Georgia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental ...

IntroductionThe Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) servesas the single state authority that provides direct services, administration, and monitoring of allfacets of the state publicly funded behavioral health & developmental disabilities system.DBHDD’s role as a direct service provider is limited to the operation of six state hospitalcampuses. Outpatient services are delivered by a network of private and public providers withwhom DBHDD contracts. DBHDD Contractors are community-based organizations whichadminister behavioral health & developmental disabilities services throughout the state and areresponsible for the provision of comprehensive services for children and adults with substanceabuse disorders, serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI) and developmental disabilities.The DBHDD quality management program was formally established in 2011 in response to theDepartment’s commitment to the continuous improvement of the quality of its services. TheDepartment’s quality management plan was developed and implemented in December 2011 andwas updated in June of 2012 and April of 2013. This plan established guidelines for the structureof a DBHDD system-wide quality management program encompassing hospital and communitybased services.This is the August 2013 Interim Quality Management (QM) Report of the DBHDD. The reportand the summary of activities contained in this comprise a six month review of qualitymanagement activities that have taken place in the hospital, community behavioral health anddevelopmental disabilities systems of care, as well as a review of QM activities at the StateOffice. It is the intent of DBHDD to share this report with Department staff and stakeholders.The primary purpose of this Interim Report is to synthesize and communicate the DBHDD QMactivities taking place across the Department. As a result of data availability, the analysis anddiscussion contained within this report will vary, but generally focuses on activities betweenJanuary 2013 – June 2013.Activities of the Quality CouncilsExecutive Quality CouncilThe Executive Quality Council (EQC) meets six times per year and acts as the governing bodyfor the QM program providing strategic direction and is the ultimate authority for the scope ofDBHDD QM activities including the QM plan, the DBHDD work plan and the annualevaluation. The EQC is the highest-level quality committee in DBHDD. The EQC met everyother month from December 2012 – June 2013 for a total of three meetings.During those meetings the EQC:Performed its annual review of the QM system including a review of the QM structure.Revised the membership of the Executive Quality Council and reviewed changes to themembership of the Community Behavioral Health (CBH) and Developmental Disabilities(DD) Program Quality Councils (PQC).Approved the April 2013 revision of the DBHDD QM Plan.3