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Background

There is a strong focus at the federal level on the development of statewide Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) systems for child welfare. The Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF) has directed states to examine their statewide CQI systems for child welfare with a focus on five key areas:

  1. Foundational Administrative Structure for Statewide CQI
  2. Quality Data Collection
  3. Ongoing Case Review Data and Process
  4. Analysis and Dissemination of Quality Data
  5. Feedback to Stakeholders and Decision-makers and Adjustment of Programs and Processes

This federal emphasis on CQI aligns with OFC’s focus on data-informed decision-making and a proactive approach to continuous improvement of practice. This spring, OFC formed a CQI Advisory Team to begin the process of integrating a CQI approach in the development of Ohio’s federal Title IV-B Child and Family Services Plan (CFSP). This five-year strategic plan includes a robust set of activities designed to improve Ohio’s statewide CQI infrastructure for child welfare.

Advisory Team Purpose

OFC’s CQI Advisory Team will guide the implementation of the Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) plan included within Ohio’s 2015-2019 Title IV-B Child and Family Services Plan. The CQI objectives outlined within the CFSP are to:

  • Further develop Ohio’s statewide CQI infrastructure for child welfare;
  • Increase accessibility of SACWIS data and improve data integrity to support CQI activities;
  • Further integrate CQI into OFC’s technical assistance and CPOE review processes;
  • Apply CQI principles to improve casework practice and supervision; and
  • Implement innovative and evidence-based or evidence-informed practices to improve safety, permanency and well-being outcomes for children and families.

To accomplish these objectives, OFC has expanded the membership of the CQI Advisory Team to include additional public children services agency partners, private agency partners and stakeholders. The CQI Advisory Team will meet on a quarterly basis. Various subcommittees will be formed to focus on specific elements of the CQI plan. These subcommittees will meet between the quarterly meetings of the Advisory Team to ensure that tasks are completed timely. The Advisory Team will regularly review and provide feedback on the work of the subcommittees and approve recommendations or products of the workgroups to present to OFC leadership.

Subcommittees

An initial set of subcommittees will encompass the following areas of focus included in the CFSP:

  • CQI Framework: This Subcommittee will be responsible for developing a written CQI Framework to include a description of Ohio’s overarching CQI process and detailed recommendations based on CQI best practices, Children’s Bureau recommendations, the recommendations of national child welfare organizations (such as NAPCWA), and local CQI methods.
      
  • CQI Statewide Community: This Subcommittee will be responsible for establishing a mechanism for ODJFS, counties and private agencies to share CQI policies, protocols, tools and resources. Along with information-sharing, this Subcommittee will be responsible for recommendations to support a statewide "CQI Community of Practice."
    • Practice Profiles Module 1: Overview - Resources
        
  • Peer Review: This Subcommittee will be responsible for designing a multi-county and/or regional Peer Review structure to be implemented on a pilot basis. This will include gathering feedback from local partners to inform the development of the design and peer review standards. This Subcommittee will also explore the feasibility and utility of integrating peer review with CPOE and/or CFSR Round 3 case reviews.
      
  • Data Reports: This Subcommittee will be responsible for making recommendations to guide the development of user-friendly, standardized data reports; make data more accessible to practitioners, supervisors and agency administrators; and strengthen statewide use of performance data.

Additional subcommittees will be formed as needed and recommended by the Advisory Team.

Contact Information

For additional information on OFC's CQI Initiative, please contact:

Vince Ciola
Bureau Chief, Systems and Practice Advancement (BSPA)
ODJFS, Office of Families and Children
Vincent.Ciola@jfs.ohio.gov
419-247-0426

CFSP Workgroup Volunteers  

Public and Private Agency Contacts for CQI Activities  

Resources:

Statewide CQI Webinars: