Data Doesn't Equal Outcomes

In this episode of Data Doesn't Equal Outcomes podcast, host Tristan Keelan is joined by Janet Romero and Jeff Sherwood from Step by Step Inc. to discuss how they used quality improvement methodology to implement Trauma Informed practices into the agency.

Step By Step, Inc. today provides employment, vocational, residential, autism and counseling services to over 2,000 individuals in four regions across more than a dozen Pennsylvania counties. Throughout its history, Step By Step, Inc. has maintained a progressive view of the potential of individuals with disabilities.

Dr. Patricia Nellius-Guthrie, Executive Vice President and Chief Knowledge and Innovation Officer at the Florida Coalition for Children, joins Heidi Milch and Ann Boughtin from CCNY on the Data Doesn't Equal Outcomes podcast to discuss the intersection of COVID and the Family First Prevention Services Act - the single largest restructuring of child welfare funding in history.

Brandie Williams from the Rappahannock Area CSB in Virginia joins the Data Doesn't Equal Outcomes Podcast to discuss the process of pivoting to telehealth, and how the role of quality improvement shifted to what is important "today," during the COVID transition, as well as QI stories about reducing emergency room visits.

Director of Quality at Southside CHS joins the Data Doesn't Equal Outcomes podcast to discuss the Federally Qualified Health Center's (FQHC) "We Always" approach to Quality Improvement and how that lead to a project that increased cancer screenings by 23%

Gilbert Eijkelenboom, author of People Skills for Analytical Thinkers and founder of MindSpeaking joins the Data Doesn't Equal Outcomes to discuss the important of the "soft skills" in delivering reports to those less experienced with data.

There are so many social and environmental factors that contribute to an individual's overall health.  Director of Evaluation and Analytics David Monroe, and Data Analyst Mohammad Haque discuss the current availability of SDOH data and how behavioral health and social services providers can leverage that data into better strategies for better outcomes.

Any evaluation should be useful, if it's not, it shouldn't have been done.

Listen to Brandi Collins from CCNY as she talks about what it takes to make sure evaluation and analytics projects get used.  She explains the importance of planning and communication to ensure that you project doesn't create yet another dashboard graveyard.

Trauma Informed practices are so important in Human Services Agencies, and Data and Quality Improvement is no exception.  In this episode Tristan and guest Katie Miller, LMHC, Senior Coordinator of Clinical Service at CCNY, discuss the importance of recognizing the likely trama's that clinical staff are enduring on a daily basis before being asked to participate in data and QI projects.

They also discuss how QI staff can approach clinical staff in ways that respect the position of data within an agency, and eliminate the fear associated with data and reports.

The Data Doesn't Equal Outcomes kicks off with guest Kim Herrington, founder of #BuffaloBusinessIntelligence and winner of the 2021 InfoTech WNY BETA Awards for Good Neighbor category.

Kim talks about how to get to data through her own children's book "The Royal Requirements," in a relatable discussion for Human Services Agencies looking to create data inputs and subsequence reports.