Strengthening children's behavioral health programs through continuous quality improvement
Quality improvement (QI) ensures that the children's behavioral health services and programs we invest in work. This continuous process is essential to the long-term sustainability, accountability, and impact of children’s behavioral health services and supports.
Using data analysis, reporting, standardized training, and consultation, CHDI helps to ensure that these practices are delivered as intended and benefit children, youth, and families. Policymakers, providers, and educators use our QI data and reports to inform decisions on what is working, where improvements are needed, and where to allocate resources.
Our process
CHDI's quality improvement process focuses on advancing access, quality, and outcomes of children's behavioral health programs. We use a multi-step process to ensure clear model parameters and standards, set goals, establish measures, and evaluate program implementation and outcomes - then continually refine and repeat these processes over time:
1. Refine Model and Set Goals
We review and refine program and treatment models and practice standards based on input from families, providers, and communities. We then set goals for access, quality, and outcomes.
2. Establish Measures and Benchmarks
We develop an effective measurement approach, identify benchmarks, and support fidelity across providers and geographic areas – so families know what to expect regardless of where they get the service.
3. Analyze Data and Report Findings
We collect and analyze data to identify what’s working well, what is not working, and where there are differences in access, quality, or outcomes across populations served. We continuously evaluate progress and provide reporting at the system and provider levels to help address concerns quickly and inform decision-making.
View QI Reports and Dashboards
4. Provide Training and Technical Assistance
We provide standardized, best-practice training that aligns with program goals and improves clinical competencies, as well as ongoing consultation and technical assistance to providers, program administrators, and policymakers to improve service- and system-level outcomes. To date, CHDI has trained more than 20,000 child-serving professionals in Connecticut and other states.
5. Address System-Level Concerns
When system-level concerns are identified through the QI process, we work with policymakers to flag and address these concerns quickly and inform decisions on what works well, where improvements are needed, and where to allocate state funding and resources.
Learn More About CHDI's Systems and Policy Work
Video: Our Work
Quality Improvement in Children's Behavioral Health
How we are making a difference
Quality Improvement in children's behavioral health leads to:
Better and more consistent access to care
Fewer differences in treatment outcomes (symptom improvement) across population groups
Higher satisfaction with treatment among children, caregivers, and providers
Long-term cost savings and improved efficiencies for providers, funders, and taxpayers
Improved accountability and public transparency
Better-informed policymaking and resource allocation to support interventions, services, and approaches that demonstrate positive outcomes and results.
Greater adaptability and long-term sustainability
Quality Improvement (QI) at CHDI
We provide QI services for the following programs:
Mobile Crisis Services
We help improve youth mobile crisis service quality and outcomes through our work as Connecticut’s Mobile Crisis Performance Improvement Center (PIC). Connecticut has one of the best statewide youth mobile crisis systems in the nation due to its continuous quality improvement activities. Because of its sustained success, the program is being replicated in other states.
We are helping Connecticut’s newest level of care - urgent crisis centers for children - establish best practices, engage in continuous quality improvement, and promote positive outcomes for children, youth, and families through our work as Connecticut’s UCCC Performance Improvement Center (PIC).
We are helping Connecticut’s Young Adult Services refine the fidelity tool to ensure their services are helping young adults (ages 19-24) with behavioral health conditions build the skills needed for adulthood.
Outpatient Psychiatric Clinics for Children (OPCC)
We provide continuous quality improvement support to Connecicut’s 23 DCF-licensed community-based outpatient behavioral health facilities serving youth under 18 years of age and their families.
We collect and analyze data to monitor and improve service, and provide care coordinators with training and coaching services to support better child and family outcomes.
Mobile Response Stabilization Services (MRSS) Consultation
We work with states and communities across the country to help them develop high-quality mobile response systems based on Connecticut’s nationally-recognized program.
While much of the training CHDI provides is customized to meet the specific needs and goals of our QI partners, we also develop standardized quality improvement training for the broader children's behavioral health workforce. Current training initiatives include:
Trauma Sensitive Practices in Early Childhood
We are helping build a trauma-informed workforce by developing and disseminating training to early childhood professionals to help them implement trauma-sensitive and healing practices in their programs.
We are developing an online training portal to support the children’s behavioral health workforce and others who work with and care for children. Our training integrates evidence and family voice to help support children’s behavioral health and well-being.
