Moving data from paper-based systems to digital formats can be complex. Ensuring accurate data migration and seamless integration with existing systems can be time consuming and may require custom solutions.

Training is more than a requirement; it’s the basis for exceptional service delivery from our direct care experts. Our meticulously designed training programs serve as the foundation for setting clear expectations, instilling fundamental principles of outstanding care, and translating our values into actionable steps. By prioritizing staff development, we elevate our care to an art form, ensuring that each client receives a uniquely tailored experience for their individual needs. So, what’s our secret? It all begins with our three key approaches to developing successful training plans: leveraging technology, fostering engagement, and aligning values with the skills we teach to our service professionals. Now, let’s delve into each of these strategies. 

One of the myriad ways we support our clients here at Compass is by giving them the freedom to choose how they spend their day. That freedom is afforded to them because their staff all have a vehicle to transport them to wherever it is they want and need to go. I know I wouldn’t want to be cooped in my house all day every day.

To make this service sustainable, we pay our staff a mileage reimbursement. It’d be nice if it were as simple as them telling us, “Yeah I drove 100 miles with my client, Frank, last month,” and we could simply key the reimbursement amount onto their paycheck. Unfortunately, not only do we need way more accountability and detail than that, but we also need that detail and accountability for the 500 staff supporting and driving our 200 clients. And furthermore, for a number of those clients, we need to be able to bill the Regional Center, sometimes in daily increments.

In most industries, Quality Assurance (QA) is aimed at ensuring efficient output and quality of a product.  In human services, the “product” is a service that impacts the quality of a person’s life.  QA ensures that policies and practices are in place to provide quality results, stability in services, health and safety of people receiving services and accountability to desired outcomes.  QA also measures our performance of service contracts and expected industry best practice. QA includes monitoring practices for both people receiving services as well as the staff supporting them.

Working for a company that serves adults with disabilities is not just a profession for me; it’s a deeply personal journey anchored in my core values. The secret to my genuine love for this job lies in the alignment with my beliefs, the compassionate community surrounding me, and the continual personal and professional growth it offers. Here’s a glimpse into my reasons for cherishing this role and tips to help you discover your own “why.”

When we refer to an ISP or Individual Service Plan, we are talking about the document used by your agency and support team to define the agreement between you and the person receiving services as to what services and support will be provided to meet specified goals and objectives for a set period.

“A test for something being person-centered is that it works for humans.” Michael Smull

Building a strong connection with your direct care team is essential for effective case management and client care. In today’s fast-paced world, technology has provided us with various tools to connect with others quickly and easily. From video calls and messaging apps to emails and real-time alerts, there are numerous ways to stay in touch with your team. In this blog post, we will explore five effective ways to connect with your direct care team and enhance collaboration and communication.

In the world of modern communication, mastering the art of email is paramount. Whether you’re reaching out to colleagues, clients, or customers, understanding the essentials of effective email communication can be a game-changer. From crafting compelling subject lines to striking the right tone, we’ve compiled eight indispensable tips to elevate your email game and make sure your messages not only land but also resonate. Let’s dive into the world of impactful email communication!

Money Flowing 

The lifeblood of any business is the money flowing through to the people keeping the business going. That is, our employees. Especially in the world of social work and caregiving where people are both the reason for the business and the mechanism for the business alike.

I am the Compensation Supervisor at Compass and whenever I get introduced to new employees, when they find out my role, i.e. the one who gets them paid, they like to joke that they will work extra hard to keep me happy. I’ve had a lot of free coffee offers, none of which have ever transpired, but that’s probably for the best.

One Stop Shop

As the Compensation Supervisor, it’s my job to make sure that my people get paid on time and accurately and my number one tool to get that done is QuickSolvePlus (QSP). I have been using QSP since I started doing payroll back in 2013 and I’ve been thankful the entire time for its ability to be our one-stop-shop for client and staff data management, scheduling, and payroll information. If I had to pick the top 3 things that you should always do when running payroll, whether you’ve been using QSP for ten years or ten days, I’d pick these:

3 Things You Should Always Do When Running Payroll

  1. Verify that the dates you enter to run your Payroll Processing Report (PPR) are matching the pay period you are intending to pay out. I always have a payroll schedule in front of my face as those dates dictate the majority of when and how I structure my work. There have been times when I went to run my PPR for the pay period I’d be paying out and I either entered in the wrong year (especially around the first of the year when you’re used to typing the previous year) or I used the wrong pay period start date because that was the last date on my mind. Luckily, I’ve always been able to catch the error before it became an actual pay error but save yourself the hassle by double-checking. Like the old woodworking saying goes, “Measure twice, cut once.” My new payroll processing saying goes, “Check the dates twice, run the PPR once.”
  2. Create a set of controls to spot anomalies. Depending on the size of your company, after you’ve downloaded the PPR, you might be looking at 40 lines of payroll data or 4000. When I run payroll, it’s the latter. For me to be able to spot errors within that many lines of information, I’d have to have a supercomputer in my brain. Because I don’t, I’ve created a system of controls that I will run through on each payroll to spot numbers and names that are problematic. For example, I’m aware that at the time of this writing, our state’s minimum wage is $15.50/hr. I will use a filter within Excel to search for any rates of pay that are below that amount. I also know how much our highest-paid employee makes and I can use the filter to check for any rates that are showing higher than that amount. There are myriad controls you can have to spot potential errors that may have been created by any one of the various inputs that go into the data showing up on your PPR. A schedule may have been entered incorrectly by a supervisor, a staff’s rate of pay may have been entered incorrectly by someone in HR or a client’s POS may have been entered incorrectly by your billing coordinator. Regardless, use your power as the last set of eyes on your data to look for outliers, anomalies, and errors. You will be saving yourself and your company time and money by doing so.
  3. Create a payroll checklist that you work down every time you process payroll. Similar to a set of controls, you’ll want to write out at some point, each step required to successfully process your payroll. For some people and companies, this may be all of three steps. Download the PPR from QSP, upload it into your payroll process software/platform, and click Submit.  For others, including ours, there are a number of extra steps that are crucial to making sure everyone gets paid properly. If you have a bonus plan, mileage reimbursement, or some sort of payroll correction that is only done once a month or quarter or when mercury is in retrograde, you’ll want to make sure that your checklist includes an if/then statement. For example, “If this is the last payday of the month, then run the Mileage Tracking Detail report so you can add it to payroll”, or “If a supervisor or staff has submitted a payroll correction for a previous pay period, then add it to this payroll.”

Even after 10 years of running payroll, the little nuances of our particular payroll can get missed if I don’t continually refer back to my payroll checklist to make sure every report that needed running and every item that needed adding was completed. 



For many, the concept of “going digital” can spark feelings of fear and uncertainty. The human service industry is notorious for its paper-reliant methods of data capture, documentation, and reporting. This is especially true for agencies that have been providing services for a while before there were reliable, industry-specific technology options available.