The Columbus Organization has the foremost discipline-specific knowledge in the country. Columbus provides consultative services that meet agencies' strategic or tactical needs: risk management, litigation support, best practice guidelines, mortality review systems, continuing education programs and conference planning. Columbus's consultative services include to following ares:

• Risk Management
• Litigation Support
• Community Transition/Downsizing
• Best Practice Guidelines/Peer Review Systems
• Direct Service Provision
• Management Services
• Mortality Review Systems
• Comprehensive Systems Reviews
• Nutritional Management Peer Review Systems
• Continuing Education Programs
• Risk Management
  

Community Supports
Columbus has provided technical assistance, consultation and training services to community-based providers and state regional offices on a wide variety of program issues including psychiatric, behavioral, physical and nutritional management, nursing and medical services. In addition to expertise in consulting and training, Columbus consultants have provided direct operations services functioning as interim managers and receivers in community regional centers and provider organizations.

Healthcare Peer Review Systems
Columbus has established best practice guidelines and peer review systems for behavior support, epilepsy, medicine, nursing, nutritional management, physical management, and psychiatry. In the mid-1980s Columbus pioneered the development of best practice systems in Connecticut, Louisiana, and New Jersey, later redesigning the New Jersey System. During subsequent years, Columbus developed systems in four states-Alabama, California, Tennessee and Texas. In each instance, Columbus' systems achieved statewide application and provided ongoing peer review monitoring to assess clinical implementation and service quality. 

Transition Support/Downsizing
Columbus has collaborated with states in developing master plans for facility rightsizing or downsizing. We provide technical assistance and consultation to states that have found such initiatives to present varied challenges. Columbus has assisted organizations in four states-California, Georgia, Indiana, and Tennessee-in their support of individuals in transition from center to community-based services. Columbus provides vital foundational tools and processes so that the consumer experiences a lifestyle transition that is as seamless as possible. Working within a person-centered plan framework, Columbus assesses the individual's visions and expectations for community-based supports and services. We have developed specific quality improvement tools that ensure a working infrastructure before the individual moves to the community.

Mortality Review Systems
Columbus has conducted more mortality reviews in institutional and community settings than any organization in the country. We offer both statewide analysis and case-specific consultations. The key to the mortality review system is the peer-level examination of each case's clinical progress. From such review, an agency gains a clearer picture of incidents and disease-specific correlations.

Litigation Support
Columbus supports states that are engaged in current litigation or anticipate such action with the USDOJ, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) or in class action lawsuits. States have retained Columbus' nationally recognized consultants as onsite experts who accompany DOJ or CMS reviewers during their visits. Notably, Columbus consultants now serve as internal compliance monitors in the Jackson v. Valdez class action lawsuit in the state of New Mexico. We provide onsite review and consultation to identify potential vulnerable areas prior to regulatory agencies' inspection. Columbus then provides specific recommendations for correction to address cited concerns. We assist states in developing and implementing corrective action plans that achieve required responsiveness to regulatory survey.

Columbus Training Initiatives support organizational performance by focusing on the key elements of staff competence, capacity, and confidence.  Organizations that provide services and supports to people with developmental disabilities consistently report the benefits accrued from personnel who demonstrate thoughtful, informed, and skillful interactions in their service relationships with consumers.  Not only does this facilitate attainment of consumers' personally valued outcomes, it also serves to better establish an organization's capacity and reputation within the service delivery system.

A knowledgeable and accomplished complement of staff can afford an organization its best line of defense in withstanding the scrutiny of third party review.

To meet this challenge of staff enhancement, the Training Initiatives faculty draws from the Columbus network of national experts in the field of developmental disabilities.  This distinguished cadre of professionals possesses extensive expertise in various areas of specialization and integrates experience, knowledge, and practice principles into the learning environment.

In all of our training offerings, Columbus provides opportunities for participants to increase their knowledge base in critical aspects of services and supports, refine current abilities, and apply newly acquired skills.  Training sessions and courses can accommodate:

·          Groups of any size;
·          Single Organizations or a network of organizations;
·          Local, regional, or national venues.

Columbus Training Initiatives enhance its staff development relationships with organizations via its integral connection to Columbus Consulting Services.  Your organization can enhance its training benefits through onsite shoulder-to-shoulder coaching, technical assistance and augmentative systems supports tailored to your organization's specific needs and desired outcomes.

Training Initiatives customize training curricula and methodology to meet an organization's priority needs and expectations.  The following summary describes some of the training opportunities currently available.

Risk Management:  Best Practices
Risk Management encompasses many operational and cultural aspects of an organization's posture in protecting consumers from harm.  Columbus will introduce participants to a comprehensive system incorporating risk assessment and incident reporting, review, analysis, and action.  These best practices in risk management embrace prevention of incidents and injuries as a top priority for all organizations serving people with disabilities.

Root Cause Analysis:
A Systems Response to Incident Management
Applying the concepts and techniques of Root Cause Analysis, more commonly used in response to incidents and sentinel events in industrial and healthcare settings, is the focus of this training opportunity.  Participants will learn how to identify the depth and breadth of the contributing factors to incidents and how to develop and implement relevant and effective action plans to prevent reoccurrence.

Creating Positive Behavioral Support Environments
Professional practice associations, consumer advocacy organizations, state and federal regulatory agencies, and the U.S. Department of Justice have all endorsed the use of positive behavioral supports as effective and ethical treatment modalities.  Columbus clinicians share their expertise and demonstrate how an organization can  address the challenge of challenging behaviors.

End-of-Life Issues:  Facing Critical Illness and Death
The primary purpose of this training is to share skills and approaches that will better enable service providers to care for consumers facing end-of-life issues.  Participants will also be introduced to certain legal, ethical, and medical considerations, including advance directives, hospice care, and a person's right to refuse treatment.

Protecting and Affirming Rights of People with Developmental Disabilities
A proactive approach to organizational roles in protecting and affirming rights of consumers is articulated for practical application.  This incorporates assessment of consumer capacity to responsibly exercise rights, use of training and supports to prevent rights from being unduly compromised, structural provisions for Human Rights Committees, and other aspects of affording due process, including consent.