Organizing Principles

Leadership

1. The organization defines its primary customer
People served exercise leadership through choice and self-determination

2. The organization emphasizes the values of listening, responsiveness, respect, and support for desired outcomes
The organization links service users, families and providers to promote individual relationships and increase system capacity

3. The organization appoints service users to the board of directors

4. The organization clearly defines expectations for staff competency and performance

5. The organization regularly evaluates and provides feedback to its staff on their performance

6. The organization has a strategy for developing relationships with other agencies/ providers in its service area

Systems

1. The organization has a clear statement of its mission

2. The organization implements a strategy for listening to and learning about each individual

3. The organization promotes coordinated systems of services that are responsive to the needs and desires of service users.

4. The organization provides service users and other organizations with relevant information

5. The organization has a strategy for hiring, nurturing, and sustaining staff

6. The organization provides opportunities for staff training and personal development

7. The organization has a personnel development strategy for increasing staff and volunteer competence in facilitation, problem solving, and negotiation

8. Organizational systems promote personal dignity and respect

9. Organizational systems promote continuity and security

10. Organization systems promote natural support relationships

Quality Management and Planning

1. The organization has a process for eliciting and analyzing feedback on services and supports from service users, employees and providers

2. The organization periodically analyzes and documents the relationship between resource allocation and personal outcome attainment

3. The organization has a process for collecting and analyzing information

4. Information analysis results in strategies for organizaitonal quality improvement

5. The organization's knowledge management system is based on information about aggregated individual needs and resources within the service area

Assurance for Health, Safety, and Welfare

1. The organization has employment screening procdures that minimize unnecessary or unreasonable risk

2. The organization implements procedures in all instances of alleged abuse and neglect

3. The organization promotes access to primary health care that is coordinated, comprehensive, and continuous

4. The organization implements emergency procedures

5. Building comply with all applicable fire and sanitation
The organization protects the rights of people

6. The organization uses positive approaches in all service and support activities

Assurance for Fiscal and Legal Accountability

1. The organization has a budgeting and accounting system

2. The organization has an annual independent audit

3. The organization is accountable for people's money

4. The organization maintains data and information on costs, personnel, captial budget, and support coordination that is person-focused

5. The organization's personnel practices meet all governmental fair labor regulations