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QUALITY ASSURANCE STANDARDS (QAS)
What are quality assurance standards?
In 1990, the Coalition for the
Homeless staff along with community agencies serving the homeless established
best practice standards for providing shelter and services. The Quality
Assurance Standards Program (QAS) is used to monitor homeless shelters,
insuring the best possible services are being provided.
In addition to monitoring agency
practices, QAS trains staff through the Blueprint University. Blueprint
offers courses to help front-line staff better respond to the needs of
their clients and provides tools to provide the most effective services.
What is the purpose of QAS?
These quality assurance
standards are critically important because currently there are no
licensing requirements for homeless shelters in Louisville. Therefore,
these standards will ensure that agencies are operating ethically and in
the best interests of their clients. The primary goals of QAS are to:
1.
Increase the number of shelters who
participate in and pass QAS.
2. Increase
quality of homeless services in Coalition member agencies.
3. Increase
quality of homeless services in Louisville by recruiting non-members to
join the Coalition and QAS program.
How is the Coalition involved in this
process?
The Coalition employs the Quality Assurance
Standards Manager who is responsible for leading the following
activities:
Completing the monitoring process with Coalition member shelters each year. The monitoring process includes:
1. The completion of the
standard monitoring tool by each shelter. The monitoring tool is a self
assessment report addressing management and administration; quality of
life/human dignity issues; building and security; regulations and
compliance; medical issues; and transportation.
2. The QAS Manager provides technical assistance to shelter staff during the self-assessment phase.
3. The QAS Manager conducts a survey with clients
living at each of the member shelters.
4. The QAS Manager and a team of shelter peers
and volunteers conduct site visits to each member shelter.
5. After reviewing the tools and surveys, the QAS
Manager issues compliance status for each agency.
QAS also coordinates six Blueprint University trainings per year. Blueprint University trainings encompass:
1. Skill-building exercises to increase effectiveness of case
management at homeless shelters.
2. Sharing of resources to improve knowledge about existing services and outside community resources for clients
3. Peer-mentoring to support best practices among
homeless agencies.
How can I learn more about QAS or become a
QAS volunteer?
QAS volunteers assist with site
visits at various agencies. Site visits often take anywhere
from 1-3 hours depending on the size of the agency and are
completed within typical business hours. Before going on a visit,
volunteers have two hours of training.
Volunteers are also needed for
Blueprint University. We are looking for people who have expertise in
various fields typically related to homelessness, case management and
general staff education. Past topics have included: chemical
dependency, child sexual abuse, client interaction and confidentiality,
crisis intervention, cultural diversity, domestic violence, food
service, mental health issues, and universal precautions. Some topics
may differ yearly depending on the needs of the homeless service
community.
Contact Senlin Ward, Quality Assurance Standards Manager, at 589-0190 x 12 or email: sward@louhomeless.org
