Consumer Involvement Standards

1. The grantee has a clear, written mission or philosophy that focuses on the services it provides and how it empowers consumers and their families and recognizes cultural and ethnic diversity.

2. Grantee education and orientation about mission, philosophy, and values promote understanding and commitment to consumer-centered services in daily operation.

3. Grantee governing body membership, or advisory board membership, must include primary and secondary consumers in sufficient numbers to ensure meaningful consumer and family input into the planning, design, implementation, management, and review of the agency's treatment and rehabilitation services. Governing body or advisory board membership must also reflect community ethnic and cultural diversity. If currently unable to meet these criteria, a grantee must provide DMHDD with a plan as to how it will reach compliance, such as adding consumers, family members, or representatives of underrepresented ethnic or cultural groups to the governing body or advisory board as openings occur.

4. The grantee actively solicits and carefully utilizes consumer and family input in grantee policy setting and program delivery. The grantee must be able to demonstrate regular and active solicitation of such input and its use in policy and program delivery decisions.

5. The grantee systematically and meaningfully involves consumers, staff and community in annual grantee planning and evaluation of programs, including feedback from its current and past users about their satisfaction with the planning and delivery of services. A preferred means of involvement is a committee or other group of consumers and family members utilizing a grantee's services. Unless impractical, those participating in a program should choose membership on the committee or group. Absent a compelling reason for denial, grantees should honor consumer policy and program choices.

6. The grantee develops annual plans, goals, and objectives in response to consumer, community, and self-evaluation activities.

7. All grantee publications, advertisements, brochures and articles reflect the grantee’s philosophy of a consumer-driven system, support the service principles, and foster a positive and respectful portrayal of people who experience disabilities.

8. All grantee events and trainings are open to consumers and family members, except those the grantee can justify as inappropriate. Adequate notification will be given to allow consumers and family members to participate.

9. The grantee shall, subject to its governance and charter, incorporate meaningful consumer participation into the interviewing, hiring, and evaluation of direct service providers.

10. The grantee shall endeavor to hire consumer practitioners.