January 14, 2021 – Community Partners of South Florida (CPSFL) has achieved national accreditation through the New York-based Council on Accreditation (COA), an accreditor of the full continuum of community-based behavioral health care and social service organizations in the United States and Canada. COA has recognized CPSFL for its best practices, accountability and quality as a nonprofit community development organization that is changing generations by changing the odds for families across the most important foundations in their lives, including housing, mental health and community.
It took CPSFL eighteen months to achieve accreditation. Organizations pursue accreditation to demonstrate the implementation of best practice standards in the field of human services. COA evaluated all aspects of CPSFL’s 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.
“This was an 18-month process that took the effort of staff from all our programs and departments,” said Jodi Greenblatt, CPSFL’s assistant VP of operations and quality improvement. “This accreditation demonstrates the implementation of best practices and high-quality care to our clients.”
To achieve COA accreditation, CPSFL 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 on-site interviews with trustees, staff and clients. Based on their findings, COA’s volunteer-based Accreditation Commission voted that CPSFL had successfully met 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 U.S. Department of Defense to develop accreditation standards and processes for human service programs provided to military personnel and their families.
The COA accreditation follows CPSFL’s receiving the 2020 Platinum Seal of Transparency, the highest level of recognition offered by GuideStar, a service of Candid. The distinction is awarded to nonprofit organizations that share meaningful financial, operations and outcome data to evaluate performance.
“The recognition CPSFL has received is a testament to the dedication of our staff to provide the highest quality, most impactful services that change generations by changing the odds,” said Scott Hansel, CPSFL CEO. “Donors and funders can feel confident that their investment with us will provide a considerable return on their investment through the strengthening of families, neighborhoods and Palm Beach County.”
About Community Partners of South Florida
Community Partners of South Florida is a $16 million comprehensive community development nonprofit agency headquartered in Riviera Beach that provides services to families facing social, emotional, and financial adversity. By using a unique, breakthrough approach integrating housing and financial empowerment, child and family mental health, and community services, Community Partners creates self-sustaining families and communities and serves as a driver for growing its local economy. For more information about Community Partners of South Florida, visit www.cp-cto.org. Community Partners is a proud chartered affiliate of NeighborWorks America, a national, nonpartisan nonprofit striving to make every community a place of opportunity.
About the Council on Accreditation
Founded in 1977, the Council on Accreditation (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. Over 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. Presently, COA has a total of 47 service standards that are applicable to over 125 different types of programs. To learn more about COA, please visit www.coanet.org.
