“I am excited to share the news we just received from the Council on Accreditation (COA) that we have been accredited,” Woods President and CEO Tine Hansen-Turton announced.

 

We are incredibly proud of our Woods team for achieving accreditation through the New York-based council.  Staff worked for over a year to align our standards to demonstrate the implementation of best practices in the field of human services.

 

“I want to congratulate and thank each of our staff for helping to make this possible.  This is a testament to them and the quality of their work,” Hansen-Turton said. “I want to offer a special thanks to Elena Kolye, Maryellen Angelini, and Liz Hayden, as well as Susan Buchwald from Legacy Treatment Services, who led the process for us.  There were many others involved in various aspects of pursuing COA accreditation for whom we are also especially grateful.”

 

COA accreditation is an objective, independent, and reliable validation of an organization’s performance.  The COA accreditation process involves a detailed review and analysis of an organization’s administration, management, programs, 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 accreditation, Woods 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 over a period of several days.

 

Our accreditation was expedited because we had ZERO out of compliance ratings during COA’s was Pre-Commission Review Report (PCR) process.

 

COA’s program of quality improvement is designed to identify providers that have met high-performance standards and have made a commitment to their stakeholders to deliver the very best quality services.  COA is proud to recognize Woods as one of these outstanding providers.

 

“On behalf of the COA staff and board of trustees, congratulations again on your achievement,” COA President & CEO Jody Levison-Johnson said. “We wish you the very best in your continuing work with the individuals you serve.”