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
Others to be determined.
Target
Population(s)
Persons with disabilities who are
eligible for the four Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waivers within
DAIL.
Goals
- Develop a Quality
Management Plan (QMP) addressing all four 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 four HCBS waivers, develop new
service standards, and implement the strategies outlined in the QMP within
the four 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 four HCBS waivers within DAIL. This system will be
based on the expectations contained in the CMS Quality Framework. The four HCBS
waivers include the Division of Developmental Services' waiver for individuals
with developmental disabilities, the Division of Advocacy and Independent
Living's Home-Based waiver and the Enhanced Residential Care waiver for elders
and individuals with disabilities, and the Division of Vocational
Rehabilitation's Traumatic Brain Injury waiver for individuals with traumatic
brain injuries. The goals of the proposal are to effect enduring systems change
that fulfils 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.