May and June Visits: We’re More Than Fire Drills!
OPIA Director Deborah Robinson, DHS Office Licensing Director Kathy Patrick and DHS Office of Licensing Chief Sean O’Brien were welcomed by ABCD’s Residential Committee at our offices in Hamilton during their May meeting. State staff answered questions about the role of the guardian in the placement team and when a prescription for care is authorized by a licensed medical professional, the importance of keeping a paper trail, the role of Licensing in helping to mitigate a difficulty, medical portals now in use in PA, discussion of and input on emergency evacuation plans, follow up surveys after visit, and unlicensed homes. They emphasized the importance of establishing and maintaining a working relationship with families, frank conversations with families about licensing requirements, and a family orientation handbook. They also reminded the group that licensing though it is “more than fire drills,” it is just the minimum. Those agencies which are grounded in quality assurance and are in the habit of taking a good look at themselves are doing great. It was a good meeting.
Assistant Director of PPMU, Stacey Provenzano brought DDD QAS staff members, Karen Reilly, Stephania Malinski, and Victoria Taylor to the June meeting of the QA Forum. Stacey discussed the internal reorganization of DDD which will be more process oriented and fluid. She promised more to come on that. The overarching discussion revolved around mental health care and the need to balance rights and safety. Some interesting points in the discussion:
- Documentation is key. Document everything including failed attempts
- We are all seeing an increased amount of trauma
- Provide front line staff with the tools to make positive interventions to prevent escalation of behavior.
- We are seeing positive outcomes from the stabilization, YAI and New Lisbon programs. 90% success rate, but the key is provider involvement throughout the process
- DDD is working with DMHAS to figure out how they can improve care
- Resources are limited. Everybody uses Google. ABCD brought up the need to build up our resources internally to work with individuals who are dually diagnosed.
Another valuable meeting!
