Posted on March 30, 2022

By Angela Rapp Kennedy, CQL Vice President of Training and Learning Initiatives

Information gathered from Personal Outcome Measures® (POM) interviews is invaluable when used for planning with people to create lives of their choosing as well as in the aggregate for organizational planning. We often get asked by human service providers, what that actually looks like in ‘real life.’ Because of this, we reached out to several organizations to discover how they use the information gathered from POM conversations. As you will see, there are commonalities as well as distinctions between how they use the POM.

In this Capstone, we hear from organizations about how they leverage the power of the Personal Outcome Measures®, after the interview ends. Due to the length of this Capstone, you can either read through the entire article or click on the ‘Learn More’ hyperlinks below to learn more about that particular topic.

The Impact On Lives

Read about the dramatic difference a POM interview made in the life of one individual at Emory Valley Center in Tennessee. Learn More >

Nearly A Decade Of POM Data

Find out how The Arc Lexington in New York has been using POM data for approximately nine years, both at the individual and aggregate level. Learn More >

Reporting Using The PORTAL Data System

Opportunities for Positive Growth (OPG) in Indiana describes how they use CQL’s PORTAL Data System to conduct analysis and run reports for assessing and improving the quality of its services. Learn More >

Building Investment In The POM

Explore how you might structure staff groups and committees to invest in and benefit from the use of the POM as you read about The Arc of Atlantic County in New Jersey. Learn More >

POM & Provider Training

Discover how Personal Outcome Measures® data can positively impact your training from the St. Louis Arc in Missouri. Learn More >

The Impact On Lives

By Emory Valley Center (EVC)

Emory Valley Center (EVC) in Tennessee has one Personal Outcome Measures® (POM) Certified Interviewer for Adults, is adding a second, and is pleased to now include four POM Certified Interviewers for Children and Youth.

EVC completes a POM interview with each adult we support, at least once every three years. Additional interviews are conducted as needed during major life events or changes.

We are excited to be starting to conduct children and youth interviews at EVC. We support more than 500 children and youth, with plans to complete a 10% sample annually. As we gather meaningful data and information we will share it with each child’s team, just as we have with the Circles of Support for adults we support.

Through conducting POM interviews over the years, we have discovered information we didn’t know about people we support – even people we’ve known for years! One of the most meaningful examples involving a person we support, was learning about the existence of a brother we didn’t even know he had! Because of the POM conversation we were able to support this person to find and connect with his brother.

All adult POM results are shared with the Independent Support Coordinator (ISC) for use in plan development. By using information shared directly from the person supported, we can better support each person and advocate for things that are meaningful to them as an individual.

As POM interviews for children and youth are completed, we plan to work with all people involved with the child. This will ensure POM results are integrated into the plan to best support the child based upon what they and their families want.

Overall, EVC has found the POM to be a very meaningful tool to drive services and supports for each person we support. Results from POM interviews completed by Certified Interviewers are considered reliable, and we use the data gathered to identify opportunities for improvement and discover areas of support where we are doing well. We are very excited to be able to facilitate Personal Outcome Measures® for people of all ages throughout EVC.

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Nearly A Decade Of POM Data

By The Arc Lexington

When The Arc Lexington first began our relationship with CQL, approximately 9 years ago, we created our own database for recording the results of the Personal Outcome Measures® (POM) interviews that we complete. This database provides us with individual interview summaries, the ability to trend individual results from one interview to the next, and also allows us to assess aggregate data as well.

Individual summaries are used to capture the most vital information learned via the POM interviews. This information, including a “what matters most” summary, is shared with the person receiving services, and with their approval, key team members including the Habilitation Coordinator, the applicable program managers, and assistant directors. Teams review this information and respond accordingly, working to improve the person’s services. Members of teams, as well as POM interviewers, often access this database to reflect back on what was learned during previous POM interviews with the person. This allows them to assess progress, look for any trends, and to identify any core areas that are priorities for the person.

The Arc Lexington formed a POM Steering Committee early on after our initial accreditation. During quarterly meetings the group assesses such things as the agency’s aggregate POM data, issues within our POM interviewing structure, challenges our team of POM interviewers may be facing, and other related items. Use of aggregate POM data has helped us identify areas of supports where we excel, and areas of opportunity to enhance our services. Initially we develop strategies to strengthen our services in the areas most needing improvement. We also discuss ways to share best practices from the areas where we excel. This information is then shared with the agency’s CQL Leadership Team for further discussion and plan development.

Our early efforts in the area of “People Choose Where They Work” provide an example of how this has served to improve the quality of life for the people we serve. It became apparent early on from reviewing our POM data that we needed to improve and expand services related to supporting people to pursue successful employment. Strategy sessions were held, changes were made, and improvements were noted.

Collection and regular review of the POM data has truly helped us to hear directly from the people we support and has influenced the direction The Arc Lexington takes as we strive to provide the best possible services to the people we support.

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Reporting Using The PORTAL Data System

By Opportunities for Positive Growth, Inc. (OPG, Inc.)

Personal Outcome Measures® interviews are an incredibly important tool which Opportunities for Positive Growth, Inc. (OPG, Inc.) uses to focus on individual and organizational outcomes. Integrating what is learned through the Personal Outcome Measures® into the services provided by OPG, Inc. has been a journey full of evolution, trial-and-error, and a focus on quality enhancement. Data collection began with an Excel spreadsheet in 2011 and has evolved to include the use of the CQL PORTAL Data System.

Sharing of information between teams has moved from an informal process to a custom report created using PORTAL. In 2011, a majority of the interviews completed were for people only receiving OPG, Inc.’s Self-Directed Services (residential services). Now, there is a representative sample of people receiving services to also include services such as Music Therapy, Behavior Support Services, Employment Services, and Occupational Therapy.

OPG, Inc. supports over thirty POM trained interviewers and two POM Certified Interviewers. Currently, each POM trained interviewer is responsible for inputting their POM conversations into PORTAL. A Quality Assurance Specialist pulls a custom report from the information that was placed into PORTAL. The trained interviewers use the Notes section to provide recommendations and information about the interview to the person, and their team (if the person would like to share that information). This is used to focus planning meetings back on the person and what they want for services.

OPG, Inc. conducts an annual data analysis of all POM data, comparing past OPG, Inc. POM data to other organizations using PORTAL, and between POM Certified Interviewers and trained interviewers. The analysis is presented to the Quality Management Committee, a group composed of the top leaders across all services, which reviews the information and identifies areas for improvement.

Information generated from POM interviews has led to changes in a variety of areas:

• ANME trainings
• Rights trainings
• Changes to the Human Rights Committee
• Housemate and housing arrangements
• Access to personal possessions
• Transportation access
• Development of friends and intimate relationships
• Realizing goals of places to visit, things to learn, and areas to master.

Regular use of POM conversations and the resulting data has created an open culture at OPG, Inc., where each employee and person supported is asked what their dreams are and then is supported to reach them.

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Building Investment In The POM

By The Arc of Atlantic County

The Arc of Atlantic County has had a long partnership with CQL and the Personal Outcome Measures® (POM), working with CQL since 1990 and being continuously accredited by CQL since 2004. Staff are provided a variety of CQL in-person training as well as webinars to support them to learn as much as they can about how to implement and use the Personal Outcome Measures®.

We complete at least 30 POM interviews each year using our Outcome Committee, 12 Arc staff that have invested a great deal of time to learn about and keep current on the POM. POM interviews are done in pairs, and we utilize the Outcome Committee for effective decision-making. Staff on this committee report it is one of their favorite committee assignments. Each year we interview at least one person from each of our twenty home or day locations. In addition, our goal is to do an interview within a few months after a person begins receiving services from the Arc and when a person moves from one home to another.

Tracking our POM data from year to year enables us to compare how we are doing as well as compare our data to CQL national data. We compiled data for a specific home to show staff where they are doing well in supporting someone and what they might do to provide supports that are missing. POM results are used during our strategic planning to assist in setting goals for improving our supports to people.

This year we are focusing on noting what we learned from our POM interviews in a person-focused worksheet tool that is part of our electronic records and communication system. Direct Support Professionals are then able to see what was learned and talked about during the POM interview. The Personal Outcome Measures® is a great tool to get to know people and help plan for the supports they want and need.

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POM & Provider Training

By St. Louis Arc

St. Louis Arc uses the Personal Outcome Measures® (POM) as a tool to ensure supports and services are truly person-centered. Insight gained during a POM conversation is used to change how we support individual people, develop ISPs, and create meaningful, person-centered goals. Data captured from these individual POM interviews guide our broader agency decisions from insight for teams and departments all the way to strategic planning. Information we gather further informs technology upgrades for administrative business as well as staff development initiatives and strategies.

One example of a staff development initiative informed by the POM is our Foundation 2 Training. New employees participate in our Foundation 1 Training where they receive in-depth training on abuse and neglect, person-centered philosophy, individual rights, and positive behaviors supports. Using aggregated POM data, we identified the curriculum for Foundation 2, a follow-up training on how to use the information from Foundation 1 Training to more effectively promote independence and the best life possible for the people we support. Simply, our goal is to get to know people well, really well, by being relationship-focused.

To develop this curriculum, we looked at the “Bottom 5” Personal Outcomes Measures®. Below is the information we share in Foundation 2 Training.

Why is this important?

People we support don’t always have “the good life” they want. Here is data about Personal Outcome Measures® being present for people with disabilities:

Data highlighted a trend that the majority of people we support aren’t just lacking people to hang out with, but they lack social capital. With Foundation 2, we emphasize the importance of developing a range of natural supports and community relationships to ensure people are healthy, safe, and living their best lives by having the opportunity to increase their social capital.

Building Social Capital

During the training, using Charting the Life Course tools, employees work through three extensive steps of brainstorming real-life examples of how to support someone receiving services at St. Louis Arc to build social capital.

By following the lead of the people we support, we explore the process of going from identifying an interest, gift, or talent to developing social roles. We define social roles as authentically and meaningfully contributing to a community and know this participation is meaningful if the person would be missed if they weren’t performing that role anymore. Our employees are encouraged to take the big ideas they brainstormed during training back to people supported and teams.

Unfortunately, we had to pause this in-person training due to COVD-19 in March 2020. We relaunched the training at the end of 2021. During this relaunch, 70% of attendees reported an increase in knowledge related to how to focus on relationships in their job role and an increase in comfort with supporting people to build social roles.

We look forward to continuing to use POM data to analyze how our philosophies and intentions play out in practice – supporting people to live their very best lives by continuously increasing the quality of supports our team members provide.

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Implementing The POM

By Angela Rapp Kennedy, CQL Vice President of Training and Learning Initiatives

Our hope is that as you explored how these five organizations utilize the Personal Outcome Measures® you found inspiration to effectively implement and benefit from the use of Personal Outcome Measures® in your organization in a way that improves the lives of the people you support.