Youth Centered Continuous Quality Improvement Framework for Providers 

OVERVIEW

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) recognizes that implementation of the Continuum of Care Reform (CCR) has revealed opportunities for system improvement to better support children and youth that experience congregate care settings such as Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Programs (STRTP). The Youth Centered Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Framework aims to build upon existing engagement efforts to support a child centered approach to quality improvement, accountability, and shared responsibility in fully realizing the goals of the CCR. This will be an ongoing and collaborative engagement to promote systemic change to support permanency for children.

GOALS OF THE CQI FRAMEWORK:

The goal of the CQI Framework is to achieve the vision of the CCR: that the child experience in congregate care includes consistent enhancement of services, safety, and overall supports the outcomes of children, families, and communities. By leveraging existing data to create meaningful measures that identify the best opportunities and collaborative relationships with system partners, the CQI Framework aims to analyze measures and information to help inform decision makers to incrementally improve the quality of care that children receive. Specific outcome measures the framework hopes to impact include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Decreasing lengths of stays and overstays.
• Decreasing placement disruptions, re-entry, or dismissal.
• Increasing quality services children receive.

WHEN TO REQUEST ASSISTANCE:

This process is meant to engage system partners on systemic quality of care issues. When a system partner finds that there is a gap in services being provided to children or young people, a lack of understanding regarding expectations, or a lack in quality services and supports, the CDSS should be engaged*.

*If you are in need of a Child/Youth Specific Technical Assistance Call, please contact the System of Care Intensive Technical Assistance Unit at SOCTACALLS@dss.ca.gov.

*If someone believes that there is a violation of the licensure requirements, the most appropriate way to handle this is to go through the formal process of submitting a complaint through the Community Care Licensing Division Complaint Hotline so that it can be properly documented and investigated by licensing staff in that regional office. The Complaint Hotline phone number is 1-844-LET-US-NO (1-844-538-8766) and the email address is letusno@dss.ca.gov.

HOW TO REQUEST ASSISTANCE:

The county placing agency or provider fills out the Youth Centered Continuous Quality Improvement Framework Referral Form via the link below. Any supporting documentation to support the referral should be emailed to the CDSS System Support Team at SystemofCareCQI@dss.ca.gov.