ATLANTA – The Division of Developmental Disabilities' (DD) annual Quality Management System Report is now available online. The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities released the findings of the report which was conducted by the Delmarva Foundation to determine the effectiveness and quality of service delivery from the perspective of the individual. This is the third year the report has been released.

"The Division of Developmental Disabilities is committed to continually improving the level of care that is accessible to Georgians," said Beverly Rollins, Executive Director for the Division of Developmental Disabilities. "This information is invaluable to the department, the providers and the families we serve and truly provides a framework to ensure we continue our mission to promote local accessibility and choice of services and programs."

Quality Enhancement Providers Reviews were conducted on 10 percent of Developmental Disability providers, which included over 1,161 interviews with individuals receiving services through the waiver programs. There were a total of 37 data driven training sessions conducted statewide with more than 1,000 people in attendance.

The third year results are similar to previous years averaging 86.3 percent in positive feedback – a small increase since the first report was released in 2009. Performance on the Staff/Provider Interviews and onsite Observations was also positive, 93.3 percent and 97.2 percent respectively and similar to previous years. Provider results for the Administrative Policy and Procedure reviews reflect a 77.6 percent rate of compliance. However, compliance with Qualifications and Training requirements reflected an average of only 59.4 percent.

While the Division of Developmental Disabilities has positive overall numbers, key findings from the reviews completed during the contract year points to some challenges in the areas of health, community life/integration, person centered systems, and some differences in results between NOW and COMP service recipients. The Delmarva Foundation made 17 recommendations to the state for further consideration which is currently being addressed.

The Quality Management System is based on framework from the Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services/ Home and Community Based Services. For more information, please visit dbhdd.georgia.gov.

Contact Information:

Kristie Swink ([email protected])