Using goal analysis to drive improvements in performance and outcomes.

Economic pressures for public health and human services systems to control budgets are increasing the need for demonstrating value of support services provided to persons with intellectual disabilities. In this article, we build from earlier work that presented a method for assessing goal attainment to expand the study of goal characteristics as a means to gain an improved understanding of individual outcomes and service performance. The study results suggest a positive relationship between targeting intentional skill teaching in person-centered planning and service delivery and increasing the ability of individuals to live more independently in communities with decreased levels of paid staff support.