bttr. Standard™
Raising the Bar in Human Services

At bttr., we believe the individuals we support deserve more than minimum standards. They deserve excellence — measurable, intentional, and consistent. That belief is what led to the creation of the bttr. Standard™ — our proprietary framework for quality assurance, participant experience, and organizational integrity.

The bttr. Standard™ is not just a slogan — it is a formal system that governs how we operate, how we serve, and how we improve. It is our internal benchmark for delivering services that exceed regulatory expectations and honor the dignity of every participant, family member, and community partner we work with.

Why We Built It

State regulations like Title 17, vendorization rules, and contract guidelines outline the legal floor for service delivery in California. But legal compliance does not equal quality. The bttr. Standard™ was developed because our team recognized a pressing need across the industry: to go beyond compliance and build systems that center trust, outcomes, and accountability.

While most agencies focus on meeting requirements, bttr. focuses on setting new ones — and proving that a high-quality model can be both sustainable and scalable.

How It Works

The bttr. Standard™ functions like an internal accreditation and continuous improvement system. It spans across all areas of the organization — from direct services and case documentation to staff onboarding, data handling, equity practices, and incident response.

Each standard is verified through:

  • Written policies and procedure manuals

  • Certification seals (visible on our website and materials)

  • Staff training and ongoing evaluations

  • Internal compliance audits and performance tracking

  • Routine participant and family feedback

  • Quarterly reviews and executive oversight

Our leadership team treats the bttr. Standard™ as a living system — updated, refined, and strengthened on a regular basis.

The Seven Core Pillars of the bttr. Standard™

1. Documentation Excellence

We believe documentation should be accurate, transparent, and purposeful. Every bttr. Coach and supervisor follows a standardized note-taking and ISP update workflow that ensures:

  • All entries are complete, timely, and aligned with participant goals

  • Files are organized and accessible for Regional Center review

  • Progress is clearly tracked over time

  • Families and support teams can understand what's happening — and why

We train staff in writing defensible, respectful, and goal-oriented notes, reviewed regularly for quality assurance.

2. Person-Centered Care Certified

Being person-centered is not a buzzword at bttr. — it’s a measurable standard. All staff complete formal person-centered planning (PCP) training and are evaluated on their ability to:

  • Prioritize participant voice and choice

  • Build flexible, individualized service plans

  • Adapt communication styles based on needs

  • Uphold participant dignity in every interaction

This certification is re-validated annually through coaching observation, participant interviews, and supervisor review.

3. Health & Safety Compliant

We uphold rigorous internal safety practices that meet or exceed local requirements. These include:

  • Structured protocols for in-home visits

  • Environmental health and risk checks

  • Emergency response training and drills

  • Incident prevention planning

  • Mandated reporting and abuse recognition

  • Real-time incident escalation and supervisor notification

Our Health & Safety seal reflects real preparedness — not just policies on paper.

4. Confidentiality & Privacy Ready

Privacy is a right — not a technicality. We maintain advanced safeguards to protect participant data, including:

  • Encrypted cloud-based documentation systems

  • Role-based access restrictions

  • Annual digital safety and HIPAA refresher training

  • Staff confidentiality agreements

  • Zero-tolerance policy for data leaks or breaches

We align with HIPAA where applicable, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA), and leading digital ethics standards.

5. Cultural & DEI Readiness

We serve a vibrant and diverse California — and we do it with intentionality. Our DEI certification includes:

  • Mandatory cultural humility training for all staff

  • Inclusive program design reflective of language, identity, and access

  • Interpreter coordination as needed

  • Regular equity audits and accessibility reviews

  • Printed and digital materials available in multiple languages

We aim to reflect and respect every individual’s lived experience.

6. Service Quality Assurance

Service quality is not just a concept — it's an expectation we measure. Each month, our team conducts:

  • Coach-to-participant fit evaluations

  • Progress outcome tracking by goal and skill area

  • Random case file audits

  • Missed session monitoring

  • Participant satisfaction reviews

  • Direct feedback sampling from families and case managers

All new staff are onboarded with our quality assurance model from day one — and coached continuously.

7. Incident Reporting & Safeguards

Safety concerns are acted on immediately. Our internal safeguards ensure:

  • All incidents are reported within California’s mandated timeframes

  • bttr. supervisors conduct internal reviews and root cause analysis

  • Participants and families receive timely communication and follow-up

  • Patterns are analyzed to prevent future risk

  • Staff receive corrective training or coaching as needed

We take concerns seriously — and we take action, not shortcuts.

Oversight, Audits, and Accountability

The bttr. Standard™ is monitored by our Quality & Experience Team, which oversees all compliance, feedback integration, and continuous improvement systems. Oversight activities include:

  • Quarterly review of each benchmark and seal

  • Annual update to standards based on emerging best practices

  • Internal and external stakeholder surveys

  • Staff interviews and shadowing

  • Documentation sample audits

  • Random satisfaction check-ins

This team ensures the bttr. Standard™ remains responsive, relevant, and trusted.

Transparency is the Standard

Each seal or certification shown on our website or printed materials represents real work, real review, and real accountability. We do not publish or display any seal that hasn’t been earned internally through documentation, staff validation, and participant outcomes.

We believe quality should be transparent — not mysterious.

If you're a participant, family member, service coordinator, or provider and want to learn more about the bttr. Standard™, we invite you to reach out. You may request:

  • Our internal standards overview

  • Policy samples or summaries

  • A breakdown of each benchmark

  • Staff training outlines or certification models

  • Results from our internal audits or feedback cycles

Always Open to Feedback

The bttr. Standard™ is not just about internal pride — it’s about external trust. We welcome insights, critiques, and suggestions from the people we serve and the professionals we collaborate with.

If there’s a standard we should build, revise, or improve — we want to hear it.

Contact Us

For more information, partnership inquiries, or to request materials related to the bttr. Standard™, please contact our team:

📧 info@bttrliving.com
📍 Based in California | Proudly serving the Bay Area

We don’t believe in the bare minimum.
We believe in raising the bar.
That’s the bttr. Standard™