TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Council for Community Mental Health (FCCMH) has launched a statewide initiative to establish a performance measurement system that will include the creation of new, uniform performance measures to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of Florida’s behavioral health system. The PERFORM initiative will utilize evidence-based assessments to examine the various performance measures currently in place and how providers are using them in order to determine which are valid, reliable and lead to improved program performance and treatment outcomes. Results from the assessments will become the foundation for uniform, industry-wide performance measures to be used by community behavioral health agencies and will supplement those required by state agencies.
PERFORM is a collaborative effort among industry experts, consumers, family members and caregivers to establish specific standards for quality care and program performance. FCCMH president Bob Sharpe says the initiative will create Florida’s first industry-sponsored performance measurement system.
“The goal of this initiative is to institute the best quality improvement and performance measurement system for public services in the nation right here in Florida,” said Sharpe. “The Council and our members – more than 60 organizations throughout the state – are committed to examining how and where we can make the greatest impact on improving the state’s behavioral health care system through measuring performance, setting priorities and improving the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of care. We strongly support provider accountability, transparency and learning and adaptation based on what works and what does not. PERFORM will establish a system of continuous evaluation and performance/quality improvement.”
In addition to establishing uniform performance measures, the initiative calls for identifying state priorities and goals for performance improvement and establishing industry partnerships to achieve them. The effort will be supported by further development of state-of-the-art data systems that will collect a common data set to provide accurate and timely information for measuring and reporting provider performance.
“This will equip programs with insights into their performance that can be used to develop
and implement system improvements to increase program outcomes and maximize the use of public resources,” said Sharpe.
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About FCCMH
For more than four decades, the Florida Council for Community Mental Health, Inc., has served Florida’s not-for-profit community mental health and substance abuse services agencies. The Council has more than 60 member agencies, ranging from specialty to comprehensive treatment and safety net organizations with multiple locations throughout a region. For more information, visit http://www.fccmh.org.