Positive COA peer review paves way for reaccreditation

The process to reaccredit LaSalle’s programs and services reached a milestone on April 1st when the two-person team from the national Council on Accreditation presented their preliminary on-site review findings at an exit meeting held at LaSalle.

After three and a half days of extensive site review, LaSalle received a very positive preliminary report from the interviewers from the Council on Accreditation (COA). While official accreditation will still be months away, all staff at LaSalle have reason to be proud of all they do for youth and their families.

COA reviewed all aspects of residential care, independent living program, outpatient services, and the Juvenile Reporting and Family Center (JRFC) and found no major concerns in any of the aspects under review. COA also reviewed all management, governance, and administration practices and policies.

The two-person team, not new to review processes of child caring agency procedures and policies, congratulated the 30 staff and board members assembled in LaSalle’s Hanner conference Center on a strong program demonstrating an obvious commitment to learning what clients need and developing ways to respond to those needs. They described staff as highly skilled, passionate, and committed, and kids as friendly, enthusiastic, and highly valued. Both reviewers noted that LaSalle demonstrates an obvious commitment to finding what clients need and developing ways to respond to those needs.

In a message to staff and board members, LaSalle’s Bill Wolff said that as executive director he was prone to being cautious with sharing positive comments and observations but that the same couldn’t be said of the two peer reviewers. “They were incredibly complimentary, and enthusiastically shared how impressed they were with our programs, our people and all they observed while on the LaSalle campus.” LaSalle anticipates receiving a preliminary report from COA in May 2015.

The Council on Accreditation is an international, independent, nonprofit, human service accrediting organization founded in 1977 by the Child Welfare League of America and Family Service America (now the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities).

LaSalle School is a leader in programs and services for youth and families in crisis offering a variety of programs designed to meet their needs including specialized residential placement, day service education, and alternative to detention services. The Counseling Center at LaSalle is an OMH licensed outpatient mental health clinic located at LaSalle School, and currently implementing ACE treatment practices with youth and families.