What Can ACA Accreditation Do For You?

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Hubert Sparks
6 years ago
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1 What Can ACA Accreditation Do For You?

2 ACA and NCIA Partnership Developing the standards was a key project of both associations Quality improvement activities Assisted in the field testing of standards

3 Arkansas Colorado Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Massachusetts Nebraska New York Ohio Wyoming Who s Accredited?

5 Correctional Industries Auditors We currently have eight auditors specializing in auditing industries programs. We need more!

6 The Standards 77 standards 71 non mandatory 6 mandatory

7 Take Your Industries Program to the Next Level Greater efficiency Increased productivity Increased safety Standardized policies, procedures and practice Consistency Reduced litigation

9 Goal of Standards Encourage the best possible standards of practice Be achievable Be realistic Be practical Be measurable Be based on performance and outcomes Identify success

10 Standards Continuously evaluated and revised Proposed by the field Evaluated and approved by the Standards Committee Proposals approved, amended, disapproved, or referred to appropriate committee for evaluation Revisions published every 2 years as the ACA Standards Supplement

12 Benefits of Accreditation Improved staff training Improved professionalism and morale Improved environmental safety Defense against litigation Management evaluation and planning tool Enhanced public perception Opportunity for management and staff to work together to evaluate operations, assess needs and develop solutions

13 How To Start The Accreditation Process Step One:The Application Agency staff should contact ACA to obtain the necessary materials to implement the process. Certain narrative information regarding the agency is necessary to confirm eligibility and determine the applicable manual of standards and appropriate fees. An accreditation contract is then executed and sent to the agency. The signed contract must be returned to the Association to initiate the process.

14 Step 2 Some agencies have questions regarding preparation for the accreditation audit and often request that an ACA auditor conduct a pre audit assessment to assist them in determining their levels of compliance prior to scheduling the actual audit. This option is highly recommended for facilities and agencies that are new to the accreditation process, and for facilities that feel a need for special technical assistance prior to the audit.

15 Step 3 Once the contract is executed, the agency conducts a self assessment of its operations and completes a Self Evaluation Report that specifies the agency's level of standards compliance. Agencies must submit the Self Evaluation Report to ACA for review. In order to request an audit, an agency must comply with 100 percent of the standards designated as mandatory and at least 90 percent of the non mandatory standards.

16 Step 4 With ACA's acceptance of the Self Evaluation Report, the agency works toward meeting the required levels of compliance. Once these requirements are met, the agency schedules an audit by contacting an ACA Standards Specialist.

17 Step 5 The Audit The purpose of the audit is to measure the agency's operation against the standards, based on written documentation, observations and interviews. A visiting committee composed of two auditors conducts the audit. The ACA designates a chairperson who is responsible for supervising the committee's activities and preparing the visiting committee report to be submitted to the Association.

18 Step 6 The Accreditation Hearing Accreditation hearings are conducted by a panel of three to five commissioners and are held at least twice a year. At the hearing, the agency representative provides information about the agency, speaks in support of its appeals, and/or waiver requests, and addresses concerns the commission panel may have. After completing its review, the panel votes to award or deny accreditation.

19 Accreditation is awarded for a period of three years during which time annual certification statements, confirming continued standards compliance, are submitted to ACA. To ensure continued Accredited Status, accredited agencies apply for reaccreditation approximately nine months prior to the expiration of their current accreditation award.

21 What Assistance is Available to You? Technical Assistance Guidance from your ACA Specialist Mock Audit Training

22 Audit Overview To verify compliance with ACA standards the audit team: o Tours the facility o Evaluates the physical plant o Reviews records, files, policies, procedures, completed documentation o Observes procedures and interactions o Interviews staff, offenders, and others

23 Audit Overview (continued) The time required to complete the audit depends on the agency size, type of programs, scope of services, diversity of population The visiting committee (audit team) is the eyes, ears, and nose of the Commission on Accreditation

24 What are they looking to find? o Compliance with ACA standards o Compliance with agency policies and procedures o Safe and secure environment for staff, offenders, volunteers, and visitors o Healthy environment o Unimpeded access to care Adequately and appropriately trained staff

25 (continued) o Appropriate scope of services o Adequate lines of communication o Ability to prevent and respond to crisis o Adequate space and equipment o Operations compliant with jurisdictional regulation Auditors are fact finders not fault finders. They want you to be successful.

26 The Tour The audit chair determines the schedule of the tour. Team members will be observing: o Staff/staff interactions o Administrator/staff interactions o Staff/offender interactions o Staff and offender behavior

27 Tour (continued) Cleanliness Operations and procedures Security Noise levels Environmental conditions and safety Upkeep Inventory controls Key control

29 Audit Preparation Continuous Requires teamwork Requires staff preparation Requires self evaluation of procedures, environment, compliance, and folders

30 Audit Preparation (continued) Clean, well organized environment Policies and procedures current Organized records properly stored Logs accurate and current Biohazard waste handled and stored properly Hazardous and flammable chemicals controlled and properly stored

31 Audit Preparation (continued) First Aid kits inventoried and sealed Equipment operable Required licenses current and displayed Tool inventory accurate and current Are you confident opening any door or drawer?

32 Audit Preparation (continued) Final review of folders: o Organized o Legible o Highlighted o Appropriate o Best examples You will always find things to change or improve you MUST put them away at some point

33 Standards Examples: Mandatory and Non Mandatory Mandatory: These standards are ranked as the most critical to the safe, secure, and effective operation of facilities/agencies. They generally consist of less than 20% of all standards. In order to attain accreditation, the facility/agency must comply with all mandatory standards.

34 Non mandatory: These standards are designed to encourage the transparent, organized, and efficient operation of the facility/agency. In order to attain accreditation, the facility/agency must address the discrepancies or reasons for noncompliance on all non mandatory standards at the accreditation hearing.

35 Standards Supplement Standard revisions, additions, and deletions are published every 2 years (current: 2014). The Supplement is organized by the changes made for each set of standards. Agencies are not held accountable for new or revised standards until they have been published.

36 Outcome Measures Performance based standards utilize outcome measures to quantify the achievement of failures of performance and programs.

37 Outcome Measures Internal management tool that over time can assist in identifying trends. For the information to be a meaningful and useful tool, it is important that it be collected and analyzed in a consistent manner. Define your terms and parameters. Make sure your numbers make sense

38 The audit is good for three years If there is a significant event, you must report it If it is serious, there may be other visits by the auditing team Appearing before the Commission

39 Accreditation A continuous process Requires the knowledge and buy in of the entire staff: Administrator to part time records clerk Provides an opportunity to highlight your achievements, evaluate your programs, and plan for the future Assists in determining appropriate allocation of limited resources Facilitates teamwork

40 Available Resources Go the ACA website at aca.org to access the Standards & Accreditation page. From there you can access the: o Agency Manual o Consultant Manual o How to Become an Auditor o Proposed PREA Standards o Standards Committee Meeting Minutes o And other information

41 Other ACA News The American Correctional Association (ACA) has several awards that will be considered at ACA s 144 th Congress of Correction in Salt Lake City, Utah, August 15 20, The nomination forms are available on our website and will be printed in the next issue of CORRECTIONS TODAY magazine. The Awards being considered are as follows: Award of Merit Innovation in Corrections Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Award Medal of Valor Peter P. Lejins Research Award The successful candidates will be presented their award in conjunction with the ACA s 2015 Winter Conference in Long Beach, California, February 6 11, 2015.

42 Available Resources Contact Information: Kathy Black Dennis Director, Standards and Accreditation Ben Shelor Deputy Director, Standards and Accreditation This presentation may not be altered or duplicated without the written permission of the American Correctional Association s Director of Standards and Accreditation.

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