Quality
Assurance and Quality Improvement in Home and Community Based Services
VERMONT
Grant Information
Name of Grantee
Agency
of Human Services, Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living
(DAIL)
Title of Grant
Quality
Assurance and Quality Improvement in Home and Community Based Waiver Services
Type of Grant
Quality
Assurance and Quality Improvement in Home and Community Based Services
Amount of Grant
$499,709
Year Original Funding Received
2004
Contact Information
Stephen Morabito
Quality Management Development Specialist
802-241-2659
Stephen.Morabito@dail.state.vt.us
Joseph Carlomagno
Quality Management Unit Director
Agency of Human Services, DAIL, DDAS
Weeks Building, 103 South Main Street
Waterbury, VT 05671
802-241-2721
joe.carlomagno@dail.state.vt.us
Subcontractor(s)
Susan Yuan
University of Vermont
Center on Disability and
Community Inclusion
The University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education,
Research, and Service (UCEDD)
802-656-4031
susan.yuan@uvm.edu
Green Mountain Self-Advocates
802-229-2600
gmsa@sover.net
Target Population(s)
Persons with disabilities who
are eligible for Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers within the
Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living (DAIL).
Goals
- Develop a Quality
Management Plan (QMP) addressing all HCBS waiver programs.
- Include consumers,
their families, and community members as active participants in Vermont's quality
management activities.
- Develop and implement
quality management activities to improve supports and services to Vermont's elder
citizens and those with disabilities.
- Develop a
technology-based system to manage and analyze critical incidents.
- Develop an ongoing
system of technical assistance to all providers of services across age and
disability and provide training to service recipients and relevant staff.
Activities
- Assess the current
quality management systems within the HCBS waivers, develop new service
standards, and implement the strategies outlined in the QMP within the
HCBS waivers.
- Develop quality
indicators with consumers and families, and contract with consumer and
family advocacy organizations to convene focus forums to seek feedback on
the quality indicators.
- Develop methods to
directly engage consumers and their families in a discovery process that
elicits their experiences with the services.
- Include direct
consumers on state quality review teams; recruit, hire, and train two 0.5
FTE consumers; and evaluate effectiveness of consumers in assessing the
quality of services for other consumers.
- Develop methods to
include consumer and family involvement in the development of service
provider remediation plans, and utilize consumers and families to provide
training during implementation of the QMP.
- Research promising
quality assurance practices and methods of gathering data to determine
viable methods, develop and implement multiple methods of discovery,
develop technical assistance manuals for information gathering activities,
and implement service provider agreements.
- Develop and implement
relevant and timely methods of remediation, design a system with
participant safeguards, and develop formats for remediation plans that
include consumer and family input.
- Research, develop, and
implement methods of public reporting on the quality of services and
develop information that includes data from existing sources and methods
developed as a result of grant activities.
- Research Web-based
methods of tracking and reporting critical incidents, train all relevant
providers on the uses of the system, and develop reporting and follow-up
formats and protocols for critical incidents across all waivers.
- Assess the training
needs of stakeholders involved in the implementation of the new QMP,
develop an initial training plan to "roll out" the plan, and
provide training to stakeholders on the plan.
- Develop a system of
technical assistance to service providers in the delivery of quality
services and identify training needs and develop training plans with
service providers.
Abstract
The grant project will develop a comprehensive
quality management system across the HCBS waivers within DAIL. This system will
be based on the expectations contained in the CMS Quality Framework. These home
and community services are provided to individuals with developmental
disabilities, elders, individuals with physical disabilities, and individuals
with traumatic brain injuries.
The goals of the project are to effect enduring
systems change that fulfills Vermont's
commitment to ensure the health and well-being of individuals receiving an HCBS
waiver within Vermont's
community-based, long-term care system.