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BUFFALO, N.Y. – Catholic Charities of Buffalo is one of just 56 organizations selected from more than 1,000 to be recognized by the Council on Accreditation (COA) for quality improvement initiatives throughout 2009.
 Each year, COA-accredited organizations are asked to submit a status report detailing quality improvement efforts and COA compliance. Just a few are selected to receive this level of recognition.
The report submitted by Catholic Charities highlighted a quality improvement effort that sought to reduce internal referral time for child mental health services to children in out-of-home programs such as foster care, kinship care and adoption.
With the internal referral procedure streamlined and standardized, Catholic Charities was able to reduce wait times from 33 to 11 days, and increase internal referral satisfaction rates from 33 percent to 100 percent.
In presenting a certificate of achievement, Julie Fulmer, director of quality services management for COA, recognized Catholic Charities’ commitment to providing the highest-quality human services.
“By demonstrating exceptional improvement initiatives in the management of quality, your organization affirms its ongoing commitment to enhancing organizational effectiveness and excellence for consumers and other stakeholders,” said Fulmer.
In 2007, Catholic Charities voluntarily sought and received its first four-year accreditation from COA, attesting to its adherence to the highest national professional standards and delivery of the best quality services. Catholic Charities is one of a handful of local human service agencies that have successfully been accredited.
COA is an international, independent, not-for-profit, child- and family-service and behavioral healthcare accrediting organization. Founded in 1977, COA currently accredits 38 different service areas and more than 60 types of programs. Among the service areas are substance abuse treatment, adult day care, services for the homeless, foster care and adoption. COA has accredited more than 1,000 private and public organizations that serve more than 7 million children, individuals and families in the United States and Canada.
Catholic Charities is the most comprehensive human service provider in Western New York, reaching all eight counties with 62 locations. Founded in 1923, Catholic Charities also provides, without regard to religious affiliation, comprehensive counseling services for children and families, anti-domestic violence programming and emergency services, among other social and mental health services. For more information, go to www.ccwny.org.
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