Best Practicies in Disability Service Delivery
Disclaimer: While we have made reasonable attempts to ensure that the information contained in this document is from reliable sources, Iowa COMPASS and the Center for Disabilities and Development is not responsible for the information, any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from using this information.
The body of research that constitutes best practices in healthcare and community programs for people with disabilities is in its formative stage. There is a spectrum of quality enhancement terminology in the field of developmental disabilities ranging from promising practices to evidence-based practices. While the latter phrase denotes guidelines for professionals, the label “best practices” is used with less precision to reflect procedures with a wide range of authentication. An assessment by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development enlightens us on this score:
Until an adequate science base is available … consensus standards that reflect the knowledge and experience of recognized experts (including the community of people concerned with health and MR), and are formulated in standardized procedures, are an important interim step.*
What follows then are standards, models and tools for the development of best practices in your locale.
National REgistery of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP)
SAMHSA announces a searchable database with up-to-date, reliable information on the scientific basis and praticality of intervetions.
Operant State and National Practices
Best Practice Guidelines in Autism
Iowa Best Practice Guidelines for personnel who assess, plan for, and educate individuals with autistic spectrum disorders.
Best Practices for the Employment of People with Disabilities in State Government
This report, issued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, highlights the best practices of nine states that promote the hiring, retention, and advancement of individuals with disabilities in state government jobs. The states are: Florida, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Utah, Vermont, and Washington.
Brain Injury Association Research Based Practices
An explanation of current evidence-based brain injury medical practices.
Centers for Disease Control: Disability and Health
A directory of state disability and health programs, healthy lifestyle demonstration sites, primary care intervention, measuring and assessing health, community health and aging.
Communication Needs for Individuals with Severe Disabilities
National Joint Committee guidelines on communication assessment, goal-setting, intervention, knowledge, and skills.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Best practices for regular diet maintenance across the age spectrum.
Home Health Quality Improvement Best Practice Intervention Package
The goal of this campaign is to ensure that patients receiving home health care will remain in their home setting and require fewer avoidable hospitalizations.
Iowa Consortium for Mental Health Evidence-based Practices
A directory of authoritative mental health resources and models. The site also contains Iowa Mental Health Resources.
National Clearinghouse on the Direct Care Workforce Best Practices Database
A national online library of best practices and resources devoted to direct care recruitment, career advancement, workplace culture, and caregiving practices.
National Guideline Clearinghouse
A resource for evidence-based clinical practice. Preset search options allow you to wade gently into this impressive database.
A continuing education course on oral health care challenges and supports for individuals with developmental disabilities. Ample links to special care resources accompany to curriculum.
Tools and Measures
Adaptive Technology Resource Centre: Assistive Technology Outcomes
Outcome measurement tools for an array of assistive technology practices.
Center on Outcome Measurement in Brain Injury: Scales
Thirty instruments for measurements of coma, brain injury rehabilitation, and quality of life.
Centers on Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Home and Community Based Services Quality Toolkit
CMS instrument for evaluating HCBS waivers and participant experience surveys for use with targeted populations receiving services through waiver programs.
CLAS Standards Assessment Tool
Cultural competence measure for the delivery of health care to minorities and the underserved.
Colorado Program Assessment and Review (COPAR): Quality Measurement Instrument Reviews
An overview of 72 quality improvement instruments. This review assesses the tools’ quantification in the following categories: friendship and belonging, self-esteem, competencies and talents, decision-making, community inclusion, and satisfaction.
Council on Quality and Leadership: Quality Measures 2005
Personal outcomes combined with the lessons of social capital and community life. Direct training is currently underway nationwide. How do Quality Measures stack up against the HCBS Quality Framework? Read: Cross-walk Between the CMS HCBS Quality Framework and the CQL’s Quality Measures 2005
Holistic Approach to Transformational Change (HATCh)
A Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved person-centered care tool for long-term care settings.
Iowa Index of Geriatric Assessment Tools
Assessment tools designed for and tested on older populations, including individuals with disabilities.
MedQIC assists agencies and providers in finding, using, and sharing quality improvement practices.
Performance indicators that are important to understanding the overall health of public developmental disabilities agencies.
National Quality Measures Clearinghouse
A public database for quality measures and measure sets. NQMC provides materials on how to use, select, interpret, and implement a measure.
AHRQ directory of resources to improve the quality of healthcare.
Promising Practices
Crisp, S; Eiken, S; Gerst, K; Justice, D. (2003)Money Follows the Person and Balancing Long-Term Care Systems: State Examples. Medstat, CMS. Flexible financing for long-term service models.
Hanson, R., Wieseler, N., & Lakin, K. (Eds.). (2000) Impact: Feature Issue on Behavior Support for Crisis Prevention and Response, 14 (1) [online]. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration.
Observations on creating a community support system for people with ongoing behavioral, emotional, or other crises, and a look at some established state programs for short-term crisis intervention and remediation.
Minnesota Region 10 Quality Assurance
People working together to improve the quality of life for individuals with disabilities. This is achieved through a process termed VOICE.
Mollica, R., (et al.). (2006) Money Follows the Person (MFP) Toolbox. New Brunswick : Rutgers Center for State Health Policy. PDF Version
Synthesizes data about state MFP initiatives in preparation for the MFP Demonstration program created by the Deficit Reduction Act. This version of the Toolbox concentrates on transitions from nursing facilities; future versions will add information more relevant for individuals with developmental disabilities.
Seven issue briefs on innovative home and community-based programs in Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Training, mentoring, and increasing the job awareness of direct support professionals yields higher job satisfaction and retention.
The Registry is a self-nominating system intended to be used as a decision support tool, not as an authoritative list of effective interventions. As such, it is a useful starting point for research into promising practices in community mental health and addiction services. Introduced in March, 2007, the Registry was launched with 25 refereed interventions. It is expected that 5 to 10 new interventions will be added monthly.
Community Living
Council on Quality and Life (CQL) Community Life Initiatives
CQL exists to improve the quality of supports and services for people with intellectual disabilities and for people with mental disabilities.
HCRI Quality Learning Community
This Human Services Research Institute website focuses on quality person-centered support for individuals with developmental disabilities.
HCBS Clearinghouse for Community Living Exchange Collaboration
Great resource for policy makers and administrators who are re-examining or overhauling support systems for people with disabilities.
Research and Training Center on Community Living
A hub for research on independent living issues. Among its many publications: Residential Services for Persons with Developmental Disabilities: Status and Trends.
*"Closing the Gap: Goal 3." National Institute of Child Health & Human Development. 17 Aug. 2006. National Institutes of Health. 19 Feb. 2007
