Through COA Accreditation, a service of Social Current, we seek to empower organizations to implement best practice standards to improve service delivery and achieve better outcomes for individuals and communities. COA Accreditation provides a framework to help organizations manage resources, incorporate best practices, and strive for continuous improvement.

We believe there is rich expertise in our field, so we ground the COA Accreditation process in our human and social services community. Our volunteer peer reviewers conduct our site visits and finalize accreditation decisions.

We are proud to spotlight the latest Volunteer of the Quarter: Francisco Javier Brizuela.

About Francisco Javier Brizuela

Francisco J. Brizuela received his first COA Accreditation training in 1998 during his tenure with Catholic Charities of Miami, where he was the director of the child welfare division. He also served as an assistant professor at Graceland University and Miami Dade College, where he eventually advanced into the role of director of assessment and compliance. 

As a volunteer, Francisco was given the opportunity to train in the COA Accreditation process for U.S. military children and family services, including school age programs and family services. Serving as a COA Accreditation peer reviewer for military programs opened the doors of the Department of Defense for Francisco when he received an offer to work for the U.S. Department of the Army in 2011. Currently, Francisco serves as the chief of child and youth programs at Dover Air Force Base.

Q&A

What three traits define you?

Integrity, honesty, and gratefulness.

What are your strongest beliefs about the value of COA Accreditation?

The accreditation process is a peer review rather than an audit. It is an opportunity for us to “peel the onion” and help agencies unveil and share their best practices. 

What advice would you give someone interested in being a COA Accreditation volunteer?

Always be willing to learn, be humble and considerate to others.

What excites, surprises, and/or challenges you the most about the work you do as a COA Accreditation volunteer?

Being a COA Accreditation volunteer allows me to learn new things and validate the wonderful things agencies from the US and around the world do to change people’s lives.

What led you to become a COA Accreditation volunteer?

I fell in love with COA Accreditation while going through my first COA Accreditation process during my tenure with years in Catholic Charities of Miami in 1997.

Learn more about how to become a peer review volunteer and apply online.

The 2024 edition of updates to the standards for COA Accreditation are now available. These targeted enhancements to the standards are the result of our annual update process and include changes based on ongoing collection and analysis of feedback received from our network, collaboration with diverse groups of subject matter experts, and a review of research and professional literature on identified trends and evolving practices.

Our collaborative update process is designed to ensure the standards remain up-to-date, research-based, and field-informed, promoting improved outcomes for individuals, families, and communities.

Who’s Affected

These changes impact private, public, and Canadian organizations seeking COA accreditation or reaccreditation. The 2024 edition of updates will not impact organizations that are currently pursuing accreditation or re-accreditation and have already been assigned standards in the MyCOA portal.

When It Is Happening

Standards assignments for COA Accreditation using the new standards began April 19, 2024.

What’s Changing In Our Standards

The Adult Protective Services standards have been revised to better address current literature on screening, investigation, service delivery, and collaboration with community partners. These revisions aim to mitigate or eliminate the risk of abuse, neglect, and exploitation for vulnerable adults, emphasizing safety, independence, and overall well-being. The 2024 updates to APS include new or revised content on:

  • Staff qualifications
  • Workload and work-related stressors
  • Properly identifying and routing cases for the most positive outcomes
  • Investigation protocols
  • Case monitoring
  • Procedures for case closures  

The Crisis Response and Information Services (CRI) standards have been expanded to better reflect the full spectrum of crisis services. The 2024 updates to CRI include:

  • Greater emphasis throughout on creating collaborative crisis response systems and community partnerships
  • Greater emphasis throughout on trauma-informed, culturally-responsive, and person-centered care
  • New content on staff with lived experience
  • New content related to the use of telehealth in crisis care
  • New content on crisis services provided in group settings
  • New content on rape crisis and victim services
  • New content for mobile crisis response services including a new Core Concept, CRI 6: Mobile Crisis Response Services
  • New content for short-term crisis receiving and stabilization units that were all previously accredited under Residential Treatment Services (RTX) including two new Core Concepts, CRI 7: Crisis Receiving and Stabilization Services and CRI 8: Crisis Receiving and Stabilization Facilities
  • New and revised content on law enforcement involvement

We have revised our standards for Domestic Violence Services (DV) to better address important topics in the field and encourage practices that promote survivors’ well-being. The 2024 updates to DV include:

  • New and revised content on the range of supportive services that can enable survivors to heal, access resources, develop connections, and build skills
  • New and revised content focused on improving the well-being of survivors’ children
  • Revised content addressing processes for intake and assessment
  • New and revised content on telephonic crisis intervention services
  • New content on support for personnel
  • Updated expectations regarding evidence of standard implementation that reflect best practices for record keeping when working with survivors

We have revised our standards for Integrated Care; Health Homes (ICHH) to better address important topics in the field, including shared decision making and the social factors that can impact health outcomes. The 2024 updates to ICHH include:

  • An overall shift towards person-centered language and away from terms like “client,” “patient,” or “service recipient” 
  • Greater emphasis throughout on putting the individual or family at the center of all service delivery decisions 
  • New and revised content on identifying and addressing the social determinants of health to promote whole-person care and equitable health outcomes
  • New content on staff with lived experience 
  • New and revised content on health information technologies
  • New and revised content on crisis and/or safety planning
  • Updates to ICHH 4: Intake and Assessment

The standards for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Services (IDDS) have been revised to better address key topics in the field including personnel competencies, the inclusion of workers with lived experience, caregiver/family education and support, and the delivery of individualized therapeutic interventions to address symptoms that inhibit positive functioning and quality of life. The 2024 updates to IDDS include:

  • A revised Purpose Standard and Definition
  • New and revised content related to staff qualifications
  • New and revised content related to peer support in IDDS services, including new content on staff with lived experience
  • New content on therapeutic services for individuals with IDD including a new Core Concept, IDDS 5: Therapeutic Services
  • New and revised content on procedures for transitioning individuals to another level of care

We have revised our standards for Mental Health and/or Substance Use Services in response to SAMHSA releasing its updated criteria for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) in March 2023. As more states require independent accreditation for CCBHCs in their state certification processes, Social Current is committed to meeting the needs of these clinics nationwide. These CCBHC updates apply only to private and public entities operating in the United States.  We have also updated the MHSU standards to reflect current literature and practice in behavioral health including new or revised content related to key topics in the field such as rehabilitation and recovery, care coordination, shared decision making, and the social factors that can impact health outcomes. These updates apply to private and public entities operating in the United States or Canada. The 2024 updates to MHSU include:

  • A revised Purpose Standard and Definition
  • New and revised content related to staff qualifications
  • New and revised content related to peer support in IDDS services, including new content on staff with lived experience
  • New content on therapeutic services for individuals with IDD including a new Core Concept, IDDS 5: Therapeutic Services
  • New and revised content on procedures for transitioning individuals to another level of care

We have revised our standards for Pregnancy Support Services (PS) to better address important topics in the field and support the health and well-being of pregnant individuals. The 2024 updates to PS include new and revised content addressing:

  • Counseling and support that can help individuals make decisions about their pregnancies
  • Education and support services that promote positive functioning and help individuals attain goals
  • Education and support services that encourage healthy births and promote preparation for parenthood

The Respite Care (RC) standards have been updated to reflect current literature and practice including effective, person-centered respite care. The 2024 updates to RC include:

  • New content centering caregiver involvement in provider training and service delivery
  • Improved clarity on service environment practices and procedures
  • Greater emphasis throughout on caregiver and care recipient voice and choice
  • New content related to care recipient safety and well-being

We have revised our standards for Wilderness and Adventure-Based Therapeutic Outdoor Services (WT) and the Experiential Education Supplement (EES) to better capture the intent and functionality of these programs. The 2024 updates to WT and EES include:

  • New content on respecting Indigenous land and cultural traditions
  • The inclusion of adventure-based services for adult populations
  • New and revised content related to the health and safety of personnel and persons served
  • New and revised content on providing person-centered, trauma-informed care
  • Clarity on the definition and intent of WT programs to offer clinical services in a natural environment

In response to feedback from our network, we are also releasing a collection of revisions throughout the COA Accreditation standards to provide clarity and/or remain current with trends in the field. Highlights include:

  • Updates to the Person-Centered Logic model standards, evidence, and rating indicators where applicable
  • Adjusting CPR training requirements for Canadian organizations from a two-year to three-year cycle to align with prevailing industry standards in Canada
  • A new standard in ASE 2 on prohibited practices
  • A new standard in GOV 3 on providing meaningful opportunities for individuals and families to influence the design, delivery, and evaluation of an organization’s programs and services

Download a full list of standards impacted by the 2024 updates.

Our Standards Update Process

The 2024 COA Accreditation standards updates reflect changes made based on evolving practices, ongoing review of relevant literature, and the continuous feedback we receive from our network, including volunteer reviewers and accredited organizations. More specifically, updating the 2024 Standards involved:

Questions?

If you are currently pursuing accreditation or re-accreditation, reach out to your accreditation coordinator.

If you are seeking accreditation for the first time, please contact Joe Perrow.

For additional information about COA Accreditation standards, please contact Melissa Dury.

Through COA Accreditation, a service of Social Current, we seek to empower organizations to implement best practice standards to improve service delivery and achieve better outcomes for individuals and communities. COA Accreditation provides a framework to help organizations manage resources, incorporate best practices, and strive for continuous improvement.

We believe there is rich expertise in our field, so we ground the COA Accreditation process in our human and social services community. Our volunteer peer reviewers conduct our site visits and finalize accreditation decisions.

We are proud to spotlight the latest Volunteer of the Quarter: Tiffany Rexrode.

About Tiffany Rexrode

Tiffany graduated from Shepherd College in 2000 with a bachelor’s in social work. In 2004, she completed her master’s in social work from the University of Maryland. She has worked in public child welfare since 2000 within two state systems, West Virginia and Maryland. She has served in many roles within public child welfare, currently as the director of the Washington County Department of Social Services (WCDSS). She also teaches as an adjunct instructor for Shepherd University and Salisbury University. She first learned about COA Accreditation during her own agency’s accreditation cycle.

Q&A

What three traits define you?

I am driven, innovative, and organized.

What are your strongest beliefs about the value of COA Accreditation?

Because the standards are always adapting, COA Accreditation helps agencies to stay relevant with best practices.

What advice would you give someone interested in being a COA Accreditation volunteer?

This is a great opportunity to learn field driven best practices, visit new and interesting places, and meet wonderful colleagues – some of which become lifelong friends.

Share a memorable place, person, or experience from a site visit.

I have several treasured memories from site visits. I love to visit new places around the country. I loved South Dakota, Oregon, the Gateway Arch, and spending time in Nashville. There is always opportunity to have a nice time with team members too: random trivia nights, musical BINGO, the Grand Ole Opry, an awareness walk “A Mile in her Shoes,” escape rooms, or exploring local restaurants. Some of my best travel memories have been made on COA reviews.

What excites, surprises, and/or challenges you the most about the work you do as a COA Accreditation volunteer?

In over 40 reviews, I have always left with a new idea, a new consideration, a new philosophy, or a new opportunity that has influenced my practice. I have been able to implement several ideas in my own agency.

Learn more about how to become a peer review volunteer and apply online.

Heartland Family Service recently became the first organization in the country to be reviewed against SAMHSA’s updated criteria for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics through COA Accreditation, a service of Social Current.

Funded through SAMHSA, CCBHCs are designed to ensure access to coordinated and comprehensive behavioral health care. CCBHCs are required to serve anyone who requests care for mental health or substance use, regardless of their ability to pay, place of residence, or age—including developmentally appropriate care for children and youth.

With over 500 CCBHCs operating across the country, SAMHSA’s recent criteria encourages states to require accreditation by an independent accrediting body as part of its state certification requirements. COA Accreditation standards cover SAMHSA’s six key program areas and align with the CCBHC certification criteria.

COA Accreditation reviewed Heartland Family Service’s ability to meet the CCBHC certification criteria through site visits, discussions with service providers and care recipients, and data review. As the first organization to undergo COA Accreditation’s CCBHC review utilizing SAMHSA’s criteria, Heartland Family Service has helped to strengthen the process to assist more organizations in their pursuit of this review.

“CCBHCs provide timely access to mental health and substance use care and create important links for service recipients. We are proud to recognize Heartland Family Service as a CCBHC against SAMHSA’s criteria,” said Jody Levison-Johnson, president and CEO of Social Current.

COA Accreditation standards center person and family-centered treatment and promote culturally and linguistically appropriate practice and inclusive and accessible care. The standards for performance and quality improvement (PQI) provide a roadmap for developing a robust, sustainable, organization-wide PQI system that will increase organizational capacity to meet data tracking and reporting requirements.    

Learn more about COA Accreditation for CCBHCs. 

Webinar on COA Accreditation for CCBHCs

We will be hosting a webinar June 12 from 1-2 p.m. ET that will give an overview of COA Accreditation as it relates to Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs). Participants will hear from staff at Social Current, as well as BestSelf Behavioral Health, a COA-accredited organization operating a CCBHC program. Register now to join us and learn about the process and next steps.

Help Shape the Next Edition of COA Accreditation Standards

COA Accreditation, a service of Social Current, is proposing enhancements to its accreditation standards. These draft revisions are now available for review and comment from the field.

Click on the links above to save the Word documents to your computer’s Downloads folder. Review the documents and submit your feedback through the process outlined at the top of each document. The deadline to make comments is Feb. 1.  

These proposed updates reflect an in-depth review and synthesis of prominent published research and professional literature, as well as collaboration with a diverse group of subject matter experts from this field. The field comment period is a critical step in our process because it ensures our standards are field informed by including input from provider organizations in the development process.    

This critical pairing of research and practice ensures that the COA Accreditation standards remain rigorous, practical, and reflective of current trends and evolving practices and continue to promote improved outcomes for individuals, families, and communities. The final updates will be released in spring 2024.

Through COA Accreditation, a service of Social Current, we seek to empower organizations to implement best practice standards to improve service delivery and achieve better outcomes for individuals and communities. COA Accreditation provides a framework to help organizations manage resources, incorporate best practices, and strive for continuous improvement.

We believe there is rich expertise in our field, so we ground the COA Accreditation process in our human and social services community. Our volunteer peer reviewers conduct our site visits and finalize accreditation decisions.

We are proud to spotlight the latest Volunteer of the Quarter: Christian Holland

About Christan Holland

Christian Holland was named vice president of programs for the Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN) this September. He is responsible for the service delivery strategy, program implementation and compliance for all PYN programs in this new role. This includes ensuring all youth are connected to high quality services by developing programs as well as facilitating procurement models and support. Additionally, Christian provides leadership to support fundraising and business development relationships and processes. His goal is to ensure all participants and partners have a meaningful and valuable experience while assisting youth up the ladder of economic mobility.

Christian earned a master’s in business administration from Benedictine University as well as a master’s in divinity with a focus on administration, counseling, and education from Claremont School of Theology. He earned his bachelor’s in psychology from Wesleyan University. He also received a certification from the Nonprofit Executive Leadership Institute at Bryn Mawr College.

Christian most recently served as senior director of out-of-school time and youth programming at Episcopal Community Services. There he provided strategic oversight and expansion for multiple sites and contracts, which deliver quality educational extended learning opportunities to youth and families. In addition to his more than 20 years of professional experience, Christian chairs and serves on various health and educational boards throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

It was in 2010, during a accreditation cycle, Christian was approached by a staff member from the Council on Accreditation, now Social Current. During this conversation, he learned about the opportunity to become a COA Accreditation volunteer. He says accepting the chance to serve as a volunteer was one of the greatest decisions he made in his career.

Q&A

What three traits define you?

I am defined by the following traits: High quality, impact, and dignity. These values push and motivate me in the work I do. As a volunteer, I am committed to ensuring agencies offer high–quality services, hence impacting the participants being served. It’s also important because offering high quality services ensures participants have dignity and feel a sense of equity and respect. This is critical.

What are your strongest beliefs about the value of COA Accreditation?

COA Accreditation is extremely powerful! It really does provide a framework for agencies to manage resources, offer best practices and strive for continuous quality improvement. This is critical for an organization to continue to grow, innovate and sustain its stance as a credible player in the nonprofit sector.

What advice would you give someone interested in being a COA Accreditation volunteer?

It may be intimidating in the beginning, however, if someone approaches you, or perhaps you just feel like it’s something you may want to do, go for it! Social Current is an amazing organization, and they are there to assist you.

I will always be a part of the COA Accreditation family. I’m not going anywhere. Social Current has amazing staff like Director of Volunteer Engagement Darrell Woodliff and Senior Volunteer Services Coordinator Phil Vasquez (they are really incredible support for volunteers), a great commission of senior volunteers and decision makers, a supportive COA Accreditation team, and a great visionary and president, Jody Levison-Johnson. You can’t go wrong with this supportive team! Try it, like me, and it may just positively change your life.

Share a memorable place, person, or experience from a site visit.

I have served as a volunteer for over a decade and there are so many great experiences and leaders I have had the pleasure to encounter. For me, however, what’s most rewarding is when I am able to do a site visit and see a program, make recommendations through the process, and then return to the site at a later time, four to eight years later, to see those recommendations implemented, standards in full action and the site thriving. There are no words to explain how that makes me feel. There is a sense of fulfillment and assurance the youth and families being served are really experiencing the best possible experience– that is CQI in action! I love that!

What excites, surprises, and/or challenges you the most about the work you do as a COA Accreditation volunteer?

I tell people the people I have met through COA Accreditation are an extended part of my family and COA Accreditation saved my life. It really did. In a time when I was burning out in the work, COA Accreditation gave me energy, a sense of purpose, and allowed me to see the bigger picture of the “power of the work” as well as the true impact of quality programs.

I believe we have the power to positively change the lives of those we serve! That excites me! It is never easy, however, helping an organization through the COA Accreditation process and seeing when the light bulb goes off for an executive director or manager in relation to best practices, CQI, or an area of service delivery is powerful! That’s when it gets exciting for me–when people can take the standards and connect them to practical examples and use that data to inform and improve their programs. That is what I live for!

Learn more about how to become a peer review volunteer and apply online.

Help Shape the Next Edition of COA Accreditation Standards

COA Accreditation, a service of Social Current, is proposing enhancements to its accreditation standards. These draft revisions are now available for review and comment from the field.

Click on the links above to save the Word documents to your computer’s Downloads folder. Review the documents and submit your feedback through the process outlined at the top of each document. The deadline to make comments is Dec. 14.  

These proposed updates reflect an in-depth review and synthesis of prominent published research and professional literature, as well as collaboration with a diverse group of subject matter experts from this field. The field comment period is a critical step in our process because it ensures our standards are field informed by including input from provider organizations in the development process. The final updates will be released in spring 2024.   

This critical pairing of research and practice ensures that the COA Accreditation standards remain rigorous, practical, and reflective of current trends and evolving practices and continue to promote improved outcomes for individuals, families, and communities.

Through COA Accreditation, a service of Social Current, we seek to empower organizations to implement best practice standards to improve service delivery and achieve better outcomes for individuals and communities. COA Accreditation provides a framework to help organizations manage resources, incorporate best practices, and strive for continuous improvement.

We believe there is rich expertise in our field, so we ground the COA Accreditation process in our human and social services community. Our volunteer peer reviewers conduct our site visits and finalize accreditation decisions.

We are proud to spotlight the latest Volunteer of the Quarter: Shelley Huseman.

About Shelley Huseman

Shelley Huseman began her social service career in juvenile probation and corrections. After a difficult internship, however, she realized her calling was not with the probation department, but rather working with children and families. After the internship concluded, she accepted a position supervising visitation between parents and their children who were living in foster care.

While this work was more fulfilling to her, Shelley wanted more influence over outcomes. She became a child welfare specialist with a large agency and worked for several years assisting children, parents, and foster parents. Reunification was always desired when safe, and she worked diligently with parents to achieve this goal. Shortly after, Shelley was offered a supervisory position to assist other child welfare specialists in attaining reunification when possible.

Although graduate school was not on her radar, a degree was required for this supervisory role. As a new mother and full-time employee, Shelley went back to school to achieve her master’s in human services. She reflects on this time in her life saying, “while this was the most difficult time in my career, I would not change it.”

During this challenging time, Shelley attended a Family Focused Treatment Association (FFTA) Conference in Orlando, Fla., and it was there she became acquainted with COA Accreditation. She was inspired by the message and vision of COA Accreditation and knew she wanted to be a part of it.

After obtaining her master’s degree, she applied to become a peer reviewer and attended the training. She completed as many site visits as she could while working full time and became familiar with the standards for the social sector. Later, she was asked to become a team leader and commissioner and says, “it was an easy decision.”

She worked as a regional director with a state-wide agency until 2022, and she now serves as a public service administrator for the State of Illinois.

Q&A

What are your strongest beliefs about the value of COA Accreditation?

Every social service agency should be accredited with the highest possible standards, within a process that assists the agency and staff in becoming the best possible resource they can be.

What advice would you give someone interested in being a COA Accreditation volunteer?

Make sure you have the desire and ability to work with other professionals who are doing things differently than you. Remain open to learning different ways of addressing social services and embrace those differences. This is not an adversarial process and should never be entered into as one. We are here to assist agencies in providing the best possible services and it is our duty to provide the framework for them. Being a COA Accreditation peer reviewer is a very rewarding experience that allows the reviewer to learn and grow while providing a critical service to other professionals.

Share a memorable place, person, or experience from a site visit.

My most memorable experience on a site visit was when I got to meet and work with Social Current’s Director of Volunteer Engagement, Darrell Woodliff, for the first time. This experience even overshadows my visit to Hawaii, if you can believe that. I was instantly drawn to his kindness, knowledge, intensity, and humor. He gave me the standard of reviewer that I wanted to someday become, and I am still working on it 14 years later. I have had the pleasure of working with him since then and reach out to him often; he has never let me down.

What excites, surprises, and/or challenges you the most about the work you do as a COA Accreditation volunteer?

I love working with professionals from other agencies and states. I learn so much from each visit and utilize much of what I learn in my own management. I have also made many friends within the COA Accreditation peer team. I find it challenging when an agency does not agree with the standards. While this has only occurred on a few occasions, I believe in the standards COA Accreditation has established and know they assure the best possible practice from accredited agencies.

Learn more about how to become a peer review volunteer and apply online.

In my last post, I shared information about the most recent update to our COA Accreditation standards. We made improvements to help them better reflect principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion. I also shared how the process for updating our standards is very inclusive, incorporating both research and insight from leaders and practitioners at community-based organizations.

In addition, the way we review organizations is driven by the field. Site visits are conducted by our volunteer peer reviewers who come from other accredited organizations. We believe accreditation should lead to meaningful growth and improvement. And by using peer reviewers—people who understand your day to day—we seek to foster a collaborative environment.

We embed field experience throughout the accreditation process to ensure it is relevant, applicable, and impactful. COA Accreditation, a service of Social Current, is designed to be supportive and transformational for organizations. Your impact is our impact in seeking a stronger social sector and a society where all people can thrive.

In this video, Roy Leitstein of Legacy Treatment Services shares why it is powerful.

To learn more about COA Accreditation and Social Current, register for an upcoming Introduction to COA webinar.

Each year, the COA Accreditation standards team at Social Current reviews and updates our standards manual to ensure that it is consistent with evolving practices, relevant literature, and the continuous feedback we receive from our network. We recently released our 2023 edition of updates, the culmination of our yearlong collaborative process.

In our work to update the standards we strive to live our values of inclusivity and engaging all voices. In addition to reviewing published literature, we prioritize feedback from those with field experience. Specifically, our process for updating the standards involved:

A significant motive behind our most recent update was to better reflect principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). We released these enhancements to our standards to promote EDI through organizations’ practices, policies, and services.

To learn more about COA Accreditation, a service of Social Current, register for an upcoming Introduction to COA webinar.