Quality Assurance and Improvement System (QAIS)
Posted by: CQL on 12/29/2006
Filed under: Texas
Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS)
Formerly Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation Services TXMHMR
The Situation
In 1994, leaders in Texas recognized that the time had come for a shift in quality – from being defined by regulatory and funding entities to quality that is defined by the people who receive services and supports. A statewide guidance team was formed to develop a new set of performance standards and to secure input from all stakeholders. The team soon learned that new standards would also mean a new quality assurance and improvement system – one that would measures outcomes and assess how well providers deliver services and supports.
The group’s recommendation to the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation (TXMHMR) was the Quality Improvement and Assurance System (QAIS), which used CQL’s Outcome Based Performance Measures (and later Personal Outcome MeasuresSM as the foundation for implementation.
QAIS was enacted into the Texas Administrative Code in 1996.
What CQL Did
Beginning in 1996, CQL provided support and monitoring to enable a core group of Texas personnel (QAIS reviewers) to develop the in-state capacity to conduct training, technical assistance and reviews with the Outcome Measures. Following a series of state-wide kick-off presentations, Assessment workshops were held at all 45 community providers (Mental Health/Mental Retardation Centers). CQL certified and provided external validation and monitoring of the QAIS reviewers each year to ensure that the QAIS process was being implemented consistently throughout the state.
Community providers in Texas had the option of state monitoring through QAIS or pursuing CQL accreditation.