Newsroom

2006 sees Florida, Delmarva contract renewed

In 2001, Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration (ACHA) issued a request for proposals to establish a Statewide Quality Assurance Program for the Developmental Disabilities Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waiver.

With a vision departing from typical, program-based developmental services systems, ACHA wanted this program designed to measure the success of services and supports from an individual’s perspective. The goal of this person-centered approach was to enhance the quality of services for people living with developmental disabilities.

Knowing of CQL’s work over many years with Florida’s Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) in areas of data collection, analysis, training and other technical assistance, ACHA made the use of Personal Outcome Measures ^® and collection of reliable and valid interview data an integral part of the overall quality assurance system.

Awarded the contract in 2001, the Delmarva Foundation entered into a partnership with CQL to provide initial training, ongoing monitoring, coaching, reliability assessments, and interviewer certification for project staff.

The full scope of the project includes ongoing on-site performance reviews of providers and person-centered reviews for thousands of individuals receiving services through the Home and Community Based Services Medicaid Waiver throughout Florida.

In collaboration with Delmarva and other project partners, with the Interagency Quality Council of stakeholders, CQL acts as an advisory group for system development and implementation, and provides oversight to the contracted quality assurance entity. As Shelly Brantley, Director, Agency for Persons with Disabilities, observes, “During this time, [CQL] has proven to be knowledgeable, effective and professional in providing all levels of support, training and consultation. Their values and vision are consistent with that of the Agency and lend power to the direction and goals that we wish to accomplish.”