OQP Vision:
The OQP program at Child & Family shall be a broad-based, organization-wide process that will be inclusive of staff and other key stakeholders and shall provide the infrastructure to assist in improving the effectiveness and efficiency of agency operations.   This shall be accomplished through:

• Continuous evaluation of organizational practices to enhance service delivery in furtherance of the agency’s mission;
• Proactive identification of areas in need of process improvement;
• Implementation of quality improvement strategies that are data driven and outcome-informed; and
• Adherence to best-practices, licensing standards and legal requirements.

In order to attain this Vision, the OQP Program shall:

• Assist key stakeholders in developing and implementing performance improvement plans, evaluating outcomes, disseminating results and conducting on-going monitoring;
• Provide technical assistance to program leadership with regards to meeting and maintaining compliance with relevant licensing and accreditation standards;
• Assist key stakeholders in accessing relevant data from the Agency’s information systems through:
• On-going quality assurance endeavors to ensure the integrity of the data entered into the system;
• The development of real-time reporting mechanisms aimed at supporting evidence-driven decision making.
• Work with programs to ensure that policies align with practice;
• Monitor client and workforce risk management trends to protect the health and safety of clients and staff, while minimizing potential risks to the agency; and
• Maintain a staffing structure that supports the breadth of program responsibilities.

OQP Structure

The Staff OQP committee meets monthly and is chaired by a Vice President (VP) of OQP and is comprised of members representing agency administration, direct service personnel and clients/former clients.  The OQP process is regularly discussed at management and staff meetings.  Results are incorporated into long- and short-term strategic planning for the agency as well as employee initiatives, staff trainings and annual employee performance evaluations.
The OQP subcommittee of the Board of Directors also meets on a monthly basis.  Program reports are provided by the Program Director and Program VP, with the support of the VP of OQP.  Board OQP meeting minutes and relevant issues are brought to the attention of the full Board during scheduled monthly meetings.
Agenda items for these meetings may include, but are not limited to:

• Reviews of progress pertaining to unresolved issues identified at previous meetings;
• Semi-annual reviews of progress reports from service areas;
• Reviews of risk management trends and client concerns/complaints;
• Identification and discussion of agency-wide OQP issues; and
• Discussions of any external review processes and findings.

Measurement and Evaluation:
Program-level outcomes and indicators are often-times unique to each service area and are based on such factors as best practices within a given field or discipline, funder performance measurement requirements, as well as the unique characteristics of the populations served by our programs.  Examples of outcomes and indicators that are evaluated through the OQP process include but are not limited to:

• Stakeholder Satisfaction;
• Performance and/or improvements based on standardized assessments (behavioral health, developmental, etc.);
• Client discharge dispositions;
• Service utilization rates;
• Length of stay statistics;
• Re-involvement in services;
• Rates of successful linkages to services through external providers; and
• Progress towards attaining operational-level outcomes.

Additional information pertaining to Child & Family’s OQP program can be obtained through the Vice President of Organizational Quality & Performance.