California DDS Quality Incentive Program (QIP)

Complete guide to QIP compliance for residential care facilities

⚠️ Critical Fact

If you cannot prove services were delivered with complete documentation, you will not receive full contracted funding from DDS.

What is the Quality Incentive Program?

The California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) Quality Incentive Program (QIP) is designed to improve individual outcomes, service provider performance, and the quality of services. Service providers who participate in QIP are eligible for incentive payments when their performance meets or exceeds quality measures.

The key requirement: You must prove that services were actually delivered through complete, verifiable documentation.

Official DDS QIP Website →

QIP Requirements for Residential Facilities

What you need to document and report

1. Prevention & Wellness Measure

Goal: Individuals in residential facilities receive preventative health services at medically recommended frequencies.

Eligible Facility Types:

  • Adult Residential Facilities for Persons with Special Health Needs (ARFPSHN)
  • Family Home Agency (FHA)
  • Residential Facility serving Adults (Owner or Staff Operated)
  • Residential Facility serving Children (Owner or Staff Operated)
  • Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFE)
  • Enhanced Behavioral Supports Homes (EBSH)
  • Group Home for Children with Special Healthcare Needs (GHCSHN)

What You Must Document:

  • Preventative health services provided
  • Dates and frequencies of services
  • Staff member who provided or coordinated service
  • Compliance with medical recommendations

2. Employment Services Documentation

Goal: Individuals who want Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) are employed and receive CIE placement support.

What You Must Document:

  • Employment services provided
  • CIE placement support activities
  • Individual preferences and needs
  • Employment outcomes
  • Consumer satisfaction with services

3. Provider Capacity Reporting

Goal: Collect data to enhance the Provider Directory and understand service provider capacity across California.

What You Must Report:

  • Current capacity and availability
  • Services offered
  • Geographic service areas
  • Staffing levels and qualifications

4. Electronic Visit Verification (EVV)

Requirement: EVV compliance is mandatory for QIP eligibility.

EVV Must Capture:

  • Who: Staff member who provided the service
  • What: Type of service provided
  • When: Start and end time of service
  • Where: Location where service was provided
  • Whom: Individual who received the service

How Kura Center Ensures QIP Compliance

Automatic documentation built into your daily workflow

âś“ Automatic EVV Capture

Every service documentation automatically captures who, what, when, where, and whom—meeting all EVV requirements without extra steps.

âś“ Immutable Audit Trails

Every action is timestamped and logged. Records cannot be altered or deleted—providing bulletproof proof of service delivery.

âś“ One-Click QIP Reports

Generate Prevention & Wellness, Employment, and Provider Capacity reports instantly. Export to PDF or Excel for DDS submission.

âś“ Complete Service History

Every service delivered is documented with full details. Pull complete records for any resident, any date range, instantly.

âś“ Mobile Documentation

Staff document services in 30 seconds on their phones. Simple interface ensures compliance without slowing down care.

âś“ Real-Time Compliance Monitoring

Dashboard shows your QIP compliance status in real-time. Know exactly what's documented and what needs attention.

QIP Reporting Deadlines 2026

Important dates to remember

January 31, 2026

QIP survey submission deadline for FY 2026-27 measures

February 27, 2026

DDS begins confirming compliance status

Ongoing

Continuous documentation required throughout the year to support QIP submissions

Important: QIP reporting requires data from throughout the year. You can't compile documentation at the last minute—it must be captured as services are delivered.

Provider Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for QIP, service providers must:

  1. Be validated in the Provider Directory as of October 30, 2025
  2. Maintain compliance with Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) guidelines
  3. Be up to date with compliance with independent audits/reviews
  4. Maintain compliance with Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Final Rule regulations

QIP Resources

Learn more about the Quality Incentive Program

Official DDS QIP Website

Complete information, directives, and resources from California DDS

Visit DDS QIP Site →

Learn More About Kura Center

See how Kura Center automates QIP documentation and reporting

Schedule a Conversation →

Calculate Your QIP Risk

See how much funding could be at risk with incomplete documentation

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Make QIP Compliance Automatic

Document services as they're delivered. Generate reports in one click. Protect your funding.

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