AUDIT CHAIR APPLICATION

Transcription

1 AUDIT CHAIR APPLICATION Dear valued auditor, On behalf of the American Correctional Association (ACA) and the Commission on Accreditation for Corrections (CAC), I would like to thank you for your involvement in the accreditation process. As the eyes and ears of the commission, ACA auditors are vital to the successful function of the entire process and we are very proud of all our auditors. As an audit team member, you represent the best of the association and its core values of improvement, dedication, and excellence. ACA audit chairpersons are the leaders of each individual audit team and are responsible for coordination with the facility and ACA staff to ensure the smooth function of the audit. Audit chairpersons are also the official representative of the audit team and are to guide the team members in the conduct of the audit. Finally, the audit chairperson is responsible for writing the audit report. This is a legal document that details the actions of the team, facility conditions, staff and inmate interviews, and any other relevant factors that the audit chair deems important for the Commission to consider. The following application will serve as your introduction to the role of the audit chairperson in the accreditation process. In order to be a chair, you must meet the following requirements: 1) Have been an ACA auditor for more than one year 2) Have completed a minimum of three audits 3) Receive written recommendations from two current chairs regarding your abilities and qualifications to serve as a chairperson 4) Attended one (1) in-person auditor training session (provided bi-annually at ACA Conferences) or four (4) auditor training webinars (provided on the third Thursday of every month from the ACA offices) 5) Complete the attached application and receive approval from ACA. Approval criteria will include the completion of this application, an appraisal of writing skills, previous audit experience, and the results of auditor evaluations from previous audits. The audit chairperson application is found on the following pages. Should you have any questions regarding this process, please feel free to contact our office. Your application should be submitted to Nadine Lee, Administrative Assistant whose contact information can be found on the final page of this application. Thank you again for your interest in becoming an audit chairperson! Jeff Washington Deputy Executive Director American Correctional Association 1

2 Audit Chairperson Agreement As an audit chairperson for the American Correctional Association, I understand and agree that: It is the responsibility of the audit chairperson to book their own travel arrangements and to coordinate with the facility and fellow members of the audit team to arrive on time for all auditrelated activities. The chairperson shall monitor the activities of all team members and ensure that the team, and its individual members, act in a courteous and professional manner at all times while representing the Association. It is the responsibility of the audit chairperson to contact ACA in the event of any occurrences outside the normal progression of the audit. Likewise, the chairperson is responsible for contacting the assigned Standards and Accreditation Specialist at the ACA office in the event of issues related to mandatory standards, significant disagreement or confusion between the facility and the audit team, or any other issues of standards interpretation that might negatively impact the conduct or completion of the audit. It is the responsibility of the audit chairperson to complete the Visiting Committee Report (VCR) within two weeks of completion of the audit. The VCR will follow the format provided by ACA and include all relevant information required. As a legal document, it is vitally important that the VCR is complete and accurate. Inaccurate information contained in the report will be corrected by the chairperson with the assistance of ACA and facility staff. The VCR is to contain a full and detailed description of each individual area of the facility as required in the VCR template provided by ACA staff prior to the audit. Healthcare-related areas are to be covered by the assigned healthcare auditor (where applicable). Healthcare auditors will provide their notes and/or comments in written form to the audit chairperson to assist them in completing the VCR. It is the responsibility of the audit chairperson to provide responses to facility submissions regarding non-compliant standards listed in the VCR. Audit chairpersons are expected to coordinate with ACA staff to supply these responses in a timely manner after the report has been formatted and completed by ACA. Audit chairs are to communicate with ACA staff any issues or commitments that might prevent them from completing their responses in a timely manner. The audit chairperson is entitled to a $200 report-writing fee, in addition to the standard honorarium provided to all ACA auditors. This fee is to be included in the space provided on the auditor reimbursement form and sent to ACA staff at the conclusion of the audit. ACA has six (6) to eight (8) weeks to process all reimbursements and provide a check to the auditor. I agree to the above stipulations of serving as an audit chairperson. Signature: Printed Name: Date: 2

3 Writing Sample: Please provide responses to the following questions. 1) Please briefly detail your experience with the ACA accreditation process and list audits you have completed within the past two (2) years (maximum 250 words). Please insert response here 2) Please select one (1) area below and provide a writing sample of the kind of information one might find in a Visiting Committee Report (VCR). Please indicate which area you have chosen by highlighting or bolding your selection. Those with no background in healthcare/medical are highly discouraged from selecting this area. Should you require more space, please continue your response on the following page. Environmental Conditions Food Service Visiting Laundry Healthcare/Medical Please insert response here 3

4 Please insert response here 4

5 Supporting Documentation Please submit two (2) letters of recommendation from two current audit chairpersons. The following page may be provided to these chairs as a format for their letter. If you are still employed by a correctional agency, please provide a letter from your agency supervisor or agency head covering the following qualifications: Work Ethic Judgment Flexibility Communication (written and verbal) Knowledge and Experience within the Agency Upon completion, please submit this application to: Nadine Lee Administrative Assistant Standards and Accreditation Department American Correctional Association 206 N. Washington Street, Suite 200 Alexandria, Virginia (703) nadinel@aca.org 5

6 This page is for perspective chairs to provide to existing chairs for their recommendations. Please write a letter of recommendation for _ at a minimum, the following: (Insert Applicant Name) to cover, Judgment Flexibility Communication (written and verbal) Knowledge of ACA standards 6