KAWARTHA LAKES-The Canadian Mental Health Association, Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (CMHA HKPR) has been awarded Exemplary Standing, following an extensive accreditation review in November of 2017.
CMHA HKPR met or exceeded 454 of 456 standards, indicating 99.56% compliance according to numbers provided by the organization.
Officials say the award objectively confirms to clients and families that C.M.H.A. H.K.P.R. is diligent in providing the highest standard of care and service to our clients, through a process of continuous quality improvement.
Accreditation Canada provides a framework, through the use of various sets of standards, to achieve a high level of quality and safety for clients, families and staff. The focus of these standards is on community based:
mental health services
infection, prevention and control
medication management
leadership and governance
The program includes self assessments against the standards, with a lens of identifying opportunities for improvement; staff surveys on work life and client safety, client experience surveys and an on site survey.
The organization was last accredited in 2013 and has since focused on strengthening engagement with clients and their families. They used the Ontario Perception of Care (OPOC) developed by the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). OPOC enables us to gather feedback from our clients about their experience receiving service to look for gaps, challenges and opportunities to improve access, quality of care and safety.
Staff reviewed over 250 client responses using the OPOC tool and used those responses to develop strategies to close gaps and address concerns. “We heard loud and clear how important the support of the family is to the client’s journey to recovery. Through the generous support of Herod Financial Services Annual Golf Tournament for C.M.H.A. H.K.P.R., we were able to address this need and offer Journeying Together, a program specifically designed to help families of those with mental health concerns, across the four counties we serve.” says Kerri Davies, Manager of Community Engagement.
“As well, we established a Lived Expertise Advisory Panel (LEAP), made up of individuals and their families who have received service from C.M.H.A. H.K.P.R.. Through regular meetings with LEAP, we explore ongoing opportunities for improvement to the client experience, as part of our Continuous Quality Assurance program.” Davies explains.
