Illinois Department of Children and Family Services
FFY 2011 Annual Progress and Services Report
272
standards. Agencies benefit directly from exceeding performance expectations by retaining
savings from lowered caseloads. Conversely, they also bear the risk of falling short of
permanency targets, in which case the provider and not the state bears the financial burden.
A qualitative case review process, implemented by APT and QA staff, has been in place since
FY06, initially as part of the Illinois PIP, in an effort to target case practice areas that continue
to be identified in need of improvement in the CFSR. These practice areas include casework
contacts, supervision, Child and Family Team Meetings, and reunification practices. This
unique performance contracting strategy continues to operate as a primary integrated review
process that assesses the entire Illinois child welfare system (and not just the private sector),
data from which is used now as part of the Department’s Regional PIP process. An additional
review process began implementation in FY11 that focuses on the evaluation of Intact Family
casework practice.
Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI): IDCFS CQI Processes
The Department has had a formal CQI process and peer review process in place since 1997.
Each region’s CQI process includes Site and Local QI teams, as well as formal review
processes that incorporate the access, use, and follow up of consumer satisfaction,
incident/accident/grievances, and program evaluation information.
The Department’s Statewide CQI Plan outlines the processes and expectations of implementing
Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) within the Illinois Department of Children and Family
Services (IDCFS). The primary purpose in having this focus on CQI is to achieve positive
outcomes and the highest quality of services for the children and families served by the
Department. To achieve this goal, the Department has emphasized that it is essential to
maintain a structured process by which to examine, evaluate, and act on quality issues within
the Department and to involve all Department staff as well as stakeholders in such processes.
The basic framework and structure to the Department’s CQI process continues to be as follows:
Regional/Site/Local Quality Improvement Councils
Each of the six Department regions continues to maintain a Regional QI Plan which delineates
for staff the region’s vision as well as framework for the implementation of their regional CQI
process. Regions maintain a fully inclusive QI structure via a functioning RQC, Site QI teams
for regional offices and Local QI teams throughout the region. All QI teams operating in the
region are expected to adhere to the standard 5-point QI agenda (peer review,
incidents/accidents/grievances, consumer satisfaction, program evaluation, special
projects/action planning).
Local QI teams are organized in keeping with the present Department team structure (e.g. Child
Protection teams, Intact Family teams, Adoption teams, Permanency teams, etc.). The focus
for Local QI teams is on individual team performance and it is essential that all staff on the
team participate, which is to include clerical and other team support staff.
Like RQC’s, Local QI teams are expected to meet a minimum of once per quarter and to follow
the standard 5-point agenda.
