Resolving consumer concerns
The CQT process brings consumers’ ideas and needs to the people who have the power to resolve problems and implement changes. Everyone in the system gets the information they need, in real time.
Individual Requests
In an interview, a consumer may bring up a specific request, problem, or concern. Before CQT reports an issue, the team asks for the consumer’s permission to use their name with the senior staff onsite. If the consumer agrees, CQT shares the consumer’s name and the details of their request with staff at the end of the site visit. If the consumer does not want their name shared, CQT can report the concern anonymously. Safety concerns are reported immediately with names.
Most individual requests shared with staff are addressed immediately, often on the same day as the site visit. All individual requests are listed in the written CQT Site Visit Report along with the program staff’s response. Consumer names are never included in Site Visit Reports.
The report is sent to the senior program staff, CEO, and funding/oversight agency within 10 business days of the site visit. The funding agency follows up with the program staff to ensure the situation has been addressed. Funding agencies report back on the status of each request at the Feedback Meeting. CQT visits the site again, around three to four months later, to hear consumer feedback.
How effective is CQT’s process?
Many PRP staff members have said they were able to successfully resolve individual consumer concerns contained in CQT feedback, such as an individual’s need for extra support or quality of life issues.
Program Improvement
CQT Site Visit Reports document consumer comments about the strengths and weaknesses of the program and become a source for honest, real-time feedback about consumers’ satisfaction with activities, staff, procedures, and the facility in general. Reports also contain specific suggestions for improvement from the consumers using those services. Some facilities use CQT Site Visit Reports within their own customer service or quality assurance improvement programs.
As reflected in CQT’s Annual Reports, most comments shared by consumers about staff, programming, resources, and other services are positive. CQT’s process relays these accolades to funding/oversight agencies and highlights specific examples of how programs support consumers’ strides towards recovery.
“CQT feedback led [providers] to make improvements that helped multiple consumers; these changes ranged from the availability of healthier vending machine snacks to the disciplining or replacement of PRP staff members who were treating consumers poorly.”
“CQT generates ideas about how to improve our services and sometimes helps us to explain to our administration why we may need to [do more] in some areas.” –PRP Staff
System Transformation
At Feedback Meetings, representatives from local and state agencies hear comments and concerns in the consumers’ own words. This provides policymakers with rich and detailed information about the needs and wants of the consumers served by the system and allows them to assess successful program models as well as areas in need of improvement.
The regularity of CQT site visits and feedback process provides programs, facilities, and the Behavioral Health Administration, the opportunity to hear and review consumers’ experiences over time. This process results in systemic feedback that enables the mental health system to meet consumers’ needs on an ongoing basis.