3 Questions for True Compliance
Since Validation and Remediation activities began back in 2022, we’ve gotten the message from those who monitor and regulate, that HCBS and compliance go hand in hand–that “compliance” is the ultimate goal. But what if we moved our attention away from only writing new HCBS-compliant policies and building out extra procedures to ensure compliance and moved it towards what the heart of HCBS is asking us as support professionals? What might happen if we allowed ourselves to be the regulators of HCBS?
I know, I know. Coming from the 2 former Quality Assurance co-founders of Alo, this message might be confusing. This is not to say that compliance isn’t important. It is. It’s our current system’s best attempt at making sure people are living healthy and safe, and hopefully fulfilling and meaningful, lives.
But we want to put the power back in your hands and have you consider what truly being in alignment with HCBS means.
Big hint: it’s NOT found in a transportation policy or a daily notes template. These are important tools that can support your HCBS journey, but the real work is everyday self-inquiry. The real work never ends and can’t be marked off of an HCBS Checklist. The real work comes from your mind and heart.
So how do you make sure you’re doing the work and not settling for the illusion of “compliance?”
Here are 3 questions you can ask yourself to inspire, ignite and reconnect to your most elevated services and self:
Ask yourself:
Can I be curious?
Curiosity is at the heart of HCBS and is one simple tool we can use to see the world in a new way, every single day. So why should you stay curious? Because people’s lives are at the center of the work that you do. And everyone deserves to have support and relationships that lead to new discoveries. Curiosity is the difference between professional growth and agility and stagnation. Feeling like you or your staff are doing the same old thing time and time again? Try building in places where you can get curious and not know the answer.
Can I not have all the answers?
In our field, you’ve likely been rewarded for presenting services, support and documentation that looks like it’s in perfect regulatory compliance. Our system and culture have trained us to hide the journey, lessons, and inevitable missteps that have led us to where we are today. Well, no more. HCBS is the journey. If we are supporting people with disabilities in living dignified, adult lives this means real life will be represented and documented. And real life is often messy, mistake-ridden and uncertain. It doesn’t look like perfect daily notes or curated programming. So, what can you do when you don’t have the answer?
Can I try something new?
When you let go of Perfection Culture, you have space to experiment. This experimentation is the how-to for every new HCBS challenge you may encounter. Regardless of how well you think you know someone, trying and documenting new ways to support a person, should be the bulk of your services. And compliance will follow. What new communication, programming, opportunities, transportation, tools, staffing, trainings, and anything else in your work, can you bring to your services? The voice in your head may be telling you that you already know this person or that your services are as good as they can get. That’s burnout. Come back to inspiration. Come back to what you love about this field. Come back to experimentation, not knowing and curiosity.
HCBS Compliance is in a moment, but sustaining compliance and truly supporting people with disabilities means understanding that people’s lives and what they value change every moment of the day. Do you have what it takes to be real with your services?
This also means making space so that your entire team is comfortable leading their work with these 3 questions.
Feeling inspired and want more support for you and your staff? Reach out to us at hello@aloconsultation.com and we’ll share how we can help.