Join a panel of seasoned COA Accreditation volunteer peer reviewers as they guide you through essential aspects of the accreditation and reaccreditation process. This presentation will cover key areas that often challenge organizations and provide practical advice for a smoother experience:

Drawing on their years of experience, the panelists will share simple strategies to reduce stress and improve the COA accreditation process. Whether you’re preparing for a review or organizing the process, these insights will help streamline preparations and make the journey more manageable.

By focusing on these five key areas, this session aims to make the accreditation process less stressful and more rewarding. Join us for an informative discussion that will leave you better equipped to navigate and succeed in the accreditation journey!

Learning Objectives

Presenters

Justin Loehr
Senior Director of Campus Life Services
Omaha Home for Boys

Brandy Gustoff
Chief Operating Officer
Omaha Home for Boys

Darrell Woodliff
Director of Volunteer Engagement
Social Current

As changemakers, many of us struggle with the most complex issues of our time. Systems of oppression are not only entrenched but interconnected. And even as we work to solve problems on the daily, a paralyzing thought can creep in … are we even solving the right problem?

Greater Good Studio has been working with social sector clients to reframe problems for the past 13 years. We have found that the original problem statement often has one or more of the following issues:

Whether you’re a leader planning organizational strategy, or a mentor looking to better support your mentees, this workshop will give you concrete tools for tackling challenges in a more strategic, action-oriented, and equitable way. You will learn and practice methods for:

These methods build on concepts, such as appreciative inquiry, positive deviance, and human-centered design, which Greater Good Studio has practiced with hundreds of clients across the social and public sectors.

Each participant will start with a challenge or issue that has them stuck. They will end the workshop with an ambitious-yet-achievable “positive goal,” as well as a plan to achieve that goal.

Organizational teams are encouraged to participate, as this experience is ideal for building alignment within groups.

Learning Objectives

Presenters

Sara Cantor
Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director
Greater Good Studio

George Aye
Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director
Greater Good Studio

In today’s rapidly evolving social services landscape, integrating data-informed decision making is no longer optional—it’s essential. This session will explore ways to examine and answer the key questions asked in operationalizing COA Accreditation standards for improved service delivery. We’ll show how data can empower social workers and leaders, ultimately improving outcomes for children and families.

Participants will gain insights from a COA Accreditation volunteer peer reviewer and leader of a COA-accredited organization and be introduced to practical tools and techniques for accessing and leveraging data, including cutting-edge natural language processing (NLP) technologies. These innovations can convert qualitative data, such as case notes, into actionable insights, driving more informed decision-making processes.

This session aims to equip participants with the knowledge and tools necessary to achieve measurable continuous quality improvement results by integrating data insights on the health, safety, rights, and inclusion of people served in their daily operations. Participants will learn the value of asking and expeditiously being able to use data to answer their most persistent questions, which can maximize achieving and maintaining COA Accreditation and yield actionable steps to effectively leverage data in their roles.

Whether you are a front-line worker or an organizational leader, this presentation offers valuable, practical insights that can be applied to enhance service outcomes.

Join us to discover how asking the right questions and embracing data can enhance your organization’s service delivery, meet accreditation standards, and, most importantly, provide better support for the children and families you serve.

Learning Objectives

Presenters

LaTasha Roberson-Guifarro
Vice President, Chief Strategy & Innovations
Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois

Tracy Rohrdanz
Director of Customer Success
Augintel

In this practical, hands-on workshop, presenters from Congreso de Latinos Unidos, a multiservice organization in Philadelphia, will share their homegrown Human-Centered Design Toolkit and information about innovative design tools that participants can take back to their organizations for thoughtful service design and delivery.

Congreso has been using human-centered design (HCD) as an innovative framework for its service design process, reimagining human services for its largely Latino population. Specializing in “last mile innovation,” Congreso uses its design toolkit to empower staff at the end-user client level to redesign their programs to generate data-rich insights, leading to improved experience and outcomes for participants. Staff and leaders are empowered to thoughtfully advocate for their teams and communities.

In building the design toolkit, Congreso tested more than 75 HCD tools and methods used throughout the private sector to determine which techniques translate and have the greatest impact in the social services field. In doing so, Congreso has learned a great deal about how to bring practical design and social innovation techniques into program teams, providing professional development opportunities for staff via “design labs” and building the organization’s culture and acumen around using design for increased impact and advocacy.

In this session, participants will learn about Congreso’s human-centered design journey, see the design toolkit firsthand and participate in mini design labs to gain hands-on experience of putting design practices into action.

Congreso will walk participants through each tool in the design toolkit, provide tips for use, and give everyone a chance to experience the tools in action. Presenters will guide participants in applying the tools to real-life design challenges in their programs so that they gain experience in using HCD to rethink challenges and explore new ideas.

Learning Objectives

Presenters

Brendan Conlin
Chief Program Officer
Congreso de Latinos Unidos

Jamie Hughes
Vice President of Programmatic Development
Congreso de Latinos Unidos

You’ve got this! If you are taking your organization through COA accreditation for the first time or you are new to serving in the lead role for your organization’s reaccreditation, this workshop is for you.

We will walk you through the steps that are on the path to accreditation and talk about the process, the challenges, and how this journey can be enjoyable. It doesn’t need to be stressful—in fact—it shouldn’t be! After all, you are raising the bar for your organization and helping it be the best it can be. Presenters will share strategic planning tips and how to create useful logic models or enhance what current ones.

You don’t need to do this alone. There are engaging and fun activities to get staff and volunteers to join you and be excited about accreditation.

We will share our experiences working with organizations and how to achieve success. There will be time for questions and group interaction.

Learning Objectives

Presenters

Maddi Noleen
Retired Executive Director
Bethany Christian Services of Colorado

Kristen Schmidt
Retired COO
Catholic Charities – Arizona

Related COA Accreditation standards:

Electronic health records systems (EHRs) are the essential systems/tools for health and human services organizations seeking to ensure regulatory compliance, improve operational efficiencies, and transform into fully data-driven organizations. Effective data governance and organizational change management are critical for the long-term success and maintenance of your EHR system. These processes ensure data integrity, streamline system changes, and enhance overall business and health outcomes.

Learning Objectives

Presenters

Tina Kirkpatrick
Senior Director of EHR Strategy and Customer Success
EHR Edge

Theresa Yera
Senior Director of EHR Strategy and Customer Success
EHR Edge

A panel of COA Accreditation peer reviewers will offer guidance on the following areas:

The panelists are all seasoned peer reviewers and will be able to help participants break down these areas and make the accreditation or reaccreditation process less stressful and a more rewarding experience. This presentation is for those interested in learning more details about the COA Accreditation process from those that are in the field reviewing organizations.

Through our many years of experience, the panelists have learned simple tips for making the accreditation process easier on the reviewers and organization staff who are responsible for leading the accreditation process. Through four key areas, this session looks to take participants on a path that will make the review process less stressful, easier to organize, and maybe a little fun. The key to the accreditation process is to showcase organizations. In most cases there is a lot of stress and panic that can be avoided. Please join us for what we hope is an exciting look at these topics and allow us to help you get through your site visit a little easier.

Learning Objectives

Presenters

Justin Loehr
Senior Director of Campus Life Services
Omaha Home for Boys

Brandy Gustoff
Chief Operating Officer
Omaha Home for Boys

This session will provide a holistic approach to help organizations undergoing COA Accreditation. It will cover strategies for motivating staff, implementing effective systems to meet COA Accreditation standards, sustaining momentum beyond accreditation completion, creating visually compelling data presentations for continuous quality improvement (CQI), and mobilizing staff through dynamic and enjoyable trainings. Participants will gain actionable insights into fostering a positive organizational culture, ensuring adherence to standards, capitalizing on accreditation success for continuous improvement, and making CQI an achievable and accessible aspect of their operations.

This informative presentation will delve into many aspects of COA Accreditation process. Participants will gain practical strategies for enhancing their workforce engagement, implementing robust systems, and sustaining momentum throughout the accreditation journey and beyond. This session will provide insightful content, interactive discussions, and practical takeaways, ensuring that participants are well-equipped to navigate the COA Accreditation process with confidence and enthusiasm.

Participants will leave the presentation with practical strategies to:

Learning Objectives

Presenters

Kana Brubaker
Director of Research and Evaluation
Children’s Bureau

Dipika Bisht
Programs Project Coordinator
Children’s Bureau

For professionals navigating the human services ecosystem and wanting to level up their logic model game, this interactive presentation offers invaluable insights. Participants will gain expert guidance to foster a deeper understanding of logic models and emphasize their potential for usefulness in program/service delivery.

Let’s cut to the chase—a well-constructed logic model isn’t just a piece of paper; it’s a powerful tool. Think of it as the master key unlocking success, allowing you to realize the full potential of your plans and initiatives. During this session, presenters will spill the beans on insider tips for crafting a logic model that transcends mere aesthetics, ensuring it’s not just a showpiece but a conduit to improved outcomes.

This session’s focuss will be on maximizing value, transforming these activities into practical and purposeful steps rather than mere tasks on your to-do list. Building a logic model is step one; what comes next? We’re here to guide you on extracting every ounce of usefulness. Presenters will delve into effective program evaluation, data analysis, and presenting results to your team. Learn how to move toward continuous improvement and ensure your logic model becomes an ongoing asset.

Get ready for hands-on exercises that transition from creating a basic logic model for your service to crafting one that resembles the grandmaster of all logic models for your organization. The presenters will even throw in a template to simplify your life.

Key Takeaways:

Join this session for an engaging and practical exploration of logic models, where presenters will break down the barriers between theory and real-world action, making it all about building useful models and getting real results.

Learning Objectives

Presenters

Shannon Wichlacz
Senior Evaluation Associate
CCNY Inc.

Woods Services’ System of Care is comprised of six organizations that share a common mission: Providing life-cycle care to people with intellectual disabilities, autism, medical and behavioral health challenges, and those involved in the child welfare system. Across the system of care, a diverse workforce of 6,000 people are employed. Their robust employee engagement strategy serves as one of the transformational cornerstones Woods has experienced over the last six years. Qualified employees who stay over time are critical to carrying out their shared mission, leading directly to improved consumer outcomes. Woods System of Care recognizes by doing better for employees, everyone wins.

In this dynamic workshop, an executive leader from Woods and one of its affiliates will highlight case studies to illustrate best practices along the continuum of recruitment, retention, training, professional development, and support of employees who are tasked with delivering services to multiple populations across 200 programs. These best practices are aligned with COA Accreditation standards, going beyond role clarity by matching job requirements to training. They promote innovative thinking and creativity, offer professional development, and provide trauma-informed support to staff. Woods and its affiliates have implemented diverse strategies, such as designing accessible career ladders for advancement, providing free onsite health care, as well as heavily subsidized degree programs with a dedicated staff person working to help employees navigate enhanced benefits and coach them through barriers to earning their degree. In addition to innovative trauma-informed approaches, such as offering vicarious trauma workshops and a “Sanctuary” meditation room, Woods System of Care provides career mobility across organizations where they are located in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Join this workshop to hear examples and strategies relevant for all types of health and human services providers.

Learning Objectives

Presenters

Karen Coleman
President and CEO
Tabor Children’s Services

Erin Drummond
Assistant Vice President of Employee Training and Development
Woods Services

Karen Wilkins, MHRM, SHRM-CP, PHR
Chief Human Resources Officer
Tabor Services