As is fitting with its mission and values, COA's (re)accreditation process is designed as a partnership between COA and the organization.  COA views accreditation as a strategy for an organization to achieve its mission and measure and validate its achievements.  COA's (re)accreditation process is facilitative, collegial, client centered and supportive of the unique cultural needs and goals of the organization and the people it serves.

Unique aspects of COA's (re)accreditation process include the following:

• An Organizational Profile and assessment tool at the Intake Phase to determine an organization's capacity and best options for technical assistance.
• A "personal banker" model that matches each organization with an Accreditation Coordinator who provides facilitative, personal assistance throughout the entire process.
• The volunteer commitment of over 1000 trained, independent professional volunteers from the industry to rate organizations and make decisions regarding an organization's implementation of the standards. 
• A self-guided, detailed process whereby the organization undergoes organization-wide quality improvement and demonstrates to COA and to the peer review team that it has implemented the standards.
• A commitment to the role and importance of the family and community with an emphasis on individual, family, and community strengths.

COA's (re)accreditation process involves a detailed review and analysis of an organization's administrative operations and service delivery against national standards of best practice.  All of an organization's programs for which COA has standards are subject to review - COA reviews and accredits the entire organization, not specific programs. 

Organizations pursuing COA (re)accreditation must implement both administrative and management and service-specific standards.  The administrative and management standards encompass those aspects of operations that apply to all organizations regardless of the services provided.

Application and Financial Agreement

Once COA receives your organization's completed Application for (Re)accreditation, we will complete our review of it in approximately 2-4 weeks.  COA will then send the organization a letter accompanied by a Financial Agreement, which, among other things, contains the (re)accreditation fee.  The organization can either pay the accreditation fee in total, or pay fifty percent (50%) at the time of signing the Financial Agreement, with the balance due in sixty (60) days.  Regardless of which option the organization chooses, the relevant Standards and Self-Study Manual is sent within 48 hours, and a telephone conference call is scheduled with an Intake Coordinator within 3-4 weeks.  

Intake

Accreditation Programs has reorganized its intake and assignment process by creating an intake team whose primary function is to assist organizations with the initial stages of the (re)accreditation process.  The intake team focuses on explaining the process, assessing an organization's readiness for (re)accreditation, and understanding its service delivery.  This allows COA to comprehend the diverse make-up of each organization and match it with the appropriate Accreditation Coordinator, assign the appropriate service standards, develop the timeline for accreditation, and identify technical assistance and training opportunities.  COA believes that a thorough intake process better assists organizations in their pursuit of (re)accreditation.

The Self-Study

The Self-Study is a written document that the organization completes prior to its site visit.  An organization can elect to submit its Self-Study in two phases: first the administrative sections and then the service sections.  If the organization elects to submit the Self-Study in two parts, its Accreditation Coordinator is able to provide valuable feedback while the Self-Study is still being completed. 

COA's Standards and Self-Study Manual specifies how an organization is to demonstrate implementation of the standards and includes, for each standard, a four-level series of indicators against which the organization's implementation will be evaluated.

The Self-Study can be submitted electronically on CD ROM.  The Self-Study process takes between four and six months to complete and involves participatory self-evaluation and change.

The Site Visit

Approximately ten weeks after the organization submits its Self-Study, a team of Peer Reviewers conducts a site visit.  This team consists of experienced professionals who have been trained in COA's process and who, as a team, have the requisite experience to review the organization's services. 

Prior to the site visit, this team will review the organization's Self-Study materials and make preliminary decisions regarding implementation.

On site, the team will conduct activities intended to verify and clarify the information contained in the Self-Study.  Such activities include, for example, case record review, for which on-site review is essential.  During this process the review team will determine the level of implementation for each standard.  COA reserves the right to defer or deny accreditation on the basis of any single standard if it is a cause of serious concern.

Pre-Commission Review

Based on the findings of the review team, COA produces a Pre-Commission Review Report (PCR), which is reviewed by an internal committee.  The PAR committee provides the organization with recommendations for further evidence demonstrating implementation of those mandatory, critical and health and safety standards rated as non-implemented during the site visit.  The PCR is sent to the organization 45 business days following the site visit.  Organizations then have 45 days to provide their response to the Accreditation Commission, COA's decision-making body, for review.

Accreditation Commission

The final decision to accredit an organization or request additional documentation to demonstrate compliance is made by the Accreditation Commission. In order to assure the integrity of the Commission's decision regarding accreditation, the Commission reviews all material anonymously (i.e., a code is assigned to the organization by COA staff and all information identifying the organization is deleted). 

Final Accreditation Report

The organization receives a Final Accreditation Report (FAR) following the successful completion of the process.  This report provides the organization with a complete set of ratings for all applicable standards, a list of the organization's strengths and a list of the organization's areas for improvement.  This report can be used at the organization's discretion with stakeholders.

Timeline

Most organizations are able to complete the entire accreditation process in 12 to 14 months - that is from the point of application to the point of decision-making.  COA can implement an accelerated time frame for any organization faced with an internally or externally imposed deadline.  It is COA's experience that a 12-14 month time frame provides sufficient opportunity for the active involvement of all parties - consumers, personnel, and stakeholders - and sufficient time for the organization to undergo growth-promoting change.

COA accreditation is effective for four years from the date of the initial accreditation, except for opioid treatment programs, which are mandated by the federal government to be on a three-year cycle.  All organizations must certify annually between accreditation reviews that they continue to implement the standards.  Organizations can choose a three-year accreditation cycle if they prefer or are required to by funders or other regulatory agencies. 

The COA reaccreditation process commences 18 months prior to an organization's accreditation expiration date through written notification from COA.  Organizations that come up for reaccreditation following publication of new standards are required to comply with the new standards.