Good to go

Accountability is important for an organization to ensure quality of services, says an executive director with Family Service Ontario.

Thunder Bay Counselling Centre received its re-accreditation at its annual general meeting at the Italian Cultural Centre Monday. Family Service Ontario conducted the accreditation review, which is done every five years.

John Ellis, executive director with Family Service Ontario, presented the certification at the general meeting. He said accreditation is important to ensure there is a quality of service, which is important for funding, clients and the public.

Ellis said the counselling centre received 100 per cent on all the mandatory standards. The standards were governance, administration, general program, family counselling, family life education, community support services, employee assistance, credit counselling, families and schools together.

Ellis added that the counselling centre scored 98 per cent on the good practice standards.

The assessment included an onsite review, comments from staff and a self-assessment. He said Family Service Ontario first accredited the counselling centre in 1985.

"This is a very, very high score," Ellis said. "This was one of the original accredited agencies. The accreditation program started in 1983, so you can do the math and you can see this is one of the earliest agencies that was accredited."

Ellis said comments from organizations that worked with the counselling centre were in high praise citing its good communication with the community and providing quality programs. Family Service Ontario accredits eight to 10 agencies a year, he said.

Nancy Chamberlain, executive director for the Thunder Bay Counselling Centre, said she was glad to have the accreditation.

"We believe in the standards and we believe in good service," Chamberlain said. "Even though it is a five-year process, we ensure that we’re evidence based and following best practice all the way through. So in some ways it is just validation of what we already know."