WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE COA COORDINATOR?

The Contextual Accreditation process begins with your assignment to an Accreditation Coordinator who will be your partner throughout this process, from assessment to accreditation.

COA begins establishing your organizational context before your first meeting with your COA Coordinator. We have developed an organizational profile that you'll complete during the application process that allows you to tell us about your:

• size and programs;
• service environment; and
• important recent developments.

You will also be required to complete the Program Assignment Form which helps COA assess where each of your programs fits within COA’s service standards (see the Related Files for an example). The organizational profile and Program Assignment Form helps us determine the most appropriate Coordinator for your agency.

Your Coordinator is your primary contact at COA for anything and everything you need. He or she is your facilitator, interpreter, problem-solver and coach throughout the process and helps you:

• determine your starting point, areas of strength, and opportunities to grow;
• plan for early and on-going technical assistance;
• develop a strengths-based, realistic timetable;
• ensure a match between the services you provide and COA service standards;
• understand COA standards;
• answer questions about the accreditation process; and
• facilitate communication and access to resources at COA.

Your Coordinator will also work with you to develop a customized Milestone Timeline (see the Related Files for an example). This timeline will serve as your agency’s roadmap for its (re)accreditation process. It details essential steps needed to successfully achieve (re)accreditation by “breaking down” standards agencies find difficult to implement into discreet tasks to make it easier for your agency to work toward full implementation of these standards. The Milestone Timeline provides short-term goals and dates by which elements of the standards are to be implemented, providing the opportunity to submit and receive feedback on documentation – that addresses these necessary components prior to the submission of the full self-study.

In addition, there are accompanying tools, worksheets, recommended trainings and tip sheets created specifically to complement the Milestone Timeline. These resources will support you and your agency in effectively achieving each of the milestones and in turn successfully attaining (re)accreditation.

Note: If your agency engages an independent contractor/external vendor to assist with the accreditation process and communicate with your COA Coordinator, please complete the Authorization for Disclosure form in the related files and submit it to your COA Coordinator. This form provides COA with permission to discuss information about your agency's accreditation process with the independent contractor.