Edgewood Center for Children and Families Achieves Gold Standard in Behavioral Health Care
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) June 23, 2015 -- Edgewood Center for Children and Families (Edgewood) has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Behavioral Health Care Accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal of Approval® is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective care.
In March, Edgewood http://www.edgewood.org underwent a rigorous on-site review process. After almost a week on site, the surveyor praised the passion of the staff and its overall culture, and was impressed that Edgewood clearly has a trauma-informed culture, with shared responsibility and commitment to its mission.
“I couldn’t have been more thrilled with this comment, as so many of our youth and families – and many of the communities we serve – have experienced significant trauma, ranging from abuse to neighborhood violence to the stigma of mental illness,” explained Matt Madaus, president and CEO of Edgewood Center for Children and Families. “It was incredibly validating to hear that we have incorporated our understanding and sensitivity of trauma, and its impact on development, into everything we do.”
Established in 1969, The Joint Commission’s Behavioral Health Care Accreditation program currently accredits more than 2,100 organizations for a three-year period. Accredited organizations provide treatment and services within a variety of settings across the care continuum.
“Joint Commission accreditation provides behavioral health care organizations with the processes needed to improve in a variety of areas related to the care of individuals and their families,” said Tracy Griffin Collander, LCSW, executive director, Behavioral Health Care Accreditation program, The Joint Commission. “We commend Edgewood for its efforts to elevate the standard of care it provides and to instill confidence in the community it serves.”
Recently, Edgewood took an important step further illustrating its commitment to helping youth who are in a mental health crisis. The organization partnered with the San Francisco Department of Public Health and Comprehensive Child Crisis Service (CCCS) to open a Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) on its San Francisco campus. The CSU is designed to provide 24/7 evaluation and triage of children and youth between the ages of 6 and 17 in crisis and provide them with a structured, safe, child-friendly and family supportive environment in order to return them back to their community.
San Francisco youth now receive emergency medical screening, comprehensive evaluation, risk assessment, and crisis stabilization at Edgewood. Previously, youth were often assessed in a crowded emergency room with adults in psychiatric or medical crisis, sometimes waiting for hours or even days.
Since the opening of the CSU during the summer of 2014, more than 300 youth have been stabilized with nearly 90 percent of them able to be returned to their families and communities. The CSU is the only facility of its kind in San Francisco.
About Edgewood Center for Children and Families:
Edgewood Center for Children and Families provides behavioral health services to children, youth, and emerging adults ages 0 to 25. Each year, Edgewood touches the lives of thousands of families living in San Francisco and San Mateo counties who have experienced severe trauma, abuse, or neglect. Founded in 1851, Edgewood is the oldest children’s charity west of the Mississippi and offers more than 25 programs ranging from prevention and early intervention to community based treatment, day and after school programs, residential treatment, and crisis stabilization. Learn how to get involved at edgewood.org.
The Joint Commission
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value. The Joint Commission accredits and certifies nearly 21,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, nonprofit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about The Joint Commission at jointcommission.org.
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Jim Oswald, Edgewood Center for Children and Families, http://www.edgewood.org, +1 (415) 682-3006, [email protected]
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