Click here to view the 2022 Conference Schedule (PDF).

The conference, held November 15th and 16th, opened on Day One with a Kifckoff Presentation from members of the CQI Community Group on the conference theme of "Nurturing Your CQI Garden." [ Presentation ]

Breakout Sessions began immediately following.

Day 1, Session 1 included the following Breakout Sessions:

1. The House on Mango Street: Practical Tools and Tips in Conducting a Community Assessment by Jen Cooper, Melanie Stathis, and Sarah Lesser (YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago) [ Presentation ]
2. Data-Driven Process Improvement: Capacity Building and Contract Retention by Kelsey Lammons, Caroline Sinha and Yukie Shiratori (Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Austin) [ Presentation - Handout ]
3. Facilitation Tools for CQI Professionals by Missy Greathouse (Dispute Resolution Institute, Inc., Belleville IL) [ Presentation - Handout ]

After lunch on Day One, Dr. Jay Wade, Executive Director for Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation (PIE) Org, Chicago) presentaed a Featured Workshop entitled Strategic Methods for Building CQI Culture: Applications & Tools for the Field. [ Presentation - Handouts ]

After a break, the final Breakout Sessions of for Day One took place.

1. Looker Studio: Harvesting an Accessible Data Visualization Tool to Nourish Decision Making by Jen Cooper, Melanie Stathis, and Sarah Lesser (YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago) [ Presentation - Handout ]
2. Kinnecting the Building Blocks of Change: Developing a CQI System from the Ground Up by Alyse M. Almadani and Cait Proctor-Frazier (Kinnect to Family, Cleveland) [ Presentation ]
3. Spilling the Seeds: An Interactive Conversation with CQI Gardeners A panel facilitated by Douglas Cablk (LCFS, Chicago) and Andrea Chua (MyPath, Oconomowoc WI)

The conference opened on Day Two with a Session led by Yolanda Green-Rogers and Janese Evans (Chapin Hall, Chicago) entitled Applying Race Equity Strategies Throughout the Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Process: A Think Tank Session for CQI Practitioners and Organizational Leaders [ Presentation - Handout ]

After a break, Day Two's Breakout Sessions began.

1. From Growing a CQI Dream Team to Harvesting QI Seeds Across Multiple Programs by Kristina Slacum Jones, Rebecca P. Johnson, and Autumn N. Crowe (Thresholds, Chicago) [ Presentation ]
2. A Small Non-Profit’s Journey to High Performance by Debra Natenshon (DBN & Associates, Highland Park IL) and Pam Stern Braun (SHALVA, Chicago) [ Presentation ]
3. Sprouting Your Seedlings for Success: Feedback Loops and Instruction Sheets Valerie Keim, Elliot King, and Abby Scheck (Oriana House, Inc., Akron OH) [ Presentation ]

After lunch on Day Two, Abby Eskenazi and Sharon Gilbert (DCF Wisconsin, Madison WI) gave a presentation entitled Managing the Psychology of Change: Embedding Equity and Inclusion in a CQI System [ Presentation ]

Following a break, our conference concluded with a Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) Exercise led by members of the CQI Community. [ Presentation ]

Click here to view the 2021 Conference Schedule (PDF).

Prior to the official opening of the 2021 CQI Conference, a pre-conference event was held on September 28th, featuring a presentation by Yolanda Green-Rogers, MSW (Senior Policy Analyst at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago) entitled CQI 101: The How and Why of CQI [ Presentation ]. You can access a Zoom recording of this presentation by applying the password 1LC@&mf2 here: CQI 101 Zoom Share.

The conference proper, held October 6th and 7th, opened on Day One with a Featured Presentation from data scientist Heather Krause (We All Count) entitled How Not to Use Data Like a Racist, Sexist, Homophobe (etc.).

Breakout Sessions began immediately following our Featured Speaker.

Day 1, Session 1 included the following Breakout Sessions:

1. Logic Models: An Effective Program Management Tool by Andrea Chua, Melissa Dury, and Phyllis Richards (Alliance for Strong Families and Communities-Council on Accreditation, New York) [ Presentation ]
2. Marginalized Communities Need Data Too by K. Scott Nelson (Grant Writer and Consultant, Pasadena), and Michelle Molina (Connecting Evidence , Sandy UT) [ Presentation ]
3. Building the Plane and Flying Out: The Start of a CQI Journey by Charlotte Halbert and Kirsten Gore (Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago), Teresa Scrimenti (OhioKAN at Kinnect, Cleveland), and Indra Amaro Gómez nand Stephanie Clone (Kaye Implementation and Evaluation, Des Moines) [ Presentation ]

After lunch on Day One, Melissa Curtis (Lawrence Hall, Chicago) gave a Conference Session Presentation entitled The QI Gambit: Tools and Strategies for Engaging, Training, and Supporting Staff. [ Presentation - Handouts - Handouts (Excel) ]

Day Two of the 2021 CQI Conference opened with the following Breakout Sessions:

1. Changing Your Process by Micheal Dent, Michael Crofford and Brook Moomaw (Oriana House, Inc., Akron) [ Presentation ]
2. Turning the Tables: Evaluating Our CQI System by Emily B. Shapiro, Mimi Stern and Ashleigh Rosen (JCFS, Chicago) [ Presentation - Handouts ]

After a short break, Day 2 continued with the following Breakout Sessions:

1. Creating a Meaningful and Integrated CQI Practice by Sarah J. Buek (The IllumiLab, St. Louis) [ Presentation ]
2. Three Lean Methods to Keep Your Improvements Going by Tony Heath (Lean Consultant, Chicago) [ Presentation ]
3. How to Measure Post-Discharge Outcomes to Improve Program Quality by Suellen Rizzo and Linda Mobriant (St. Mary’s Home for Children, North Providence) [ Presentation - Handouts ]

The 2021 CQI Conference closed with a presentation by Amanda Cates and Alec Boros (Oriana House, Inc., Akron) entitled Finding the Right Fit – Finding the CQI Candidate to Help Make CQI for Everyone. [ Presentation ]

Click here to view the 2019 Conference Schedule (PDF).

The 2019 CQI Conference, held October 29th and 30th, opened on Day One with a Featured Presentation from Dr. Fred Wulczyn (Chapin Hall) entitled Improving Processes and the Critical Role of Evidence in Child Welfare. [ Presentation ]

Workshops began immediately following.

Day 1, Session 1 included the following workshops and presentations:

1. Why Quality Improvement Fails (And What You Can Do About It) by Rebecca Schedin and Matthew Cerasale (University of Chicago, Section of Hospital Medicine) [ Presentation ]
2. Build a Multidisciplinary CQI Dream Team at Your Organization! If We Can Do It, So Can You! by Vanessa V Klodnick, Rebecca Johnson, Kristina Slacum Jones, Sarah Gomez, and Ariel Brenits (Thresholds Youth and Young Adult Services, Chicago) [ Presentation ]
3. Communicating with Data for Multiple Audiences: Using Data for Both Continuous Improvement and Developing Stakeholder Support by Ryan Crosby and Rebecca Langan (Youth Guidance, Chicago) [ Presentation ]

After lunch on Day One, Ann K. Emery (Depict Data Studio) gave a Featured Presentation entitled Transform Spreadsheets into Stories with Data Visualization. [ Presentation ]

Day 1, Session 2 included the following workshops and presentations:

1. Flipping the Switch: How Data Can Illuminate Your CQI Process by Dan Phillips (The Children and Family Research Center, University of Illinois) and Jennifer Seward (Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Peoria) [ Presentation - Handouts ]
2. Transforming from a Research to an Improvement Culture by Christie Norrick and Nikki Briggs (CJE SeniorLife, Chicago) [ Presentation ]
3. Integrating Data into Police Responses to Mental Health Crises by Melissa Bechtel Hendrian, Joel Sanders and James “Cory” Koker (Urbana Police Department, Urbana) [ Presentation ]

Day Two of the 2019 CQI Conference opened with a Featured Presentation from Dr. Rodney Hopson (University of Illinois) entitled Why and How Culturally Responsive Evaluation (CRE) Matters in the CQI Community. [ Presentation ]

Workshops began immediately following.

Day 2, Session 1 included the following workshops and presentations:

1. The Kata of Improvement by Tony Heath (OptumCare, Downers Grove, IL) [ Presentation ]
2. Culture Change via the Performance Imperative by Debra Natenshon (DBN and Associates, L3C, Chicago)
3. Effectively Communicating the Impact of Your Services by Martha Mann and Claire Pluard (Catholic Charities, Chicago) [ Presentation - Handouts ]

Day 2, Session 2 included the following workshops and presentations:

1. Leading Change in Human Service Organizations by Shaun Lane (Hephzibah Children's Association, Oak Park, IL) [ Presentation ]
2. Competency Coaching: Getting Better Outcomes Through Implementation Science by Wendy Fine and Ngozi Harris (Youth Guidance, Chicago) [ Presentation ]
3. Shaping Organizational Culture –Using Data to Create an Environment of Engagement by Travis Bosanacand and Valerie Keim (Oriana House, Inc., Cleveland and Akron, OH) [ Presentation ]

The 2019 CQI Conference closed with a panel discussion entitled, "How Has the CQI Conference Impacted Your Organization’s Practice? Reflections on the Past 5 Years."

Click here to view the 2018 Conference Schedule (PDF).

The 2018 CQI Conference, held November 28th and 29th, opened on Day One with a Keynote Presentation from Rella Kaplowitz (Schusterman Foundation) entitled Beyond Numbers: How to Build a Data-Driven Culture. [ Presentation ]

Workshops began immediately following the Keynote.

Day 1, Session 1 included the following workshops and presentations:

1. Building Capacity to Improve the Implementation of Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycles by Jennifer Axelrod, Michelle Arnold, and Yolanda Green-Rogers (Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago) [ Presentation - Handouts ]
2. READY at the Top, SET the Process in Motion, and SLOW down! by Debra Natenshon (DBN and Associates, L3C)
3. Supporting CQI with Administrative Data in Practice – Lessons from a Research Practice Partnership by Andrea Chua (UCAN) and Nick Mader and Denali Dasgupta (Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago) [ Presentation ]

Day 1, Session 2 included the following workshops and presentations:

1. Infusing the QI Feedback Loop by Alison Wagner and Rachel Siemon-Carome (UCAN) [ Presentation ]
2. System Performance Measures as a Catalyst for Continuous Quality Improvement by Brian Clapier (Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago) and Christina DeNard (Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Chicago) [ Presentation ]
3. A Hands-on, Pain-free Introduction to Using R for Practical Data Work by Nick Mader (Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago) [ Presentation ]

Day 1, Session 3 included the following workshops and presentations:

1. Impact Collaborative: Putting Data Reports into Action by Sarah Tunning and Stan Grimes (One Hope United) [ Presentation ]
2. Going Public – Taking Data from Internal Reporting to External Storytelling by Emily Robbearts and Annette Nagy (Chaddock) [ Presentation ]
3. Simple Lean for the Whole Team by Tony Heath (Optum) [ Presentation ]

Day Two of the 2018 CQI Conference opened with a Keynote Presentation from Brad Kolar (Avail Advisors) entitled The Four Most Important Competencies for Being Data-Driven. [ Presentation - Handouts ]

Workshops began immediately following the Keynote.

Day 2, Session 1 included the following workshops and presentations:

1. Sustaining Capacity to Conduct and Use Evaluation Data: Theory and Practice by Jay Wade (PIE Org) [ Presentation - Handouts ]
2. Building Connections Between the Record Review Process and Meaningful Outcomes by Kimberly D. Clark and Colleen Bandy (One Hope United) [ Presentation - Handouts ]
3. Building CQI from the Ground Up: A Small Panel Discussion by Shaun Lane (Hephzibah) and Martha Mann (Catholic Charities)

Day 2, Session 2 included the following workshops and presentations:

1. Our Interventions are Working, Right? Developing an Outcomes Approach to Demonstrate Effective Client Outcomes by Kerry Deas (Council on Accreditation) [ Presentation ]
2. Making Satisfaction Surveys Meaningful to Both Management and Your Service Population by Alec Boros and Michael Crofford (Oriana House, Inc.) [ Presentation ]
3. Getting Started: Tools for Forming, Training and Supporting QI Teams by Melissa Curtis (Lawrence Hall) and Sabrina Townsend (Jewish United Fund) [ Presentation - Handouts ]

Click here to view the 2017 Conference Program (PDF).

The 2017 CQI Conference, held November 7th and 8th, opened on Day One with a Keynote Presentation from Ann K. Emery (Emery Analytics, LLC) entitled Telling a Story with Data. [ Presentation - Handouts ]

Workshops began immediately following the Keynote.

Day 1, Session 1 included the following workshops and presentations:

1. Conducting Meaningful Cost Analysis by Michael Braun and Satomi Wakita (Children and Family Research Center, IL) [ Presentation ]
2. Getting to Best Results: Data-Driven Decision-Making in a Statewide Private Agency by Michaela Meckel, Colleen McGroarty (Children's Home + Aid, IL) and Jeremy Harvey (IDCFS, IL) [ Presentation - Handouts ]
3. Designing Dashboards in Excel by Ann K. Emery (Emery Analytics, LLC) [ Presentation - Handouts ]

Day 1, Session 2 included the following workshops and presentations:

1. Developing Data Visualizations and Dashboards to Enhance Decision-Making by Greg Rafn and Cynthia Shypulski (Minnesota Department of Human Services, MN) [ Presentation - Handouts ]
2. Big Data Principles for Smaller Agency CQI by Bridgette Lery (San Francisco Human Services Agency, CA) and Jennifer Haight (Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, IL) [ Presentation ]
3. Using Community Data and Mapping Tools to Learn About Your Service Population by Patrick Needham (Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, IL) [ Presentation ]

Day 1, Session 3 included the following workshops and presentations:

1. Lean on Me: A Case Study Using Lean Principles in an Outpatient Mental Health Setting by Joshua Carlson (Chaddock, IL) [ Presentation ]
2. Let’s Take a Walk – a Data Walk! by Jennifer Eblen Manning, Grace Smith, and Candace Thier (UIUC/SSW/CFRC/Foster Care Utilization Review Program, IL) [ Presentation - Handouts ]
3. Building a Performance and Learning Culture by Vikki Rompala (Metropolitan Family Services, IL) [ Presentation ]

Day 2, Session 1 included the following workshops and presentations:

1. "Ize" Wide Open Data-Driven Decision-Making Protocol by Lyss Welding (YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, IL) [ Presentation ]
2. Rethinking Data: Closing the Gap Between Analysis and Action by Brad Kolar (Avail Advisors, IL) [ Presentation - Handouts ]

Day 2, Session 2 included the following workshops and presentations:

1. Decision One: A Data Based Story by Katie Elseth, Stephanie Ramos, and Heath Ramsey (Texas Department of Family and Protective Services- Child Protective Services, TX) [ Presentation - Handouts ]
2. How Do You Know? Best Practices in Performance Measurement by Sara Feldman and Emily Rhodes (Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, IL) [ Presentation - Handouts ]

Click here to view the 2016 Conference Program (PDF).

The 2016 CQI Conference, held October 17th and 18th, opened on Day One with a Keynote Presentation from Debra B. Natenshon (DBN and Associates, L3C).

Workshops began immediately following the Keynote.

Day 1, Session 1 included the following workshops and presentations:

1. CQI to the CQI: An Opportunity for Establishing, Activating, and Managing Improvement Efforts through Reflection and Action Planning by Yolanda Green-Rogers, MSW (Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, IL) [ Presentation ]
2. Program Specification and Performance Summaries: Building the Foundation for the Use of Meaningful Data by Sabrina Townsend, AM and Melissa Villegas, MSW (JCFS, IL) [ Presentation ]

Day 1, Session 2 included the following workshops and presentations:

1. Measuring Transformational Change at an Organizational Level by Deborah Armstrong, MS, LCPC and Lara Raper, MS (The Baby Fold, IL) [ Video - Presentation - Handouts ]
2. Lean: The Value Adding Model of Continuous Improvement by Tony Heath, PhD (United Health Group/Optum, IL) [ Presentation - Handouts ]

Day 1, Session 3 included the following workshops and presentations:

1. Building Solutions With Data by Brock Boudreau, PhD and Jane Burstain, PhD (Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, TX) [ Video - Presentation ]
2. Trickle Down Datanomics by Rena Barton Gotto, MA (Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri, MO) [ Presentation - Handouts ]
3. Yes You CANS! How to Analyze and Use Your CANS Data to Improve Outcomes for Youth by Kimberly Clark, AM (One Hope United, IL) and Sabrina Townsend, AM and Melissa Villegas, MSW (JCFS, IL) [ Presentation - Handouts ]

Day 2, Session 1 included the following workshops and presentations:

1. How Do You Know? Best Practices in Performance Measurement by Brittany Orlebeke, BA, MPP (Chapin Hall, IL) [ Video - Presentation - Handouts ]
2. From Information to Impact: Unlocking the Power of Data Through Effective Visualization, Reporting, and Communication by Patrick Needham, MSW and Matthew Plaska, MSW (Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, IL) [ Video - Presentation - Handouts ]

Day 2, Session 2 included roundtable discussions on Key Performance Measures, Data Management, and Improvement Cycle.

Day 2, Session 3 included the following workshops and presentations:

1. Statistics Ain’t Nothing But Numbers: Using Excel to Understand Data in New and Exciting Ways by Michael Braun, PhD and Yu-Ling Chiu, PhD (Children and Family Research Center, School of Social Work, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL) [ Video - Presentation ]
2. Get Creative With Your Data! Data Visualization, Analysis, and Storytelling by Melissa Curtis (Lawrence Hall, IL) and Candace Thier ED.D (Foster Care Utilization Review Program (FCURP), University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, IL) [ Video - Presentation ]

Click here to view the 2015 Conference Program (PDF).

The inaugural CQI Conference, held on November 6th, opened with a welcome from Dean Korr (video here), followed by a presentation of the findings from the Illinois POS CQI Capacity Assessment project by Yolanda Green Rogers of Chapin Hall and Jennifer Eblen Manning of UIUC/SSW/CFRC/Foster Care Utilization Review Program [ Video - Presentation ].

Attendees were then introduced to the conference Keynote Speaker, Peter Watson. [ Video - Presentation ]

Workshops began immediately following the Keynote.

Session 1 included the following workshops and presentations:

1. The CQI Process: Using the Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycle to Improve Outcomes
 by Yolanda Green-Rogers, MSW, and Lily Alpert, PhD (Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, IL) [ Video - Presentation - Handouts ]
2. Making a Difference: Social Impact and Theory of Change (Logic Models)
 by Deborah Armstrong, MS, LCPC, and Lara Raper, MS (The Baby Fold, Normal, IL) [ Video - Presentation ]
3. Collaboration: Lighting the Path with Numbers
 by Brenton Diers, LCSW, ACSW (Lutherbrook Child and Adolescent Center, IL),
Susan Stephens, LCSW, and Douglas E. Cablk, BA (Lutheran Child and Family Services, IL) [ Video - Presentation ]

Session 2 included the following workshops and presentations:

1. Building a Blueprint for Success: Using a Logic Model to Drive an Organization’s Mission
 by Patrick Needham, MSW and Matt Plaska, MSW (Mercy Home for Boys, IL) [ Video - Presentation - Handouts ]
2. Program Driven CQI: How to Structure the CQI Process so that Program Staff are in the Driver’s Seat by
Ruann Barack, MA (One Hope United, IL) and Sabrina Townsend, MA (JCFS, IL) [ Video - Presentation - Handouts ]
3. The Rest of the Story: Post-Discharge Data Collection
 by Shannon Stokes, MPS; Sarah Tunning, MA, LMHC; Nikki Quandt, MS. Ed, LCPC; and Penny Hanks
(One Hope United, MO) [ Video - Presentation ]

Session 3 included the following workshops and presentations:

1. The Peer Review Cycle – From Creating Tools to Effective Follow-Up for Quality Improvement
 by Deborah Pillers, MSW, LSW, and Laura Tinker, LCSW (Children’s Home + Aid, IL) [ Video - Presentation ]
2. CQI Built the Team that Builds the Program: Using QI to Improve Youth Workforce Development Programs
 by Sean McGinnis, MSW, and Jevita Northern, LCSW (Lawrence Hall Youth Services, Chicago, IL) [ Video - Presentation ]
3. How to Use Excel to Create Visually Appealing Automated Reports by
Kimberly D. Clark, MA (One Hope United, IL) [ Video - Presentation ]

The conference closed out with a wrap-up session that utilized a Liberating Structures activity ("1, 2, 4, All") [ Video - Presentation - Instructions ]. This activity resulted in attendees identifying several themes to explore and implement in order to move CQI forward in their agencies and therefore the state of Illinois:

1. Improve use of information with broader sharing and reporting
2. Use Survey Monkey for case record reviews
3. Integrate CQI into what programs are already doing
4. Share conference ideas and networking with conference attendees
5. Get line staff involved on QI teams
6. Clearly define the roles and expectations of CQI staff
7. Re-energize the staff and agency in CQI
8. Work theory of change into the Strategic Plan
9. Create next generation logic models/theory of change
10. Enhanced visual representations of the data