The CMHC must develop, implement, and maintain an effective, ongoing, CMHC-wide data-driven quality assessment and performance improvement program (QAPI). The CMHC's governing body must ensure that the program reflects the complexity of its organization and services, involves all CMHC services (including those services furnished under contract or arrangement), focuses on indicators related to improved behavioral health or other healthcare outcomes, and takes actions to demonstrate improvement in CMHC performance. The CMHC must maintain documentary evidence of its quality assessment and performance improvement program and be able to demonstrate its operation to CMS.

(a) Standard: Program scope. (1) The CMHC program must be able to demonstrate measurable improvement in indicators related to improving behavioral health outcomes and CMHC services.

(2) The CMHC must measure, analyze, and track quality indicators; adverse client events, including the use of restraint and seclusion; and other aspects of performance that enable the CMHC to assess processes of care, CMHC services, and operations.

(b) Standard: Program data. (1) The program must use quality indicator data, including client care, and other relevant data, in the design of its program.

(2) The CMHC must use the data collected to do the following:

(i) Monitor the effectiveness and safety of services and quality of care.

(ii) Identify opportunities and priorities for improvement.

(3) The frequency and detail of the data collection must be approved by the CMHC's governing body.

(c) Standard: Program activities. (1) The CMHC's performance improvement activities must:

(i) Focus on high risk, high volume, or problem-prone areas.

(ii) Consider incidence, prevalence, and severity of problems.

(iii) Give priority to improvements that affect behavioral outcomes, client safety, and person-centered quality of care.

(2) Performance improvement activities must track adverse client events, analyze their causes, and implement preventive actions and mechanisms that include feedback and learning throughout the CMHC.

(3) The CMHC must take actions aimed at performance improvement and, after implementing those actions, the CMHC must measure its success and track performance to ensure that improvements are sustained.

(d) Standard: Performance improvement projects. CMHCs must develop, implement and evaluate performance improvement projects.

(1) The number and scope of distinct performance improvement projects conducted annually, based on the needs of the CMHC's population and internal organizational needs, must reflect the scope, complexity, and past performance of the CMHC's services and operations.

(2) The CMHC must document what performance improvement projects are being conducted, the reasons for conducting these projects, and the measurable progress achieved on these projects.

(e) Standard: Executive responsibilities. The CMHC's governing body is responsible for ensuring the following:

(1) That an ongoing QAPI program for quality improvement and client safety is defined, implemented, maintained, and evaluated annually.

(2) That the CMHC-wide quality assessment and performance improvement efforts address priorities for improved quality of care and client safety, and that all improvement actions are evaluated for effectiveness.

(3) That one or more individual(s) who are responsible for operating the QAPI program are designated.