Life Quality Certification Review

The Division of Developmental Disabilities has adapted an outcome-based tool to use to certify agencies regarding quality of services provided to people with developmental disabilities in South Dakota. The tool has 25 outcomes grouped according to 6 categories that are measured on an individual basis for each consumer determined through a sample pick. The categories and outcomes are as follows:

CATEGORY #1: Choice

Choice in a person's life pertains to daily routines; what time to get up or go to bed, where to work, eat, who to spend time with, what to purchase. Choice is being able to choose services and keep personal information private.

OUTCOMES:

People identify their needs, wants, likes and dislikes.
People identify their needs, wants, likes and dislikes.
People make major life decisions.
People make decisions about everyday matters.
People have a major role in choosing their services and supports.
Peoples' services and supports change as wants, needs, and preferences change.

CATEGORY #2: Relationships

Relationships pertain to community experiences, performing different social roles, developing lasting friendships, and openly dealing with sexuality.

OUTCOMES:

People have friends.
People interact with other members of the community.

CATEGORY #3: Lifestyle

Lifestyle pertains to being independent and productive, choosing where to live and work, expressing sexuality and religion, feeling comfortable with your life.

OUTCOMES:

People live in the mainstream of the community.
People work in the mainstream of the community.
Peoples' lifestyles reflect their cultural preferences.
People are independent and productive.
People have stability and security in their living arrangement.
People are comfortable where they live.

CATEGORY #4: Health and Well-Being

Health and well-being pertains to having access and obtaining needed health care, feeling safe and knowing what to do in order to be safe.

OUTCOMES:

People are safe.
People have the best possible health.
People know what to do in the event of threats to health, safety, and well-being.
People have access to needed health care.

CATEGORY #5: Rights

Rights pertain to choosing age appropriate activities/items, services and supports, being protected from abuse, and having a guardian or advocate assist in making decisions if need be. It pertains to being treated as an adult and a respected member of the community.

OUTCOMES:

People exercise rights and responsibilities.
People are free from abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
People are treated with dignity and respect.
People have advocate(s).
People receive appropriate generic services and supports.

CATEGORY #6: Satisfaction

Satisfaction pertains to overall happiness with services, supports, and life. People realize where they would like to live, work, or play in the future and most importantly, they know what the future is. The provider takes action in relation to helping the individual pursue personal goals.

OUTCOMES:

People realize personal goals.
People are satisfied with services and supports.
People are satisfied with their lives.

Information is gathered by asking questions, observing, and spending time with each consumer in the sample. For consumers who are not able to verbally answer questions, observation is an integral way of gathering information. People who work directly with or know personally each consumer in the sample are also interviewed. These people could be direct care staff, service coordinators/case managers, employers, neighbors, family members or guardians, advocates, and/or friends of the consumer.

Agencies are offered a choice as to whether they want to have staff member(s) participate as staff observers for the review sample. Each staff observer will follow the interview process for only one consumer. They should be staff members who do not work directly or regularly with the consumer they will be following. These staff observers will observe during interviews, but not participate by asking questions. The observer and the reviewer will meet to discuss the outcomes in relation to the information received from the consumer and/or staff.

During the final day of the review, Division of Developmental Disabilities staff will meet individually with each consumer's service coordinator/case manager in order to discuss that specific individual's score. Division staff will then meet with people selected by the agency such as direct care staff members, observers, service coordinators, consumers, parents, advocates, etc., to discuss the agency's overall score and plan of enhancement. Confidentiality prevents discussion of specific consumer's scores at the overall agency exit.

Plan of enhancement reports completed by the agency will focus on one or more of the six categories in which outcomes were not met for the agency. In addition to the overall agency plan, the Division of Developmental Disabilities requires the agency to include a separate report with specific plans indicating how each missed outcome will be addressed for the specific consumer interviewed. The information must include the consumer's name, why the outcome was cited for the consumer, and how the team plans to address the outcome. In addition, the plan must include timelines and who will be responsible for implementation of the plan. The Division will continue to encourage each agency to use the plan of enhancement as a tool to stimulate creativity to improve services.

Certification of the agency through the Life Quality review will be based on the following criteria:

Each outcome must be present for at least 2/3 of the sample for the outcome to be considered met by the agency 17 out of 25 outcomes must be met by the agency

The certification period will be two years.

 

Council on Quality & Leadership Annual Report 2004-2005

Council on Quality & Leadership Annual Report 2005-2006

Council on Quality & Leadership Annual Report 2006-2007