1. Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities
Promoting Quality in Life for People with Disabilities through Advocacy, Legal Services and Monitoring

2. Who are we?
Created as part of a class action settlement agreement (Evans)
Independent, Non-Profit
Lay and Legal advocacy for Children and adults with DD
Monitor services for people receiving services in DC.

3. Board Leadership Includes…
Two family members
Two non-legal advocates
Three persons who have MR/DD
Two professionals with 10 years exp.
Two attorneys licensed to practice law
Two citizens residing in DC

4. Vision and Mission
Quality Trust's vision is a community where everyone is respected, belongs, contributes, is valued and shapes his or her own present and future.
Our mission is to be an independent catalyst for change in the lives of people of all ages with developmental disabilities in DC. We partner with people and their families so they can succeed, thrive and experience full membership in the communities they choose.

5. How We Make a Difference
Individual and Family Advocacy:
• Professional Lay Advocacy
• Family Navigation
Monitoring: ensuring services meet accepted standards
Legal Education and Advocacy: protecting people’s rights and access to services
Future Planning and Personal Support : helping frame possible futures and providing support to realize plans
Outreach and Training: informing people and crafting solutions for families and organizations

6. Individual Lay Advocacy
For individuals on request
Anyone can refer, person must desire advocate
Focused on issue resolution
Complimentary to other supports
Time limited vs. Long Term

7. Role of Lay Advocacy Start with the person Identify issues for support
Work with person and other people in the system to seek needed changes.
Assist person to obtain legal representation whenever needed

8. Legal Advocacy and Representation
Ensure access to appropriate representation
Back-up advocacy supports
Expand existing community resources
Enhance quality of practice and representation
Clarify best practices and set high expectations

9. Legal Education and Policy Advocacy
Support for individual attorneys representing people
Define best practices and provide resources
Identify areas of law needing clarification or revision
Review policies and advocate for changes needed

10. Monitoring
Review of all serious reportable incidents and investigations for identifying:
Immediate need for intervention
Individual need for advocacy
Trends in activity or practice
QT staff may follow-up by phone, on site visits or both.

11. More Monitoring
Individual in depth follow-up to identify issues and make recommendations for more effective supports
Assess agency systems to measure strength of processes in support of positive individual outcomes

12. Promoting Systems Change
Individual AND Collective advocacy
Focused on common barriers to effective services and supports identified through advocacy
Seek collaboration with other advocates (families and other community groups)

13. QT Basic Change Actions
Using best practices as a benchmark
Building a database
Working with all identified stakeholders
Building a common vision
Supporting individual action
Documenting progress (or lack thereof)

14. Connect with Us….. www.dcqualitytrust.org
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Check out the National Resource Center on SDM