Obligations of The Quality Trust

Obligations of the Quality Trust

(Summarized from the Settlement Agreement)

Monitoring:

1. Develop an annual monitoring plan with input from the parties, consumers, families, providers and advocates.

2. Monitor the adequacy, safety and quality of consumers' residential and habilitation programs and supports.

3. Receive and review all of MRDDA's serious incident reports and investigation of serious incidents, including deaths

4. Review aggregate information regarding all incidents.

5. Write annual reports and such other reports as the QT may determine to be necessary. The reports shall make observations with regard to the adequacy of protections, services and supports provided to consumers as well as make recommendations for any needed improvements.

6. Make all reports public and provide copies to

a. The special master and the parties counsel of record;
b. The defendants
c. The chief financial officer and the Mayor
d. The DC City Council

7. Receive and review information about budget requests for MRDDA and comment on budget decisions affecting consumers of services.
8. Apply at least the following standards in its monitoring and reviews.

a. Specific outcome criteria from the 2001 Evans plan
b. Certification and private accreditation standards
c. DC internal standards including licensing
d. Medicaid and Medicare regulations
e. DC contract performance standards

9. Be physically collocated with the Evans Independent Court Monitor
Advocacy and Legal Services:
Create a lay advocacy program, which shall provide the following services:

1. Attend ISP and other team meetings for consumers to advocate for the needs and choices of the consumers at these meetings
2. Facilitate consumer self-expression and/or support the consumer's personal representatives to express individual desires and needs.
3. Interact with case managers to stay current on issues regarding protections, services and supports.
4. Receive and review all monitoring reports related to consumers receiving advocacy to ensure that corrective action is taken as needed.
5. Visit consumers receiving residential and day treatment services to ensure consumers are safe and satisfied with the services and supports they receive and that services are adequate to meet individual needs for support.
6. Advocate on behalf if individual and/or groups of consumers to ensure that complaints are investigated in a timely manner and that consumers are satisfied with the issue resolution.
7. Establish a program to facilitate the immediate referral and coordination of cases requiring the assistance of an attorney.
8. Attend court hearings for the consumers on their caseloads and work with the assigned attorneys in ensuring that consumer' needs for protections, services and supports are met.
9. Provide training to enhance the effectiveness of advocacy to families, volunteers, court appointed and paid advocates.

10. Supplement the existing pool of advocates by prioritizing the needs of people who have not had access to advocacy services.

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