Lethbridge Family Services receives COA re-accreditation

By Jensen, Randy on August 27, 2020.

lethbridge herald

After several months of work submitting written evidence of compliance with an extensive body of rigorous accreditation standards, Lethbridge Family Services has once again achieved national re-accreditation through the Council on Accreditation of Services for Children and Families (COA).

Organizations pursue accreditation to demonstrate the implementation of best practice standards in the field of human services, and to demonstrate their accountability. COA evaluated all aspects of Lethbridge Family Services’ programs, services, management, administration and governance, expediting the decision to award LFS re-accreditation in light of compliance with every standard.

“We are so proud to be one of five organizations in Alberta who have achieved the prestigious COA accreditation,” says Sandra Mintz, CEO, Lethbridge Family Services, in a news release, “and are equally proud of our Team LFS for their commitment to excellence, and this outstanding team accomplishment.”

COA accreditation is an objective, independent and reliable validation of an organization’s performance through a peer review process including a series of on-site interviews with board members, employees, clients and stakeholders. The COA accreditation process involves a detailed review and analysis of an organization’s administration, management, governance and service delivery functions against international standards of best practice.

The standards driving accreditation ensure services are well co-ordinated, 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.

Founded in 1977, COA is an independent, not-for-profit accreditor of the full continuum of community-based behavioural health-care and social service organizations in the United States and Canada. Over 2,000 organizations – voluntary, public and proprietary; local and federal; large and small – have either successfully achieved COA accreditation or are currently engaged in the process.

Lethbridge Family Services has been an integral part of the community since 1910 and for the past century, the organization has helped tens of thousands of Lethbridge citizens and their families improve their quality of life every year. Lethbridge Family Services is an essential advocate for the most vulnerable populations in the community.

LFS programming departments: DaCapo Disability Services; Counselling, Outreach & Education; Home Services; and Immigrant Services, provide indispensable services to those who need it most. LFS has established itself as a leader in the community for caring for our citizens, as a community-building institution and as an organization which believes in community collaboration.

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