Welcome to the Council on Accreditation Standards website. This website includes many useful resources and features to guide you and your organization or agency in reviewing and implementing the COA standards.

Accessible and open to anyone with Internet access, the Accreditation Standards includes a full set of COA's standards for private organizations and public agencies, including Administration and Management, Service Delivery Administration, and Service standards. As you browse through the standards, you will also discover many unique features and resources.

Print:	Click on the printer and a PDF version of the section you're viewing will be dynamically generated. Select "print" from your menu bar to print the section(s) in which you are interested.
Updates:	As practice evolves and changes within a given field, standards will be dynamically updated and will include the effective date so that you can easily reference the change.
Glossary:	Click on any word underlined in blue within the standards and a pop-up box will reveal the first part of the definition. Click on the term within the pop-up box and you'll be directed to the glossary to see the full definition.
Bookmark:	Click on the bookmark button and the page you're viewing will automatically be saved in your bookmarks section until you decide to remove it.
Related Standards:	Click on any standard(s) underlined in red under another standard to see their relationship. Related standards allow you and your colleagues to integrate functions and activities throughout your organization or agency.
Related Files:	All sections of the standards include useful tools and resources that can be found in the Related Files section, such as Reference Lists, an Assessment Matrix, and charts and forms for the accreditation process. Click on the file to open, review, save and/or print.

When you begin pursuing (re)accreditation under the 8th Edition Standards, you will be registered for a My COA account. Only active in-process COA customers are eligible for a My COA account. My COA includes a personal log-in and homepage and useful tools for all relevant staff working on the accreditation process at your organization or agency. To ensure consistency in communication throughout the accreditation process, My COA includes functionality that allows internal staff to share a common set of applicable standards, to dialogue about the standards with each other and COA, and to save these conversations. Your COA Coordinator will activate and set up your account, and provide guidance on using the additional resources and features of My COA.

The Accreditation Guidelines provides practical guidance to prepare you for each phase of the accreditation process. It is your roadmap for getting accredited. The Guidelines include information on starting the accreditation process, understanding the standards, demonstrating implementation, assembling the Self-Study, preparing for the site visit, receiving and responding to feedback, and celebrating and sustaining accreditation. The Guidelines also include resources and documents that you will need during the process, such as questionnaires and instructions for assembling your Self-Study. Read the Guidelines thoroughly and frequently, and contact your COA Coordinator with any questions.

The Updates section provides you with an opportunity to view an archive of all significant changes and revisions to the accreditation standards, including the old and new versions of a standard, to whom it's applicable, and its effective date.

The Glossary includes definitions for a comprehensive list of over 200 terms that are used throughout the standards. When you are unclear about the interpretation of a standard, a glossary term used within the standard can provide meaningful elaboration.