Saint Vincent's Achieves Re-Accreditation

Council on Accreditation Awards 4-Year Re-Accreditation

Saint Vincent's Home Corporation has received notification that it has been re-accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Services for Families and Children (COA) according to an announcement made by Jack Weldon, Saint Vincent’s Executive Director.  COA accreditation attests that an organization meets the highest national standards of best practice and is delivering the best quality services to the communities it serves.  Saint Vincent’s is proud to continue its association with COA’s Community of Excellence, which is comprised of more than 1,800 organizations that serve over 7 million children, youth, and families internationally.  Saint Vincent’s was first nationally accredited in January of 2002.

The COA accreditation process involves a detailed review and analysis of an organization’s administrative operations, policies and procedures, and service delivery against national standards of best practice.  All of the programs contained within an organization for which COA has a service standard are subject to review as COA reviews and accredits the entire organization, not just a single program.  Saint Vincent’s re-accreditation process began over one year ago with an intensive self-study preparation, survey questionnaire sent to stakeholders, COA standards compliance and completed executive narrative for each standard, and a three-day site visit in September by the COA review team.

COA re-accreditation is an objective and reliable verification that provides confidence and support to an organization’s service recipients, board members, staff, and community partners.  Saint Vincent’s board member, Deborah A. Grimes of Mechanics Cooperative Bank, congratulated Saint Vincent’s staff by saying: “The dedication and commitment that Saint Vincent’s staff demonstrate on a daily basis is nothing short of incredible.  I congratulate the staff on their efforts and unwavering devotion to the children of Saint Vincent's.”  Jack Weldon, Saint Vincent’s Executive Director added, “The re-accreditation process is clearly not a ‘once every four year’ process.  It is an on-going, consistent process of maintaining best practice standards in each program, every day.  I am very appreciative of all of our staff’s efforts and commitment to quality practice.  As always, the youth and families in our care are ultimately the beneficiaries of our excellent practice,” he noted.