The Scioto County Board of Developmental Disabilities (SCBDD) was recently notified that its Community Employment and Transition to Work programs were awarded a three-year accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, or CARF. Three years is the maximum accreditation award possible.
Specifically, the award is for the areas of community employment services, job development, and transition services.
“This accreditation award is a validation of our organization’s commitment to quality,” said Superintendent Julie Monroe. “It was very evident during this survey that we not only maintained our compliance to CARF standards over the past three years, but actually improved our systems in many areas.”
CARF accreditation requires a systemic implementation of best practice standards involving not only the specific program areas being surveyed, but also the organization’s administrative practices around strategic planning, financial management, policy development, human resource functions, health and safety, and many other areas. SCBDD’s previous CARF accreditation, also a three-year award, was received in 2013.
“To have such growth and be rated to CARF quality standards is a tremendous accomplishment,” said SCBDD’s Director of Adult Services Kelly Hunter. “It clearly demonstrates we are utilizing best practices to achieve successful employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities in Scioto County.”
The accreditation says a lot about the successes ongoing in the Community Employment Program, led by Team Leader Steve Sowkulech. The program has seen nearly 200 percent growth in the three years since the last CARF accreditation, which means more individuals are in the community working for a competitive wage. It also means more local employers are signing up to be part of the Community Employment Program.
For more information about the Community Employment Program, contact The Vocation Station at (740) 353-1505.