Quality
Assurance and Quality Improvement in Home and Community Based Services
GEORGIA
Grant
Information
Name of Grantee
Georgia Department of Human Resources
Title of Grant
Georgia
Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement in Home and Community Based Services
Type of Grant
Quality
Assurance and Quality Improvement in Home and Community Based Services
Amount of Grant
$475,000
Year Original Funding
Received
2003
Contact
Information
Stephen Hall, Ph.D.
Director of Office of Developmental Disabilities
DHR
2 Peachtree Street, NW,
22.108
404-463-8037
srhall1@dhr.state.ga.us
Stacey Ramirez
Project Coordinator
Office of Developmental Disabilities
2 Peachtree Street, NW,
22-263
404-657-6405
saramirez@dhr.state.ga.us
Lori von Schmeling
Children and Family Program Specialist
Office of Developmental Disabilities
2 Peachtree Street, NW, 22-414
Atlanta, GA 30303-3142
404-657-6416
lvschmeling@dhr.state.ga.us
Subcontractor(s)
Connie Lyle O'Brien
770-987-9785
connielyleobrien@mac.com
Human Services Research Institute
617-876-0426 ext. 2319
vbradley@hsri.org
A consultant who specializes in
developmental disabilities (DD) performance measurement and quality improvement
(QI) systems (to be named).
A consultant to help create an interim
system to collect, store, and disseminate DD performance, quality, and outcome
information (to be named).
Target
Population(s)
Persons with mental retardation and other
developmental disabilities (MR/DD).
Goals
- Promote greater
statewide understanding and provision of person-centered practices.
- Design enhanced consumer
outcomes that are objective and person centered to complement the NCI
survey.
- Establish an efficient
and comprehensive, real-time data system that produces easily accessible
information and reports.
- Bring meaningful
consumer and family participation into the quality improvement (QI)
program.
Activities
- Conduct two pilot
programs (for 20 to 40 consumers) of active learning training and supports
to create and implement a person-centered plan (PCP) and provide follow-up
support.
- Design enhanced consumer
outcome measures that are objective and person centered.
- Link existing data
systems to provide ease of data entry and accessibility of comprehensive
provider and consumer information.
- Recruit and facilitate
the participation of consumers and family advocates in QI committees and
work groups.
Abstract
The Department of Human Resources (DHR) is the primary human service agency of Georgia, and the
Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases
(DMHDDAD) is a division of DHR. Two separate home and community based services
waiver programs based in DMHDDAD currently serve persons with MR/DD. DMHDDAD is
planning to engage in a redesign process for these waivers to encourage
services that are person-directed, person-centered, and afford greater
flexibility to individuals served and providers.
Although Georgia
is raising awareness of self-determination and self-directed services, a gap
between knowledge and practice of these principles exists. Many providers have
received person-centered training, but lack the skills to develop and implement
a PCP. This project will test methods for implementing these principles and
provide a provider guide.
Georgia currently maintains four databases, which collect, store,
and track various issues that impact people with DD and their services. These
systems, however, function independently and do not share information, making
data entry and review cumbersome and repetitious. The project will link these
systems and facilitate access to information.
The State currently uses the Schalock
Quality of Life Questionnaire (QOL-Q) and an internally-developed individual
and family survey to measure the quality of services provided to persons with
MR/DD. However, many stakeholders believe that the Schalock
QOL-Q may not accurately reflect the degree to which programs promote quality
of life for all the people served. This project will enable Georgia to move
to a system that measures quality by the achievement of personal outcomes that
are important to the individual.
Georgia has long garnered and appreciated the input and
participation of individuals served by DMHDDAD and their families, but has not
had a mechanism with which to involve them in the QI process. Through this
project, Georgia
will promote their ongoing participation in quality committees and performance
improvement teams.