Newtown Youth and Family Services has achieved national accreditation through the Council on Accreditation (COA), according to the agency’s executive director Candice Bohr.

Newtown Youth and Family Services (NYFS) is a nonprofit youth service bureau and mental health clinic for children, teens, adults, and seniors.

For more than 30 years, NYFS has been committed to providing high quality human health services to promote individual and community wellness. Specialized services include: outpatient individual, couples and family counseling; substance abuse treatment services; Autism and social skills programs; prevention initiatives; and support groups.

Organizations pursue accreditation to demonstrate the implementation of best practice standards in the field of human services. COA evaluated all aspects of NYFS’ programs, services, management, and administration.

COA accreditation is an objective, independent, and reliable validation of an agency’s performance. The COA accreditation process involves a detailed review and analysis of an organization’s administration, management, and service delivery functions against international standards of best practice.

The standards driving accreditation ensure that services are well-coordinated, 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.

To achieve COA accreditation, NYFS first provided written evidence of compliance with the COA standards. Thereafter, a group of specially trained volunteer peer reviewers confirmed adherence to these standards during a series of onsite interviews with trustees, staff, and clients.

Based on their findings, COA’s volunteer-based Accreditation Commission voted that NYFS had successfully exceeded the criteria for accreditation.

An endorsement of COA and the value of its accreditation process is reflected in it being named by the US State Department as the sole national independent accrediting body under the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption to accredit intercountry adoption service providers.

In addition, COA is the only national accreditor designated by the US Department of Defense to develop accreditation standards and processes for human service programs provided to military personnel and their families.

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

“Newtown Youth and Family Services is extremely proud of this achievement and continues to look forward to serving the Newtown community,” Ms Bohr said.