CMHA Niagara Accredited with “Exemplary Standing”

(St. Catharines, April 14, 2022) –

Canadian Mental Health Association, (CMHA) Niagara has been accredited with “Exemplary Standing” by Accreditation Canada, an independent, not-for-profit organization that accredits healthcare and social services organizations in Canada and around the world.

This award was announced after three days of rigorous reviews and evaluations of CMHA programs, services, policies, and processes against national standards, by Accreditation Canada surveyors in December 2021.

After meeting with CMHA Niagara’s staff, service providers, community partners, clients, Board of Directors, and members of the Client and Family Advisory Committee, the Accreditation Canada Decision Committee praised CMHA Niagara’s delivery of quality care and service, inclusive of pandemic response and effective utilization of limited resources, while remaining an integral partner in provincial and regional health system transformations. The Accreditation Canada surveyors applauded CMHA Niagara for many achievements including:

• compassionate, competent, adaptive, and committed team members who advocate for and participate in care planning processes, in collaboration with clients, to ensure safety, define care goals, and offer skills, resources and networks for client recovery.

• being a trusted, active and responsive community partner who collaborates with, listens to, and engages partners in solution-focused problem-solving and knowledge and resource sharing.

• a streamlined governance model with a good mix of skills and tenure of board directors, supported by comprehensive policies, a Client and Family Advisory Committee, and governance self-assessment tools to improve their individual and collective performance, and

• a responsive, supportive and transparent leadership team with sound strategic plans to support its mission, vision and values.

“We are incredibly pleased and proud to receive this official status”, said CMHA Niagara’s Executive Director Tara McKendrick. “Accreditation is an important component of CMHA Niagara’s commitment to providing safe, high-quality mental health and addictions services. We strive to exceed expectations in every aspect of our work, so it is especially gratifying to have independent reviewers recognize our collective strong performance with this Exemplary Standing.”

An accreditation standing verifies that an organization not only does quality work measured against required organizational practices, but also has sound financial, administrative, operational, and oversight practices. The set of standards CMHA Niagara is measured against includes criteria such as accessibility, appropriateness, client-centered services, continuity, efficiency, population focus, safety, and wellness and work-life balance.

“This third-party verification can inspire community confidence in the work we do to strengthen mental wellness in Niagara,” said McKendrick. “The ‘Exemplary Standing’ demonstrates the excellent work of our teams to contribute to positive outcomes for our clients and community. We are very pleased with this recognition and look forward to continuing our quality improvement journey in all we do.”