Type of Project: In-house project
Quality assurance at the help plan conference in cooperation with the Delmenhorst health department

Background: In the course of the changes in the care of the mentally ill towards a person-centered approach in the 1970s, assistance planning also underwent a paradigm shift. In contrast to an institution-centered help planning, the development and implementation of a concept for an individual and needs-oriented help planning was demanded, which puts the people in need of help within their social environment in the center of the treating persons and the rehabilitative multidisciplinary help to be provided. Against this background, a person-centered assistance planning procedure for the reintegration of mentally handicapped persons (integration assistance according to § 53 SGB XII) was also introduced in the city of Delmenhorst at the beginning of 2003, which provides for the regular implementation of inter-institutional assistance plan conferences as well as the joint development of individual assistance plans using standardized survey instruments. Objectives: Scientific assessment of the process and outcome quality of the procedure practiced in the city of Delmenhorst within the framework of quality management using "objective" data taken from the survey instruments of the Delmenhorst help plan procedure and subjective data collected through written surveys of clients and caregivers. Method: Instruments of the help plan procedure to collect the objective data: Survey questionnaires (according to Brandenbusch & Krischke 2003) "specialist medical opinion (F)", "anamnesis questionnaire ( A)", "help plan (HI)", "recommendation of the help plan conference (E)", "development report ( EB)" and "Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS)" (Overall & Gorham 1962). Client questionnaire to collect subjective data, consisting of five components: "Questionnaire on process quality of the help plan conference" (Krischke & Brandenbusch 2004), "Assessment of personal need for help" (Krischke & Brandenbusch), "Questionnaire on client satisfaction" (from IBRP, Kauder 1999), "WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire on quality of life" (Angermeyer et al., 2000), "CAGE questionnaire on alcohol consumption" (Ewing 1984), and "Frankfurter Befindlichkeitsskala (FBS)" (Süllwoll & Herrlich 1987). Caregiver questionnaire to collect subjective data from the professionals' point of view: "Questionnaire to the professional caregivers" I (Krischke & Brandenbusch 2004) and II (Krischke & Brandenbusch 2007). Results: The results so far show that the survey instruments used in the Delmenhorst help plan conferences have proven to be highly practicable. Moreover, as a person-centered and needs-based intervention, help plan conferences can ensure the effectiveness of outpatient interventions. Furthermore, a good process and outcome quality of the Delmenhorst help plan conferences could be proven. Conclusion: In Delmenhorst, it was possible to introduce a help plan procedure that is based on the Integrated Treatment and Rehabilitation Plan (IBRP). The instruments of the Delmenhorst help plan conferences themselves and their use are useful and make a considerable contribution to quality assurance. Within the framework of quality management, the regular collection of "objective" (survey instruments) and subjective data (surveys) should be continued in the future. The introduction of regular quality circles would be a promising way of preventing dissatisfaction and ensuring continuous quality.