CQI Conference Program 2021

CQI CONFERENCE 2021: CQI IS FOR EVERYONE

ILLINOIS CQI COMMUNITY GROUP WELCOME MESSAGE

We would like to take this opportunity to THANK YOU for joining us for our sixth annual conference. Every year, we look forward to connecting with our community at the CQI Conference and put on an event that helps staff and organizations build capacity in CQI. Unfortunately, we had to make the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 CQI Conference. This was a tough call to make, but we needed to prioritize the health, safety, and recovery of our community. Due to the continued uncertainty leading into 2021, we made the decision to host our first virtual conference this year! The virtual platform also allowed us to host a special pre-conference CQI 101 session with Yolanda Green-Rogers of Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago.

Our theme this year, “CQI is for Everyone,” focuses on community engagement, equity, sustaining a CQI driven environment, and how CQI can make a positive impact in these areas. We have planned two days of workshops and presentations designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of quality improvement professionals throughout the human services community. We also see this as an opportunity to engage agency leaders, program staff, university partners, and other human service professionals in the CQI dialogue.

During the conference, you will hear from CQI professionals from across the nation about some of the core foundational CQI activities and processes that can support your organization's efforts to improve outcomes for the communities you serve. The conference supports your enhanced understanding of what CQI is, why it is important, and how to implement it in your day-to-day work. You will also get a national perspective on our theme from our featured speaker, Heather Krause, an influential thought leader in enhancing capacity for data equity.

We would like to extend our gratitude to Dean Steve Anderson and the administrative staff at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign School of Social Work for so graciously hosting and supporting this event. Without this support, the CQI Conference would not be possible.This remains an exciting time for our CQI Community as we continue to grow and learn from one another. Thank you for attending our sixth annual (and first virtual) CQI Conference and bringing your expertise to our gathering. You, as leaders of excellence, have the vision, the knowledge, the wherewithal, and the experience to pursue quality. We hope you will take full advantage of the opportunities available at the Conference, and that it will be a source of information and inspiration as you continue in your efforts to improve the lives of children, adults, families, and communities across the nation.

-The Illinois CQI Community Group

THE ILLINOIS CQI COMMUNITY GROUP Mission: A community of human services professionals that will promote and enhance the value of CQI by providing opportunities for professional development, peer support, and collaboration.

The CQI Community Group consists of human service agency CQI (Continuous Quality Improvement) professionals throughout the nation who are interested in sharing resources, supporting professional development, and networking with peers in continuous quality improvement. We realize this work is challenging and resources are limited and having peers to learn and be inspired by is invaluable. We also embody the desire to professionalize the field of CQI in human services.

The CQI Community Group plans bimonthly events to discuss topics relevant to current CQI practice.

These events take place every other month via virtual platforms so no matter where you are, you can be engaged. Topics in 2020-2021 have included: Checking-In During This Time of COVID-19; Measuring and Monitoring Our Impact During a Pandemic; A Seat "At the Table": Issues of Equity; Demographic Data Collection - A Tool for Change; Building Our CQI Community Toolbox; Telling Your Data Story: Data Visualization and Annual Data Reporting; and Data Viz on a Shoestring.

In Fall 2014, the CQI Community had the bright idea of holding a conference centered around CQI. A committee was formed, a sponsor was found in the University of Illinois School of Social Work, and we had our first conference in October 2015 at the School of Social Work in Urbana (in their classrooms)! We had about 80 people attend from Illinois (mostly in child welfare), and the conference was one day. In 2016, we expanded the conference to 2 days and over the past 5 years, participation has increased to approximately 200 attendees from multiple states across the nation.

Join our LinkedIn and Facebook Groups The Illinois CQI Community Group invites you to join our LinkedIn and Facebook groups. These groups give our community members an opportunity to share information on the annual CQI Conference and CQI Community events, share CQI resources and trainings, network, ask CQI related questions for feedback from group members, share job postings, and increase opportunities for professional development, peer support and collaboration.

Use this link to join the LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12138348/ Use this link to join the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3953122551428114/ CQI Community Website and Get Involved You can find out more information on future events and access past conference and event presentations on our website: https://cqi.cfrc.illinois.edu/ If you are interested in participating in future meeting or would like to join our steering committee, please contact the CQI Community Group email address: cqicommunity@gmail.com

WELCOME FROM DEAN ANDERSON

Welcome to the 6th annual CQI Conference. After a year of interruption due to the pandemic, the School of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign is excited to join again with the CQI Community to sponsor this important event. The conference again centers on an important idea—that organizations serving our most vulnerable populations can use their own expertise to grow their skills and improve their services and practices. The conference has shown substantial growth over time, as well as notable resilience as we have grappled with the pandemic. This is a great reflection on the commitment and expertise of the CQI Community and the many professionals who support the conference.

The year’s conference, CQI Is for Everyone, includes many important themes critical to the effective development of human services organizations. We are especially excited to see a focus on equity and community engagement, as well as how to sustain a CQI driven environment.

Although we look forward to the day when we will meet again in person, I am confident that these two days of virtual sessions will be packed with information, insights, and great idea exchanges that will further the fine work that you are doing.

On behalf of our School of Social Work, I wish all of you a fruitful conference. And, thanks again to the CQI Community for its important work!

Sincerely, Steve Anderson, Dean School of Social Work, UIUC

ABOUT OUR FEATURED SPEAKER How Not to Use Data Like a Racist, Sexist, Homophobe (etc.)

Heather Krause, PStat We All Count Canada

Very few people build data products because they want to promote racist or sexist ideas.

However, it’s very easy to accidentally fall into these traps, particularly when there’s so much talk about the objectivity of evidence. It’s really easy to make mistakes when using data. A working understanding of how to incorporate ethics and equity into data products is essential for anyone conducting data analysis or making decisions based on data analysis. This talk provides you with several shocking real-world examples and a seven-step framework for identifying inequity and hidden bias in the data product lifecycle. As interest in ethics in data grows, this remains one of the few actionable frameworks for making equitable change in the way you use data as a team.

It has been successfully implemented to improve ethics within data, algorithms, dashboards and more at Mastercard, Oxfam, the UN, the Margaret Cargill Foundation, Borealis, and several national governments.

Heather Krause, PStat, is a data scientist with over a decade of experience building tools that improve practices and systems. Heather is a statistician with years of experience working on complex data problems and producing real-world knowledge. She has a strong love of finding data, analyzing it in creative ways and using cutting edge visualization methods to visualize the results. Her emphasis is on combining strong statistical analysis with clear and meaningful communication. She is currently working on implementing tools for equity and ethics in data.

As the founder of two successful data science companies, she attacks the largest questions facing societies today, working with both civic and corporate organizations to improve outcomes and lives. Her relentless pursuit of clarity and realism in these projects pushed her beyond pure analysis to mastering the entire data ecosystem including award-winning work in data sourcing, modeling, and data storytelling, each incorporating bleeding edge theory and technologies.

Visit the We All Count website here: https://weallcount.com/

2021 CQI Conference: CQI is for Everyone Schedule of Events WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2021 9:00-9:30a CST

Welcome: CQI Community Group Representatives and UIUC School of Social Work

9:30-10:30 CST Featured Speaker

How Not to Use Data Like a Racist, Sexist, Homophobe (etc.)

10:30-10:45a

Break

Featured Speaker: Heather Krause, We All Count

Logic Models: An Effective Tool for Program Management 10:45-12:15p CST Breakout Session

12:15 – 1:00p

Melissa Dury, Phyllis Richards, and Andrea Chua Alliance for Strong families and CommunitiesCouncil on Accreditation New York, NY

Marginalized Communities Need Data Too K. Scott Nelson, Grant Writer and Consultant, and Michelle Molina, Connecting Evidence Pasadena, CA and Sandy, UT

Building the Plane and Flying Out: The Start of a CQI Journey Charlotte Halbert, Teresa Scrimenti, Indra Amaro Gómez, Kristen Gore and Stephanie Clone Chapin Hall, OhioKAN at Kinnect, and Kaye Implementation & Evaluation Chicago, IL, Cleveland, OH, Des Moines, WA

Lunch

The QI Gambit: Tools and Strategies for Engaging, Training, and Supporting Staff 1:00-2:30p CST Conference Session

Melissa Curtis Lawrence Hall Chicago, IL

2:30-3:00p CST

Day One Wrap Up

2021 CQI Conference: CQI is for Everyone Schedule of Events THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2021

9:00-10:30a CST Breakout Session

Changing Your Process: Getting CQI Buy in One Dashboard at a Time Micheal Dent, Michael Crofford and Brook Moomaw Oriana House, Inc. Akron, OH

Turning the Tables: Evaluating Our CQI System Emily B. Shapiro, Mimi Stern and Ashleigh Rosen JCFS Chicago Chicago, IL

10:30-10:45a

10:45-12:15p CST Breakout Session

Natalie Whisenant Conner, LaTosha Owens, Donna Henderson and Mike Doucette Children’s Home Society Charlotte, NC

Break

Creating a Meaningful and Integrated CQI Practice

Three Lean Methods to Keep Your Improvements Going

Sarah J. Buek The IllumiLab St. Louis, MO

Tony Heath Lean Consultant Chicago, IL

12:15-1:00p

1:00-3:00p CST Closing Session

Leveraging Technology and CQI to Improve Outcomes for Older Youth in Foster Care

How to Measure Post-Discharge Outcomes to Improve Program Quality Suellen Rizzo and Linda Mobriant St. Mary’s Home for Children North Providence, RI

Lunch

Closing Session and Raffle: Finding the Right Fit – Finding the CQI Candidate to Help Make CQI for Everyone Amanda Cates and Alec Boros Oriana House, Inc. Akron, OH

Topic Key:

Community Engagement

Equity

How to Sustain a CQI Driven Environment

2021 CQI Conference: CQI is for Everyone Workshop Descriptions DAY 1: OCTOBER 6, 2021 FEATURED SPEAKER 9:30 A.M.-10:30 A.M. CST

How Not to Use Data Like a Racist, Sexist, Homophobe (etc.)

Heather Krause, PStat We All Count Canada Very few people build data products because they want to promote racist or sexist ideas. However, it’s very easy to accidentally fall into these traps, particularly when there’s so much talk about the objectivity of evidence. It’s really easy to make mistakes when using data. A working understanding of how to incorporate ethics and equity into data products is essential for anyone conducting data analysis or making decisions based on data analysis. This talk provides you with several shocking, real-world examples and a seven-step framework for identifying inequity and hidden bias in the data product lifecycle. As interest in ethics in data grows, this remains one of the few actionable frameworks for making equitable change in the way you use data as a team. It has been successfully implemented to improve ethics within data, algorithms, dashboards and more at Mastercard, Oxfam, the UN, the Margaret Cargill Foundation, Borealis, and several national governments.

Heather Krause, PStat, is a data scientist with over a decade of experience building tools that improve practices and systems. Heather is a statistician with years of experience working on complex data problems and producing real-world knowledge. She has a strong love of finding data, analyzing it in creative ways and using cutting edge visualization methods to visualize the results. Her emphasis is on combining strong statistical analysis with clear and meaningful communication. She is currently working on implementing tools for equity and ethics in data. As the founder of two successful data science companies, she attacks the largest questions facing societies today, working with both civic and corporate organizations to improve outcomes and lives. Her relentless pursuit of clarity and realism in these projects pushed her beyond pure analysis to mastering the entire data ecosystem including awardwinning work in data sourcing, modeling, and data storytelling, each incorporating bleeding edge theory and technologies. Visit the We All Count website here: https://weallcount.com/

BREAKOUT SESSIONS 10:45 A.M.-12:15 P.M. CST

Logic Models: An Effective Tool for Program Management Melissa Dury, L.C.S.W. Phyllis Richards, M.A., M.S., and Andrea Chua, M.S.W. Alliance for Strong Families and Communities-Council on Accreditation, New York, NY Topic Area: How to Sustain a CQI Driven Environment This workshop will explore the fundamental components of a logic model and how it can be an effective tool for examining service delivery within programs. Participants will be able to identify the 4 components of a logic model and how they are interconnected and learn how they can use logic models as a tool to monitor program data. This workshop will discuss the benefits of using logic models as a visual representation of the scope and purpose of human service programs. As Alliance-COA continues to advance quality improvement to support organizations in providing efficient and effective services to its

2021 CQI Conference: CQI is for Everyone Workshop Descriptions consumers, logic models can help organizations synthesize their work and ensure that its activities are closely related to its impact on consumers and the communities it serves.

Melissa Dury, LCSW, is the Director of Standards Development at Alliance-COA. In her role as a standards author, Melissa has 16 years’ experience conducting literature reviews and facilitating discussions among diverse stakeholder groups on various topics, and evolving trends in the social service sector. Most recently, Melissa has partnered with the field to develop accreditation standards on person-centered service delivery, the role of lived experience in long-term recovery, and the characteristics of impactful, mission-driven organizations. When she isn’t writing standards, Melissa enjoys being outdoors with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs.

Phyllis Richards is the Director of Practice Excellence at the Alliance-COA. In her current position, Richards works to support the needs of the Alliance-COA network by administering the Commitments for High-Impact Non-Profits Assessment, the Alliance-COA Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Staff Assessment and oversees the Alliance-COA US Human Services Compensation Study. She also plays an integral role in the Alliance-COA EDI Consultation team. As a team member, Richards administers assessments, develops content, facilitates workshops and supports clients in the development of their EDI organizational plan. Prior to joining the Alliance, Richards worked for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee as an evaluator for the Medicaid Infrastructure Grant (MIG) Training Program. This program trained public high school staff, parents and community partners on the services available to students with special needs after leaving high school.

Richards holds a master’s in social policy from the University of Chicago’s Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice along with a master’s in educational psychology with a concentration in measurement and statistics from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She is also a qualified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI).

Andrea Chua, MSW, has worked in the social services industry for almost 20 years with over 13 years of experience serving in the Quality Improvement space and has considerable expertise in supporting child welfare (particularly serving pregnant and parenting youth in care), youth development, workforce development, outpatient mental health programs, special education, home visiting programs and COA accreditation. She is passionate about using data to drive public policy, inform practice, and advocate on behalf of underrepresented/resourced populations. Andrea is a connector, an innovator, a collaborator and a strategist; building bridges between community partners, research organizations, and local/state/federal stakeholders through the use of data analysis, program evaluation, and relationship building.

Marginalized Communities Need Data Too K. Scott Nelson, M.F.A.,Grant Writer and Consultant, Pasadena, CA Michelle Molina, M.Ed, Connecting Evidence, Sandy UT Topic Area: Community Engagement and Equity Nonprofit organizations that work with historically marginalized communities tend to have less experience collecting and using their own data, have fewer national data sets to pull from, work with community members who may distrust data collection efforts, experience research fatigue, and have additional privacy and confidentiality needs. During this interactive session, an evaluator and a grant writer with experience gathering and using data with marginalized communities will lead a discussion and introduce new tools. Collectively, we will discuss challenges related to data collection, review and test effective

2021 CQI Conference: CQI is for Everyone Workshop Descriptions solutions, and explore what to do when data is simply not available. By the end of the session, attendees will understand the challenges related to collecting and using data with historically marginalized groups, innovate strategies for sourcing data through primary or secondary research, and effectively create an argument for funding when population data is flawed or nonexistent.

K. Scott Nelson is a grant writer and consultant partnering with 4-6 nonprofits and small businesses annually in the greater Los Angeles area and remotely. They specialize in human services, community and economic development, and renewable energy. Their experience includes soliciting grant funding from private and corporate foundations, federal agencies, the CARES Act, Community Development Block Grants, and capital campaigns. Since 2017, they have secured roughly $3 million in funding. Their services include providing organizational development consulting such as, the identification of funding sources, creating grant seeking strategies and schedules, and conducting research supporting case statements and intervention design.

Michelle Molina, Evaluator at Connecting Evidence, received her M.Ed. from UCLA focusing on Social Research Methodology. Her Masters gave her the technical tools she needed to help collect both quantitative and qualitative data. Her experience working with a variety of organizations has made her understand that effective evaluations must focus on use, have key stakeholder partnerships, and consider the systems where programs live. She believes that effective data use can equip those working to improve their communities with the knowledge they need to make the greatest impact.

Building the Plane and Flying Out: The Start of a CQI Journey Charlotte Halbert, M.P.P. and Kirsten Gore, M.A., Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL Felicia Adams, M.P.A., OhioKAN at Kinnect, Cleveland OH Indra Amaro Gómez, M.P.H. and Stephanie Clone M.S.W., Kaye Implementation and Evaluation, Des Moines, WA Topic Area: Community Engagement This presentation will share strategies and tools for Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) practitioners to build and reinforce a culture of continuous learning that engages all levels of program staff in CQI activities. This will include a discussion on leveraging developmental and adaptive approaches to CQI to fit a program’s current stage in implementation and prepare for evidence-building and evaluation. Using experiences from recent implementation of the kinship and adoption navigator model, OhioKAN, presenters will share their approaches for effective partnership with program staff and external stakeholders to apply CQI best practices, develop improvement planning strategies, and ensure consistent implementation. This approach to community engagement uplifts the voices of program staff as the fundamental drivers of the CQI process while intentionally engaging internal and external stakeholders through councils, focus groups, and surveys.

Charlotte Halbert is an Associate Policy Analyst at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago.

In her role, Halbert provides targeted assistance to Chapin Hall’s work with state government and child welfare agencies implementing system transformation initiatives. Her work centers on strengthening case review practices for continuous quality improvement activities and Child and Family Services Reviews. In addition, Halbert also focuses on implementation of the Family First Prevention Services Act and related initiatives within several jurisdictions to improve the lives and well-being of children and families. Halbert’s contributions include project planning, continuous quality improvement implementation and capacity building, policy research, and qualitative data collection and analysis. She is especially interested in continuous quality improvement strategies and the application of evidence-based, trauma-informed practices to better support families and build

2021 CQI Conference: CQI is for Everyone Workshop Descriptions healthy communities. Prior to joining Chapin Hall, Halbert built experience in nonprofit development, programming, and organizational capacity. Halbert holds a Master of Public Policy and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and French from the University of Virginia.

Teresa Scrimenti has an eclectic background working with progressive organizations invested in giving power back to the people they serve. She has a range of customer service and teaching experiences, primarily in the disability service and culinary arts industries.

Throughout her career, Teresa has developed and implemented curricula, including culinary education for home cooks, life skills classes for adults with developmental disabilities, and summer work experiences for youth in collaboration with local businesses. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcasting and Mass Communications from Baldwin Wallace University. Teresa is so excited to be a part of OhioKAN as the Statewide Program Trainer!

Indra Amaro Gómez is currently a Research Associate at Kaye Implementation and Evaluation (KI&E), where she leads analysis and reporting on the OhioKAN evaluation. She is a public health professional whose research experience has included a focus on quality assurance among community-based organizations participating in implementation evaluation studies. As a native Spanish speaker, she uses her linguistic skills and cultural perspective to inform all aspects of her work and research. Amaro Gómez began her career in local and international program implementation and evaluation, supporting health literacy promotion for immigrant mothers and their young children living in Washington D.C., and international efforts to alleviate world hunger. Before her time at KI&E, Amaro Gómez was in charge of data gathering, management, and analysis for a federally funded project that was evaluating outcomes in infant and early childhood mental health. She is committed to promoting inclusive implementation and evaluation practices within the fields of child welfare, maternal and child health, and early childhood. Amaro Gómez earned her Master of Public Health in Global Health Policy from George Washington University.

Kristen Gore is an Associate Policy Analyst at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago. In her role, Gore supports Chapin Hall’s work with state government and child welfare agencies implementing system transformation initiatives. Her work centers on the implementation of the Family First Prevention Services Act within several jurisdictions, implementation of Kinship Navigator programs, and broader program evaluation. Gore’s contributions include project coordination, capacity building support, developing tools and templates, and conducting policy research, including data analysis. Gore is especially interested in the development and implementation of innovative continuous quality improvement systems focused through racial equity lens and innovative governance structures that center the communities’ voice. Gore worked on a student consultant team with the Chicago Community Trust to develop a data dashboard to monitor and track progress in closing the racial wealth gap in the Chicago region. Gore holds a Master of Arts in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Appalachian State University.

Stephanie Clone, MSW, has worked across a variety of social service systems to support the scaling of evidence-based programs to improve the lives of women and children. She is the Project Director for a large-scale statewide implementation and outcomes evaluation of Ohio Kinship and Adoption Navigator (OhioKAN) program. Clone started her career managing a statewide evaluation of innovative and evidence-based substance use disorder treatments. In this role she provided training and technical assistance across 33 county substance use disorder provider agencies and developed supports to facilitate high-quality implementation of these programs. Recently, Clone managed two large federally funded evaluation projects in Washington, D.C. through Georgetown University’s Center for Child and Human

2021 CQI Conference: CQI is for Everyone Workshop Descriptions Development. One project focused on family engagement in a child maltreatment prevention program.

The second assessed the implementation of evidence-based programs to support early childhood mental health in Washington, DC. Across both projects, Clone led and supported data planning, collection, and analysis while developing partnerships with local child, youth, and family serving agencies.

CONFERENCE SESSION 1:00 P.M.-2:30 P.M. CST

The QI Gambit: Tools and Strategies for Engaging, Training, and Supporting Staff Melissa Curtis, B.F.A. Lawrence Hall, Chicago, IL Topic Area: Community Engagement; How to Sustain a CQI Driven Environment Looking for new tools and strategies to bring back to your organization to engage staff and build capacity related to quality improvement? Are you launching a new QI process or looking to revitalize your existing one? In this session you will learn how to form and onboard program staff to the QI process; receive practical tools for training and engaging QI teams; and learn about additional concepts for building capacity in QI for staff at all levels of your organization. You will leave this session with a variety of ideas and a toolbox of resources you can use when you need a QI boost at your organization.

Melissa Curtis received her Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Painting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She worked for over 3 years at Alden Town Manor, a nursing and rehabilitation center where she was introduced to the concept of Quality Assurance. In 1999, Melissa joined Lawrence Hall to assist in launching a new team-based approach to implementing a Continuous Quality Improvement model. She has been leading the CQI process at Lawrence Hall for over 22 years. Melissa supports and meets with all agency QI teams; systematically collects, aggregates, analyzes, and communicates data; develops data collection tools, databases, dashboards, and reports; and provides training and capacity building in CQI concepts with organization staff. She is the lead coordinator for the agency’s COA reaccreditation process, and creates visual PQI outcome reports for Lawrence Hall.

DAY 2: OCTOBER 6, 2021 WORKSHOPS 9:00 A.M.-10:30 A.M. CST

Changing your Process: Getting CQI Buy in One Dashboard at a Time Michael Dent, B.A., Michael Crofford, M.Ed., and Brook Moomaw, B.A. Oriana House, Inc. Akron, OH Topic Area: How to Sustain a Community Driven Environment This workshop will demonstrate how one agency improved their data dissemination process to incorporate supervisors and direct service staff. This process includes seeking staff input in a structured way to foster a positive and sustainable CQI culture. Changes included updates to data collection, dashboard dissemination, the creation of interdepartmental teams, and following up with team goal setting. The team is then able to develop a range of possible interventions that supervisors and staff can follow through on. The goal is to move CQI into a more advisory role to give supervisors and staff the opportunity to take ownership of their own data, and in turn, create a more positive and sustainable CQI

2021 CQI Conference: CQI is for Everyone Workshop Descriptions culture. The focus of this session will be on the process aspect of this project. Attendees will get the opportunity to practice using this example and then brainstorm ways to develop and incorporate crossdepartmental teams into their existing CQI processes.

Micheal Dent earned his B.A. from Kent State University in Political Science. He is a CQI Coach/Specialist for Oriana House, Inc. He was trained in evidence-based practices such as Core Correctional Practices and facilitating Social Skills, EPICS II, and Motivational Interviewing. He coaches, observes, and trains direct line staff on the evidence-based practices, as well as facilitating trainings on the CCP and EPICS II skills. He also collects and disseminates data on the use of evidence-based practices. Before becoming involved in CQI, he provided case management to clients with Oriana House, Inc. Michael Crofford earned his M.Ed in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and his B.A. in Philosophy from Kent State University. While there he focused on ethics and mental health treatment. He is the CQI Coordinator for Oriana House Inc. where he supervises a team of CQI Specialists that facilitate the implementation of evidence-based practices through training, observation, and coaching of staff. In addition, he and his team collect, analyze, and disseminate data on the utilization of these practices. Prior to assuming his role with CQI, he provided direct counseling and case management services to clients with Oriana House, Inc. Brook Moomaw earned her B.A. in Psychology and Justice Studies at Kent State University.

After obtaining her degree, she began her career with Oriana House, Inc. During her time at Oriana House, she has worked in the Admissions department where she completed intake screens for all Oriana House programming. In 2012, she transferred to Reentry Court as a caseworker and then in 2018 was promoted to Program Coordinator. She is currently the Program Coordinator for Specialty Courts including Family Intervention Court, Reentry Court, and Valor Court. She supervises a team of 7 caseworkers.

Turning the Tables: Evaluating Our CQI System Emily B. Shapiro, M.Ed, Mimi Stern, B.A., and Ashleigh Rosen, M.B.A. JCFS Chicago Chicago, IL Topic Area: Data Management, Analysis, and Communication JCFS Chicago has a long-standing, well-established CQI system that regularly engages a variety of internal stakeholders through the specification and measurement of program outcomes, data collection and analysis, and improvement planning. In the last two years, our CQI Department has “turned the tables” to hold ourselves accountable to those same standards by inviting our internal stakeholders to evaluate us. During this presentation, we will share how we: articulated a CQI Theory of Change; identified CQI outcomes; developed and analyzed a Stakeholder Survey to measure outcome indicators and gather valuable feedback; and defined CQI Competencies for participants in the agency’s CQI structure. Presentation attendees will have the opportunity to consider how they may apply similar strategies to reflect on their work and evaluate their own CQI efforts. Resources will also be shared including practical tools such as survey items; a list of CQI Competencies; a Theory of Change exercise; and relevant research materials.

2021 CQI Conference: CQI is for Everyone Workshop Descriptions Emily B. Shapiro, Assistant Director of CQI & Program Evaluation, leads a team of three Quality Improvement Associates, providing technical assistance, evaluation expertise, and statistical guidance in support of over 15 social service programs. With nearly a decade of experience in data analysis and research, project management, and program evaluation, Emily continues to be inspired by the programs and people with whom she works. Emily earned her Master of Education from the University of Illinois-Chicago’s Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics, and Assessment (MESA) program and holds her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Loyola University Chicago.

Mimi Stern has been working in Chicago-area individual, family, and community social services for over 5 years. She holds a B.A. in Economics and History from Oberlin College, which is integral to her roles as an evaluator, analyst, trainer, and quality improvement facilitator. A Quality Improvement Associate at JCFS Chicago since 2019, Mimi currently works with programs providing services focused on disability employment, early childhood development, youth-centered mental health, and a broad spectrum of community needs.

Ashleigh Rosen has over 15 years’ experience serving youth, families, and their communities. She has worked in various settings, including public schools, a wilderness program, and a behavioral health hospital. She was employed full time as a treatment foster care case manager while completing the Executive M.B.A. program at Virginia Commonwealth University. She also holds a B.A. in Psychology from James Madison University. Now in her second year as a Quality Improvement Associate, Ashleigh has brought the depth and breadth of her experience and education to the CQI Team. She looks forward to ongoing learning and growth at JCFS Chicago.

Leveraging Technology and CQI to Improve Outcomes for Older Youth in Foster Care Natalie Whisenant Conner, Ph.D., LaTosha Owens, M.S.W., Donna Henderson, M.S.W., and Mike Doucette, B.A./B.S. Children’s Home Society of North Carolina Greensboro, NC Topic Area: How to Sustain a CQI Driven Environment Child Focused Recruitment (CFR) is one of multiple child welfare programs offered at Children’s Home Society of North Carolina (CHSNC), serving roughly 800 youth ages 9-21 across the state. Modeled after Wendy’s Wonderful Kids, CFR uses engagement, assessment, advocacy, and education to fast-track permanent places for youth, traditionally harder to place than younger children. In the Fall of 2018, the Department of Analytics and Quality Improvement (AQI) partnered with CFR Senior Program Directors to conduct an evaluability assessment. Tasks included: a psychometric assessment of the Permanency Readiness Measure (PRM), creation of an automated weekly data quality report, creation of an electronic fidelity measure, visualization of outputs and outcomes using Power BI, and the creation of a CQI process that includes a quarterly peer record review using Forms, feeding automatically in real-time into Power BI. Power BI was not suitable for CQI work, so Teams was developed as the platform for accessing and using data, including the Power BI visualizations. Compared to national benchmarks, overall CHSNC outcomes are slightly better, with a greater number of youth adoptions.

Dr. Natalie Whisenant Conner has been in the field of positive youth development for 30 years. After receiving her B.A. in English Literature from UNC-Chapel Hill, she was awarded a master’s degree from

2021 CQI Conference: CQI is for Everyone Workshop Descriptions the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration, and her Ph.D. from UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Social Work, with a focus in intervention research using epidemiological analytic frameworks. In addition to being a researcher, Natalie also holds her clinical license, having worked as a cognitive behavioral therapist with adolescents for nearly 20 years. She has served locally and domestically as an evaluation and strategic planning consultant for an array of nonprofit and philanthropic organizations, and internationally under USAID and UNICEF, helping to create and shape child welfare systems in developing countries (Haiti, Ethiopia, Nepal). Joining the team at CHSNC in January 2018 establishes Natalie in a role that meets her lifelong desire: to bridge research, organizational development, and direct practice across an array of preventive interventions and innovations in reducing negative outcomes for vulnerable children, youth, and families.

LaTosha Owens is a Senior Program Director in the Child-Focused Recruitment Program with Children’s Home Society of N.C. She received her Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke in 1998 and received her Master of Science degree from Central Michigan University in 2001. She has over 24 years of child welfare experience. LaTosha began her career in Fayetteville, North Carolina as an Independent Living (LINKS) Coordinator with the department of social services. In that role, she was responsible for helping youth learn and develop life skills. In 2005, she started working for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. She recruited and trained families interested in volunteering to provide free respite services to foster families in hopes it would offer them a temporary reprieve from parenting, which ultimately would result in maintaining placements. In 2015, LaTosha moved back to Fayetteville, NC. where she was an Adoptions Social Worker with the department of social services where she helped youth in foster care achieve permanency. She feels that in her current role she is able to make a true impact in the lives of youth that will result in them having the connections and resources to become the best individuals they can be. She believes that the only option for children in foster care is permanency. Her programmatic implementation has been instrumental in helping youth in the Child Focused Recruitment Program achieve permanency.

Donna Henderson, Senior Program Director/Child-Focused Recruitment for Children’s Home Society (CHS) passionately embraced the opportunity to expand Child-Focused Recruitment throughout North Carolina to improve permanency outcomes and connections for children in the child welfare system. With 25 years of professional experience, Donna has been dedicated to providing quality programs that positively impact children and their families. Donna earned her Master’s in Social Work from Florida International University and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1999. Donna joined CHS 9 years ago, previously working in South Florida for 10 years, including being the Executive Director for the Broward County Healthy Start Coalition and Healthy Families. Under her leadership working in the Healthy Families Program, and in collaboration with Healthy Families Florida, this program became part of a Statewide credentialed site for Healthy Families. It is with that commitment, that Child-Focused Recruitment in North Carolina is being implemented.

Mike Doucette began working with CHS in 2021 following his graduation from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2020.

Graduating with a degree in Information Science and Cultural Studies with a minor in Computer Science, Mike found a unique fit in his role at CHS. He has a background in academic research spanning from Digital Humanities to Social Psychology, and his academic work in Information Science had a focus on CQI processes. Having both training in both technical and operations design, Mike specializes in creating consistent and fluid workflows and processes.

2021 CQI Conference: CQI is for Everyone Workshop Descriptions WORKSHOPS 10:45 A.M.-12:15 P.M. CST

Creating a Meaningful and Integrated CQI Practice Sarah Buek, M.S.W. The IllumiLab St. Louis, MO Topic Area: How to Sustain a CQI Driven Environment Quality Improvement is more than compliance. To transform an organization into a continuously improving, learning organization requires more than the skillful application of CQI tools and processes. In this session, we will explore the leadership competencies and mindsets, organizational structures and behaviors, and change management concepts that prepare an organization to engage in and sustain meaningful quality improvement work. CQI is not the work of one person or department, and it is not limited to one discrete set of tools, skills, or tasks. Meaningful CQI is embedded in organizational processes and cultures and affects all teams, departments, and roles in an organization. Tools and handouts will include organizational self-assessments and checklists, brainstorming worksheets, and a reference list of helpful articles, blogs, and resources Sarah J. Buek, M.S.W., L.C.S.W., is the Founder and Principal of The IllumiLab, LLC. Ms. Buek has 15 years’ experience in the nonprofit human services sector in St. Louis. She began her career as a family therapist serving at-risk youth and families in home-based services before moving into program management and quality improvement. In her roles within nonprofit organizations, she has been responsible for program design, evaluation, and improvement. She has also designed and implemented performance management databases and systems. As a consultant and funder, she has trained, coached, and supported dozens of organizations in their efforts to design and implement effective programs, robust performance management systems, data collection tools and software, quality improvement tools and processes, and cultures of learning and improvement. Further, Ms. Buek is Adjunct Faculty at the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University, where she teaches project management, continuous quality improvement, and program evaluation in the M.S.W./M.P.H. and professional development programs.

Three Lean Methods to Keep Your Improvements Going Tony Heath, Ph.D. Lean Consultant Lisle, IL Topic Area: How to Sustain a CQI Driven Environment This workshop will feature new thinking on change management and some advanced lean topics.

Participants will learn to convey 3 practical methods used in lean continuous improvement that help to sustain change: revised change management, standardization, and visual management.

Tony Heath is a senior lean process improvement consultant, recently retired from Optum, a business of UnitedHealth Group. He worked leading QI within the insurance industry for 20 years. He holds a Ph.D. in Family Therapy from Purdue University and is currently a member of the Association for Manufacturing Excellence and serves on its Midwest Board of Directors. Previously he was a behavioral scientist in a family practice residency, a graduate school professor, a Best Buy salesperson, and a landscape worker. Tony is married to

2021 CQI Conference: CQI is for Everyone Workshop Descriptions Nancy (30 years) and has two adult sons. He enjoys native gardening, making great coffee, driving his GTI, and drinking great beer and good whiskey. He is a Lean fixer of everything broken. His motto is Better, better, better.

How to Measure Post-Discharge Outcomes to Improve Program Quality Suellen Rizzo, M.A., M.S.W. and Linda Mobriant, M.S.W. St. Mary’s Home for Children North Providence, RI Topic Area: How to Sustain a CQI Driven Environment Programs can often demonstrate success through symptom reduction while youth are in residential programs; however, we believe that real success is gauged by functional outcomes that are sustained after youth return to their families and communities. Since January 2020, St. Mary’s has collected outcomes data for former clients at regular intervals. This project is driven by our desire to improve program effectiveness, engage with community partners, participate in public policy discussions, and prevent or reduce recidivism. The session will summarize the latest research on evaluating outcomes.

We will outline a practical plan for starting an outcome research project, providing examples from our own project and sharing tools and best practices. Presenters will also demonstrate the feasibility of postdischarge outcomes research even for small agencies with few CQI/PQI resources. Finally, we will provide a quick overview of the results we are getting, show how we are using the results to improve program quality, and demonstrate how we have engaged agency leaders and community partners in this project.

Suellen Rizzo had 15 years’ experience in the corporate sector at a Fortune Global 500 company managing creative teams as an Operations Director, with a focus on process improvement, policy development, systems implementation, and performance measurement.

Managing an international team provided her with a unique view of cultural considerations and differences, and she spent six months in Beijing establishing a creative team at the Asian regional headquarters. She was inspired to change careers after volunteering as guardian ad litem for children in foster care in Rhode Island. Suellen now strives to bring private-sector processes, data analysis, and program evaluation methods to the child welfare world. She is currently a PQI Specialist at St. Mary’s Home for Children in Rhode Island. Suellen is a graduate from George Washington University, and received a master’s degree in Psychology from George Mason University, and a M.S.W. degree from Rhode Island College.

Linda Mobriant is an independently licensed social worker who has been working at Rhode Island non-profits for over 25 years. She specializes in performance quality improvement and organizational change through a social work lens. She facilitated many successful COA reaccreditations as an employee or consultant, including the last four which were expedited.

She studied urban social processes as an undergrad and earned a Master’s degree from Rhode Island College School of Social Work. Linda is a wanderer at heart, and enjoys living an adventurous life with family and friends outside the workplace.

2021 CQI Conference: CQI is for Everyone Workshop Descriptions CLOSING SESSION AND RAFFLE 1:00 P.M.-3:00 P.M. CST

Finding the Right Fit: Finding the CQI Candidate to Help Make CQI for Everyone Amanda Cates, M.S.W. and Alec Boros, Ph.D. Oriana House, Inc. Akron, OH Topics of Focus: How to Sustain a CQI Driven Environment We all recognize the importance of having quality CQI staff to contribute to the mission of our organizations. But how do you find and select the right person for the job? Where do you find this person and what qualities are most important? In this interactive workshop, we will share our experiences and lessons learned in selecting CQI staff. This session will enable participants to identify what qualities to look for in a CQI candidate that fosters a culture of “CQI for everyone”, understand various recruitment strategies to identify potential candidates, understand various interviewing techniques to identify these qualities in CQI candidates, and collaborate with other CQI professionals to create recruitment and interviewing strategies to use at their own organization for future CQI hiring. Ultimately, improving the CQI interviewing and selection process will contribute to the overall success of social service agencies.

Also explored will be the agency-level implications of having the right people to drive a culture of CQI. Amanda Cates is the Continuous Quality Improvement Administrator at Oriana House, Inc. She is responsible for orchestrating all aspects of CQI throughout the agency and works with program supervisors on best practices and implementation. She has worked at Oriana House for 15 years in both residential and non-residential programs. Amanda is a graduate of Nazareth College in Rochester, NY and obtained her Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Akron in 2008.

Dr. Alec Boros specializes in the field of behavioral research which utilizes best practice methods in observation, focus groups, surveys, statistics, and geographical/spatial techniques. He has received his Ph.D. in Geography from Kent State University where his interest was in the spatial behavior of criminal offenders. Dr. Boros has worked as the Research Manager at Oriana House, Inc. since 1999, where he has directed all the research and evaluation efforts of the agency. Information analyzed in the Research Department is meant to assist practitioners in providing best practice interventions to offenders to change their behavior and avoid further involvement with the criminal justice system. Some of the tools he and his staff developed and use are client satisfaction reports, recidivism reports, and program evaluations.

Acknowledgements The 2021 CQI Conference: CQI is for Everyone would not have been possible without the help and support of many people. The Illinois CQI Community Group wishes to express gratitude to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign School of Social Work, and especially to Dean Steve Anderson, for hosting and sponsoring the event. We extend extra-special thank you’s to UIUC staff members Heidi Meyer, for coordinating and assisting with all the little details that are crucial for making a successful event; to Becky Ponder, for her design work and creativity on all of our communication materials; to the Grainger Engineering Marketing and Communications Department for providing IT support; to Amy Hiles, for being our business office; and to Daniel Phillips for creating a welcoming and easy-to-use conference website.

We are most honored to have Heather Krause deliver a featured presentation that sets just the right tone to make this conference a unique learning and networking experience true to its purpose.

We would also like to thank Yolanda Green-Rogers for her pre-conference session, CQI 101: The How and The Why of CQI which helped set the stage for practitioners new to CQI. We would also like to thank all of our presenters who volunteered their time to develop and deliver informative presentations.

Last but not least, we acknowledge the vision and hard work of the Illinois CQI Community Conference Planning Committee: • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Douglas Cablk, Director of Data and Information Services, Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois Kimberly Clark, CQI Data Analyst, Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois Melissa Curtis, Manager, Performance and Quality Improvement, Lawrence Hall Kerry Deas, Director of Training and Practice Improvement, JCCA Jennifer Eblen-Manning, Program Director, Foster Care Utilization Review Program (FCURP), School of Social Work, Children and Family Research Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Julie Gordon, Executive Director, REACH Yolanda Green-Rogers, Senior Policy Analyst, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago Valerie Kiem, Lead CQI Coach/Specialist, Oriana House Inc. Heidi R. Meyer, Office Manager, School of Social Work, Children and Family Research Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Dee Restrepo, Chief Impact Officer, Caritas Family Solutions Kristina Slacum Jones, Quality Improvement Manager, Thresholds Candace Thier, Research Data Analyst, Foster Care Utilization Review Program (FCURP), School of Social Work, Children and Family Research Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Alexandra Tonkin, Data and Project Development Supervisor, Oriana House, Inc. Melissa Villegas, Assistant Director of Evaluation and Quality Improvement, Jewish United Fund

• •

Mike Wojcik, Associate Executive Director - Quality, Compliance, and Data, Lutheran Social Service of Illinois Alison Wagner, Director of Quality Improvement, UCAN Chicago

-The Illinois CQI Community

THANK YOU TO OUR IMPROVE SPONSORS ($500)

THANK YOU TO OUR INNOVATE SPONSOR ($250)