“Quality is the result of a carefully
constructed cultural environment. It has to be the fabricof the organization,
not part of the fabric.” Phil Crosby
Customer service is
the foundation of any successful business.
The adage “the customer is always right” embodies a model that values
feedback and uses it to improve services and products, so that customers will
return. Imagine applying this simple
idea to programs that support individuals with behavioral health needs,
addiction, intellectual or developmental disabilities and older adults. In other words, what if the needs and
outcomes for the person became the
yardstick by which organizational effectiveness was measured? What would happen if the person decided whether or not their needs and outcomes were
met? Person-centered organizations
strive to measure what matters to people and how well the expected outcomes of
the person are met in the most cost-efficient manner. Thus, the organization is able to connect its
efforts and processes with meaningful results and make decisions designed to
continually improve the delivery of services and supports that facilitate
outcomes. In other words, the customer decides
whether or not their expectations have been met, not the organization.
The following
represent the essential “ingredients” of an effective, accountable quality
management system:
- Evaluation
is designed to assess the impact of services and supports on the full range of outcomes desired by the person. This integration looks at the whole person
and their life, not a broadly defined goal such as “lives independently” or
“medication compliance”.
- Both
qualitative and quantitative measures are used to assess services and supports
for the individual and as aggregated data.
These include outcome measures, complaints, incidents and satisfaction
data or “report cards”.
- Individuals,
their families and other stakeholders routinely evaluate the organization’s
effectiveness in meeting its mission, vision and values.
- Results
of evaluations are used, in partnership with individuals, families and
stakeholders, to identify and implement changes in the organization’s policy
and practice.
- The
organization is accountable for matters of abuse, neglect and exploitation and
has processes in place to ensure appropriate attention is paid to these
matters.
- The
public is informed through reports that clearly present information collected
about aggregate outcomes, strategies to improve efficiencies, assurances for
continuing improvement of service quality and the manner in which budget
allocation decisions are made.
- The
lens of transparency is applied to all aspects of the organization’s
activities. While aggregate information
about outcomes and accomplishments is shared freely, individual confidentiality
is always maintained and respected.
“Quality is not an act, it is a habit.” Aristotle
Resources:
American
Society for Quality. ASQ is a global community of experts and leading authority on
quality in all fields, organizations, and industries. http://asq.org/index.aspx
The
CQL Resource Library has a variety of materials about quality
http://c-q-l.org/resources/category.aspx?cat=27&id=86&sec=
Evidence-Based
Practices Implementation. This site was developed for the Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) by the NASMHPD Research
Institute, Inc. (NRI) Center for Mental Health Quality and Accountability http://ebp.networkofcare.org/
LeadingAge.
Quality First is the way in which LeadingAge and its members accept
responsibility for assuring that the people they serve receive quality care and
services. Quality First makes providers directly accountable for excellence. http://www.leadingage.org/SubSection.aspx?id=1792
Quality
Mall. A place where you can find lots of free information about person-centered
supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. http://www.qualitymall.org/main/
World Health Organization. This module is
part of the WHO Mental Health Policy and Service guidance package, which
provides practical information to assist countries to improve the mental health
of their populations. www.who.int/mental_health/resources/en/Quality.pdf
Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: www.samhsa.gov/dataOutcomes/
Administration
on Developmental Disabilities: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/add/
American
Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: http://www.aamr.org