CARF International announced that Transitions-Mental Health Association has been accredited once again for a period of three years for Employment Services provided by the Supported Employment Program (SEP).
SEP provides on-going job support services necessary for individuals with mental illnesses to choose, get and keep competitive employment, while working in jobs and environments they prefer and with the level of professional support they desire. Services are designed to be client-driven and take into consideration each person’s skills, interests and abilities. SEP serves approximately 200 individuals per year and partners with a wide variety of businesses and community agencies throughout San Luis Obispo and Northern Santa Barbara Counties.
According to CARF this accreditation decision represents the highest level that can be awarded to an organization and shows the organization’s substantial conformance to the CARF standards. An organization receiving the Three-Year Accreditation has put itself through a rigorous peer review process and has demonstrated to a team of surveyors during an on-site visit that its programs and services are of the highest quality, measurable and accountable.
“This accomplishment is a feather in SEP’s cap,” said Barry Johnson, division director of Adult Rehab & Advocacy for THMA. “Local employers and other community partners can be assured that the employment services provided by TMHA’s SEP program continue to reflect the best practices in the industry, practices that bring the greatest benefit to the clients we serve and the employers that hire them.”
This latest accreditation is the second consecutive Three-Year Accreditation that the international accrediting body has awarded to Transitions-Mental Health Association since the reinstatement of the Supported Employment Program in 2006.
Examples of identified strengths from the CARF report include:
• TMHA administrative and program staff evidenced a true passion and commitment to delivering quality services to persons served and other stakeholders.
• Consumers reported a high level of satisfaction with services provided by TMHA.
• Employers are pleased with the assistance received from TMHA and state they are willing to give other consumers opportunities they might not have considered before.