WHO ARE THE REVIEWERS AND WHAT IS THEIR ROLE?

COA prides itself on the caliber of its volunteer corps. These volunteers are an essential component of COA accreditation. Our Peer Reviewers make an extraordinary commitment to guarantee quality site visits. They are trained on COA's process and standards. Each Peer Reviewer dedicates approximately 50 hours to each site visit they participate in. In addition to the interviews they conduct on site, significant time is spent becoming familiar with your agency through a review of your Self-Study prior to visiting your agency.

COA Peer Reviewers are recruited from the following groups of professionals:

• Chief Executive Officers of COA-accredited agencies or agencies in process of becoming accredited.
• Senior administrative and clinical staff of COA-accredited agencies or agencies in process of becoming accredited.
• Faculty of schools of social work with special expertise.
• Recently retired senior staff from COA-accredited agencies who continue to maintain an active role in the field.

Each Peer Review Team is headed by a Team Leader. The Team Leaders are senior reviewers who have extensive experience with accreditation and the site visit process and have demonstrated a true commitment to the purpose and goals of COA accreditation.

In addition to reviewing the Self-Study prior to the site visit, the Team Leader manages and organizes all pre- and on-site activities. He or she serves as a mentor to other Peer Reviewers, and is responsible for ensuring open communication between the team, the agency, and COA.

It is our hope that your experience with these volunteers will inspire you to apply to become a COA Peer Reviewer!