CQI (originally called the Massachusetts Consumer Satisfaction Team- MCST) evolved out of the consumer empowerment and recovery movement. After years of consumer advocates pushing for a greater role in the decision making process regarding public mental health services, in 1998, the state Division of Medical Assistance established a financial performance standard for the Partnership (MBHP) to contract with a consumer group(s) to implement a Consumer Satisfaction Team process. M-Power (Massachusetts People/Patients Organized for Wellness, Empowerment and Rights) and a western Massachusetts organization agreed to work together on this project.

Initially, the work involved developing our own survey instruments, which would allow us to pinpoint areas of strength and weakness on the part of providers, with the hope of affecting systematic change, rather than placing individual blame. In September, 1999, M-Power and the other organizatoin agreed that MCST should incorporate as a single entity. Both organizations believed that MCST could operate more efficiently, and also that the mission of MCST differed from the parent organizations. On April, 28, 2000 MCST incorporated.

Since our incorporation in 2000, we have continued to grow and expand the scope of services we provide. In 2000 and 2001 we began to develop a survey for adolescents receiving outpatient care, as well as a survey for their parents/guardians. We hired a young adult to lead this effort and have continued to expand our focus on this population.

In 2001, we received a consumer seed action grant from the Center for Health Care Strategies (a project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation) to establish the Young Adult in Transition Citizenship Project. We brought on additional young adults and now have a division focusing on numerous projects related to this particular population.

As a result of our continuous growth and exploration of new areas, we changed the name of the organization to Consumer Quality Initiatives, Inc. in 2002.

CQI's largest contracts continue to be with MBHP and the state Department of Mental Health to develop surveys and interview consumers for quality improvement and service planning purposes. We have received additional grants to work on various youth/young adult related projects as well as other public health projects.