Contact Information
13311 New Hampshire Ave.,
Suite 201
Siver Spring, MD 20904
Telephone: (301)879-0490
FAX: (301)879-0495
E-mail:
Web Address: www.ghcservices.org
Guest House Community Services, Inc.
Services Offered
Family Support Services, Individual Support Services, Community Supported Living Arrangments, Residential Services
Individuals have the Following Disabilities:
Autism, Blindness/Severe Visual Impairment, Epilepsy/Seisure Disorder, Mental Disorder, Orthopedic Impairment, Specific Learning Disability, Speech/Language Impairment, Spina Bifida, Cerebral Palsy, Mental retardation, Multiple Sclerosis, other neurological Disorders, and other undetermined disabilities
Number Individuals Currently Being Served: 0
Ages Served: N/A
Home Region of DDA: Central, Southern
Counties Served: Baltimore City, Baltimore, Montgomery, Prince George's
Year Established: 1992
Mission Statement
Guest House strives to provide individualized quality driven support services and opportunity to persons with developmenatl disabilities; so they can maximize their potentials and be able to achieve their highest possible lifetime dreams; without descrimination or reference to their race, religion, social status, sex, or creed.
Unique or Distinctive Qualities
Guest House is currently a major contributor to changes in the livelihood of many families, particularly in the state of New York, where Guest has been the pioneer of many 'At-Home' services. Guest House's experience in handling the most difficult cases, such as Pradder Willi Syndrome, is a distinction that not many providers possess. Guest House is also one of the few, if not the only one, inter-state providers that currently enjoy both demographic and comparative advantages in dealing with complicated situations in varied service atmosphere.
Guest House's uniqueness can also be noticed in its personnel development and training. Guest House does not allow its direct care staff members to stagnate in their positions, but accord them the opportunity and support to enhance their marketability in the human service industry through education and proficiency improvement, either externally or within Guest House's system
Discuss How Your Agency Has Utilized The "Ask Me!" Survey Results.
"Ask Me" survey tool is a Quality Assurance testing idea that is commonly used to determine whether the consumer/parents/advocates are happy and satisfied with services they are receiving. In Guest House's system, however, the instrument used for the same purpose is called "Quarterly Self Satisfaction Survey". It is the "Ask Me" Survey tool used at Guest House. The Survey Results are used as indicators of performance dimensions, the resultant effect of which are changes in the direction of the general operations and programming. For example, Guest House uses the results from the surveys in the following manner:
- To improve the quality of services by redesigning and implementing more responsive services which enable consumers to build capacities that would lessen their dependency on others
- To develop a system of continuous quality improvement approach which emphasizes, among other things, the importance of staff development and training.
- To develop a sound evidence base from which service changes or maintenance of quality, such that the consumers become more independent and engaged in the society.
The "Ask Me!" Survey Results is available for the general public.
Discuss your quality assurance practices, including any agency accreditations
Guest House has developed a Quality Assurance Framework that has a person centered approach which is capable of producing real and measurable outcomes. This involves the establishment of an array of quality measurement tools and standards which typically capture the quality of life for the served individuals. This is in addition to some professional review tools currently in place.
Guest House has a set of reviewing and analysing tools which identify areas of good practices, and those with concerns. There are three major reviewing concepts used in Guest House's system namely, Quarterly Self Satisfaction Survey, Random Site Visit and Independent Site Visit. Review responsibilities are usually delegated to the program management team, under the overall supervision of the Quality Assurance Manager.
The first two surveys methods are conducted four times a year (Quarterly), and the responsibilities are carried out by the program management body called Interdisciplinary Treatment Team, in short ITT. Meanwhile, Independent Site Visit is carried out by the Quality Assurance Manager, and it is done twice a year. The ITT uses a sample of 20% of the total number of consumers served or all consumers if the total number served is less than 15; whereas the QA Manager uses a follow up method for cases already reviewed by ITT.
Once surveys outcomes have been processed and analyzed, a plan of corrective action must be put in place immediately. The corrective actions usually go through some planning process. First and foremost, GHCS uses two operational plans which are time and period specific.
GHCS's planning takes into account what GHCS want to achieve and within what period of time, usually a six months, for specific programs, and one year for organizational changes. GHCS puts in place both strategic and business planning mechanisms to address survey results which touch on the entire organization and those that touch on specific programs respectively. This is followed by the implementation process which takes effect immediately. Meanwhile, as an on going procedure, the final step is to re-run the survey process to test the effectiveness of the corrective measures already in place. the process goes on until a satisfactory or better results are achieved.
How Does Your Agency Support People In Becoming Active Members Of Their Community?
GHCS's mission statement typically addresses its involvement in the livelihood of the people GHCS serves. From GHCS's standpoint, valuing people sets out (four) key principles in service delivery. While serving its consumers, GHCS looks into their legal and civil rights, indpendence, choice and inclusion. Inclusion or Community integration is the key that opens the door to "community participation". GHCS's service goal in the community is to ensure that the people its serves accomplish growing relationships, active contributions, abilities to make informed choice, sharing ordinary places and activities with others, and dignity of social skills, to mention just a few.
Steps Individuals Must Take to Apply for Services
As a small but enterprising, GHCS does not have a system of bureaucracy that would bring impediments in accessing its services. One call reaches where you want to be. As a common practice, one can apply for services by making a direct call to our main office (Telephone: 1-301-879-0490), where the administrative assistant is always available for enrollment purposes. The other alternative, however, is to go to the website www.ghcservices.org, and click on service requests. This should enable those who are looking for services through Guest House to apply for services or make enquiries about the services. Nonetheless, if this does not lead anyone somewhere, call the main office number above, and ask for the Executive Director, Mr Joseph Mugamba.
Special Considerations/Comments: GHCS is a small organization as mentioned earlier, but its smallness is also the source of its strength. Guest House, like Microsoft, was established almost under the same circumstances, although its products and marketing are different. This is to say that GHCS is ever going to grow in size and position in the industry the same Microsoft has done it in the computer industry. GHCS's aim is not bigness but how much GHCS can change people's life.
Through the innovative approach to management and service delivery, GHCS has accomplish many things and made numerous changes in terms of human dynamics. Nevertheless, GHCS can still say in no uncertain term that GHCS hasn't reached where GHCS should be. GHCS must continue to aim high, as the founder has always maintained
The company was founded by Mr. Joseph O.S. Akumu in 1992, in New York State, without and support from anywhere. GHCS has been a provider in the State since April 1, 1994. GHCS work with an annual budget of over one million a year. Any further detail can be found on its website www.ghcservices.org
Funding Sources: 100% State Funding.
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