability assessment)

The VI-SPDAT (Vulnerability Index Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool) is the most-common assessment used in coordinated entry. It produces a raw score (0–17 for single adults, 0–22 for families, 0–20 for transitional-aged youth) that maps to a priority tier on the by-name list.

The tool variants:
• vi-spdat-single — single adults (most common)
• vi-spdat-family — families (with children)
• tay-spdat — transitional-aged youth (16–24)
• local-tool — your CoC's locally-validated successor (some CoCs are moving off VI-SPDAT)

Priority tiers (normalized 0–100):
• 70+ — highest (PSH waitlist priority)
• 50–69 — high (RRH / TH eligible)
• 30–49 — moderate
• <30 — low

How to administer:
The assessment itself runs via the Intake Forms module — pick the VI-SPDAT template, hand the device to the person (or send a self-serve link). The form lands in your inbox; route it to Continuum and the score is recorded automatically with the priority tier computed for you.

For a quick manual entry (when the person already completed the form elsewhere): ask Wally "record a VI-SPDAT score" and the action card lets you enter person + tool + raw score in seconds.

Why tier matters:
• The by-name list sorts by tier first, days-in-queue second
• Many PSH funders require chronic-homeless determination + a recent VI-SPDAT score
• Score age also matters — most funders require a re-assessment if the score is more than 12 months old