JVS has earned its fifth consecutive three-year accreditation with no recommendations for improvement from CARF International, the international accreditation authority in the fields of rehabilitation, behavioral health, employment and community services. Accreditation with no recommendations represents the highest level of endorsement.
“JVS is extremely proud to have achieved this level of performance as only three percent of CARF surveys result in no recommendations,” says JVS President and CEO Barbara Nurenberg. “Achieving accreditation with no recommendations five times in a row – covering 15 years of operations – is unprecedented.”
Every three years, JVS’s programs are intensely scrutinized by a team of CARF surveyors. Reviewers from Florida, California and British Columbia recently completed the exhaustive examination of JVS’s onsite and offsite programs and business practices. In addition to interviews with staff, program participants and their families, the surveyors also talked with employers, board members, funding partners and other stakeholders.
“This is a peer review process that measures us against best practices and ensures that we’re meeting the needs of those we serve,” explains JVS Executive Vice President and COO Leah Rosenbaum. “One of the most valuable aspects of the CARF review is that the surveyors are also a resource to us. They are peer experts who answer questions and bring new ideas on ways we can improve our services.”
The quality of all programs within CARF’s scope was evaluated including JVS’s adult day care services, person-centered planning, case management and coordination, employment support, and vocational evaluation and community-based services for people with disabilities.
The CARF report applauded JVS programs for people with disabilities and its person-centered approach to connecting people with community services, providing job training and support, and offering an impressive calendar of community events JVS clients could participate in. JVS was also commended for its programs that serve people with memory loss, including the Dorothy and Peter Brown Jewish Community Adult Day Care Center, which helps older adults with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia, and Caring Companions, which serves individuals dually diagnosed with memory disorders and lifelong disabilities.
Special mention was made of the agency’s commitment and compassion for the individuals served, strong management team and strategic planning, positive relationships with funding and referral sources, number and variety of vocational assessment sites and the health and safety of its program participants and staff.
“Everyone in your organization should take pride in achieving this high level of accreditation,” said Brian J. Boon, Ph.D., president and CEO, CARF. “We commend your commitment and consistent efforts to improve the quality of your services.”