At DSHS, our House of Health and Human Services priorities are the driving force behind our agency’s Strategic Plan goals. Each administration contributes to shaping our DSHS Strategic Plan.
A Person Centered Future
This page showcases Developmental Disabilities Administration's specific goals, along with action plans and success measures. From high-quality in-home care providers to safe and protected facility settings, the power of choice for elders and people with disabilities in Washington state is bright.
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DDA Strategic Goals
In the strategic planning process, we identify three key components.
- The Strategic Goals: Sets the goal that we are striving to achieve.
- The Action Plan: Our action strategies to get there.
- The Success Measure: The outcome to achieve a goal.
Read in detail below about all of the components of BHA’s strategic goals. BHA's Strategic Plan Metrics, coming soon.
Strategic plan index: Jump to a section of the plan by clicking the Strategic Goal (SG)
- Support individuals with developmental disabilities to live and thrive in the communities and settings they choose.
- Expand accessibility, services, capacity, and increase utilization of supports & services for individuals with developmental disabilities.
- Enhance DDA’s comprehensive quality management system to ensure we are meeting the needs of our clients and workforce while complying with federal, state and program requirements.
- Advance the comprehensive structural and behavioral transformation to become a proactive-equity and anti-racist agency.
Strategic Goal #1: Support individuals with developmental disabilities to live and thrive in the communities and settings they choose.
The Action Plan:
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Supporting Affordable Housing options:
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Partner with the Department of Commerce in allocating $25 million from the Housing Trust Fund for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
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Manage the Dan Thompson Memorial Developmental Disabilities Community Services Account to increase services and supports for individuals to thrive and participate in their communities.
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Strengthen community residential and respite provider network adequacy.
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Develop technology solution for service referral, provider capacity, and aggregate reporting to strengthen our provider network.
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Engage with clients, families, providers, tribal nations, and community partners.
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Modernize infrastructure at state-operated facilities.
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Develop pathway for public-private funding partnerships to support technology solutions for smart homes, service information access, and accessible assessments.
Success Measure:
1.1: Increase affordable, equitable, and accessible housing for clients by providing Housing Trust Fund support through recruitment of new developers and assist in the application review process by June 2025.
1.2: Increase services and supports in community settings for clients by identifying projects to fund from the Dan Thompson Memorial Developmental Disabilities Community Services Account by June 2025.
1.3: Improve capability of finding accessible and appropriate housing for under served populations by January 2025.
1.4: Develop technology solution to achieve self-service choice of provider by June 2026.
1.5: Increase the capacity of contracted community residential and respite service providers by 10% by June 2026.
1.6: Collaborate with DCYF and tribal partners to expand Home and Community Based Service waiver services to dependent children and youth by December 2024.
1.7: Increase self-advocate and family involvement in the policy development and review process by reviewing 25% of the administration’s policies by June 2025.
1.8: Construct a new 120 bed nursing facility at Fircrest Residential Habilitation Center by June 2027.
1.9: Develop a plan to enhance digital equity and integrate smart home technology into clients’ homes in State Operated Community Residential settings in collaboration with Technology Innovation Administration by June 2025.
1.10: Develop AI technology to answer community frequently asked questions on DDA programs and services by June 2026.
1.11: Evaluate use of AI in DDA Assessments to reduce time of assessment process and develop technology solution enabling clients to self-initiate assessment tool by June 2027.
Strategic Goal #2: Expand accessibility, services, capacity, and increase utilization of supports & services for individuals with developmental disabilities.
The Action Plan:
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Expand transitional services for adults and youth in crisis with complex needs.
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Stabilize our workforce for better client outcomes.
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Expand use of electronic heath records into our continuum of care.
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Establish referral and service options for individuals to support civil transition statute.
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Communicate changes to accessibility services and capacity to staff, clients, providers, and community partners in their preferred method.
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Establish supportive housing and wraparound services to individuals in civil transitions.
Success Measure:
2.1: Establish Lake Burien Youth Transitional Facility serving 12 youth by October 2024.
2.2: Implement a Supported Living pilot serving 30 adults with complex needs by December 2024.
2.3: Implement in-home crisis diversion services by June 2025.
2.4: By June 2025, increase clients served with transitional care by 25%.
2.5: Increase training and certification opportunities by 10% for the workforce by July 2026.
2.6: Develop method to electronically share and receive information from residential providers on the number of employees needed and resource developer candidates by December 31, 2024.
2.7: Establish by January 2025a DDA Organizational Change Management Community of Practice to inform and support staff, clients, providers, and community partners through all aspects of change.
2.8: Streamline DDA eligibility application enabling clients earlier access to their DDA assessment by June 2025.
2.9: Develop online eligibility application by June 2026.
2.10: Implement the use of an electronic health records system in all 24/7 settings by June 2025.
2.11: Provide supportive community-based housing and wraparound services for 24 adults experiencing civil transitions by June 2025.
2.12: Establish two State Operated Community Residential transitional housing sites to serve 6 adults experiencing civil transitions by June 2025.
Strategic Goal #3: Enhance DDA’s comprehensive quality management system to ensure we are meeting the needs of our clients and workforce while complying with federal, state and program requirements.
The Action Plan:
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Utilize International Standard framework for quality in local government to:
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Align with 2024 revised Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Access Rules using Organizational Change Management strategies.
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Develop key performance and quality indicators to ensure quality oversight into the administration’s strategic plan.
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Enhance Home and Community Based Services to provide high quality services in integrated settings.
Success Measure:
3.1: Establish baseline performance measures by July 2025 related to revised Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rules.
3.2: Review and revise key performance indicators and quality performance indicators to include an equity component by July 2025.
3.3: Improve and implement a quality management system aligned with industry standards by July 2025.
3.4: Develop digital system data reports to inform quality assurance and program standards through data mapping by June 2025.
3.5: Establish and implement a process to evaluate standardized, integrated settings rules to ensure providers have tools for self-review and the DDA contracting process includes settings rule evaluation by June of 2025.
Strategic Goal #4: Advance comprehensive structural and behavioral transformation to become a proactive-equity and anti-racist agency.
The Action Plan:
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Create space for employees statewide to share their lived experience with others.
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Continue collaborating with tribes to provide quality services that are culturally relevant.
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Continue turning employee voices into action through the Raise Every Voice campaign.
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Support employees to increase knowledge and skills related to PEAR initiatives by providing opportunities to obtain Certified Diversity Professional (CDP) certification.
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Address barriers that individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) face in obtaining information, services and benefits from DDA programs.
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Enhance employee satisfaction and drive continuous improvement across DDA.
Success Measure:
4.1: Engage with 80% of DDA employees to participate in a Brave Conversations discussion of shared lived experiences By July 2025.
4.2: Collaborate with tribes and Urban Indian Organizations to establish an American Indian Alaskan Native cultural awareness policy for DDA by June 2025.
4.3: Host a gathering in November to honor those with unique gifts (tribal members who receive DDA services), share information, collaborate with tribal and community partners and celebrate Native American Heritage Month.
4.4: Complete 100% of Raise Every Voice tour visits across all DDA Divisions by July 2025.
4.5: Obtain Certified Diversity Professional (CDP) certification for 75% of EDAI representatives by June 2025.
4.6: Increase by 10% the number of employees who are certified bilingual by June 2025.
4.7: Increase by 10% the number of positive employee responses for each survey focus area and question by January 2025:
• Organizational Change Management – I feel supported during organizational change at this agency.
• Involvement and Belonging – I feel as if I belong at my agency.
• Growth and Development Opportunities – My agency provides me with the opportunity for learning and growth development.