At the heart of DCSCL’s core values and expectations, are the beliefs that everyone deserves to live a dignified life, to have their voice heard, and to be treated with equality.
CARF (The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitative Facilities) has awarded the Dawson Creek Society for Community Living another 3 Year Accreditation for its:
- Community Housing
- Community Integration
- Supported Living
- Community Employment Services: Job Development
- Community Employment Services: Employment Supports
- Organizational Employment Services
- Host Family/Shared Living Services
Dawson Creek Society for Community Living demonstrated substantial conformance to the CARF standards to improve housing and employment services in Dawson Creek and to achieve optimal organizational outcomes.
Individuals and other stakeholders expressed high satisfaction with services and staff. DCSCL demonstrates a commitment to high quality, person-centered services. Having received the highest level of accreditation since first being accredited in 2004, it appears likely that DCSCL will maintain and/or improve its current method of operation and demonstrates a commitment to ongoing quality improvement.
Who Is CARF?
Founded in 1966 as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, CARF International is an independent, non-profit accreditor of health and human services in the following areas:
- Aging Services
- Behavioral Health
- Child and Youth Services
- Employment and Community Services
- Vision Rehabilitation Services
- Medical Rehabilitation
- DMEPOS (Durable Medical Equipment,
- Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies)
- Opioid Treatment Program
The CARF International group of companies currently accredits more than 60,000 programs and services at over 28,000 locations. More than 14 million persons of all ages are served annually by 8,000-plus CARF-accredited service providers. CARF accreditation extends to countries in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.
The mission of CARF is to promote the quality, value, and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process and continuous improvement services that center on enhancing the lives of persons served.
The Accreditation Process
The CARF accreditation process starts with a provider’s commitment to continuous improvement and culminates with external review and recognition that the provider’s business and service practices meet international standards of quality -- with all the steps in between focused on optimal outcomes for the persons the provider serves and sustained organizational success. Achieving greater satisfaction for stakeholders, improved organizational efficiency and effectiveness, as well as an enhanced community image, are among the benefits of the CARF accreditation process.
The CARF standards have been developed over 50 plus years by international teams of service providers, policy makers, payers, family members and consumers. The standards have also been submitted to the public for review to validate relevancy and ensure input from all interested stakeholders.
The survey team comprises industry peers who follow a consultative (rather than an inspective) approach in conducting the on-site survey. In addition to interviews of staff, persons served and their families, the surveyors observe organizational practices, review appropriate documentation, answer questions and suggest ways to improve the provider's operations and service delivery.
Following completion of the survey, CARF renders an accreditation decision and delivers a report that identifies the service provider's strengths and areas for improvement and its level of demonstrated conformance to the standards.
To demonstrate its ongoing conformance to the CARF standards, an accredited provider completes a Quality Improvement Plan after receiving the accreditation report and submits an Annual Conformance to Quality Report each year throughout the accreditation term.
What Are The Benefits Of Accreditation?
Specific benefits that CARF accreditation affords a provider include:
- Assurance to persons seeking services that a provider has demonstrated conformance to internationally accepted standards.
- Improved communication with persons served.
- Person-focused standards that emphasize an integrated and individualized approach to services and outcomes.
- Accountability to funding sources, referral agencies, and the community.
- Management techniques that are efficient, cost-effective and based on outcomes and consumer satisfaction.
- Evidence to federal, state, provincial, and local governments of commitment to quality of programs and services that receive government funding.
- Guidance for responsible management and professional growth of personnel.
- A tool for marketing programs and services to consumers, referral sources and third-party funders.
- Support from CARF through consultation, publications, conferences, training opportunities and newsletters.
For more information on CARF:
Contact
1334 102 Avenue,
Dawson Creek, BC, V1G 2C6
We are CARF Accredited
The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitative Facilities has awarded the Dawson Creek Society for Community Living another three year accreditation, the highest level of accreditation available.
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