CCS has once again achieved national recognition as an accredited human services organization through the New York-based Council on Accreditation (COA). Organizations across the U.S. pursue accreditation with COA to demonstrate the implementation of best practice standards in the field of human services. COA, the most respected social services accreditation body in the nation, provides an in-depth review of CCS programs and services as well as all management, administration, and governance functions. Organizations must complete the full accreditation review process every four years to remain accredited. Reflecting CCS’s commitment to quality and best practices, COA, has granted accreditation to CCS as a Child and Youth Development Agency every four years since 1998.
“Reaccreditation is a tremendous achievement that demonstrates that your organization is recognized as a provider that continues to successfully implement high performance standards and, as such, is delivering the highest quality services to all of its stakeholders,“ said COA President and CEO Richard Klarberg.
COA accreditation is an objective, independent and reliable validation of an agency’s performance. The COA accreditation process involves a detailed review and analysis of an organization’s administration, management and service delivery functions against international standards of best practice. The standards driving accreditation ensure that services are well-coordinated, culturally competent, evidence-based, outcomes-oriented, and provided by a skilled and supported workforce. COA accreditation demonstrates accountability in the management of resources, sets standardized best practice thresholds for service and administration and increases organizational capacity and accountability by creating a framework for ongoing quality improvement.
To achieve COA re-accreditation, Catholic Community Services first provided written evidence of compliance with the COA standards. Thereafter, a group of specially trained volunteer Peer Reviewers confirmed adherence to these standards during a series of on-site interviews with trustees, staff and clients.
Based on their findings, COA’s volunteer-based Accreditation Commission voted that CCS had successfully met the criteria for accreditation.
An endorsement of COA and the value of its accreditation process is reflected in it being named by the U.S. State Department as the sole national independent accrediting body under the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption to accredit intercountry adoption service providers. In addition, COA is the only national accreditor designated by the U.S. Department of Defense to develop accreditation standards and processes for human service programs provided to military personnel and their families.
Founded in 1977, COA is an independent, not-for-profit accreditor of the full continuum of community-based behavioral health care and social service organizations in the United States and Canada. Over 2,000 organizations — voluntary, public, and proprietary; local and statewide; large and small — have either successfully achieved COA accreditation or are currently engaged in the process. Presently, COA has a total of 47 service standards that are applicable to over 125 different types of programs. To learn more about COA, please visit www.COAnet.org.