First-Ever Recertification by VCP and Jeffords Institute
Vermont Business Magazine Washington County Mental Health Services was recently recertified as a Center of Excellence (COE), a certification that lasts three years until the next review process. The recertification is a first in the history of recognition as a Center of Excellence. While not all 16 Designated and Specialized Services Agency seek this recognition, which is separate from the recognition as a state designated agency, (nine) agencies within the Vermont Care Partners (VCP) network have decided to participate in the intensive review process conducted by VCP and the prestigious Jeffords Institute for Quality, a part of the University of Vermont Medical Center.
Becoming a COE is a rigorous review process where the recipient of the designation is known to the entire community as a great place to receive best practices, excellent care while also being acknowledged as a great place to work. The COE designation is modeled after the five core areas of the National Council’s Centers of Excellence which are:
1. World class customer service
2. Excellent outcomes
3. Easy access
4. Comprehensive care
5. Excellent value
In order to fulfill these five tenets, reviewers at both the VCP and Jeffords Institute consider how participating agencies stack up against 38 measures within each of these core areas. If
participating agencies meet a certain threshold, they receive the designation. More than one agency can be recognized as a COE; it is not a competition. Rather, it can be considered akin to the “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval,” a long-time standard of trust for excellence, value and reliability, for health/mental health and Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) providers.
Washington County Mental Health Services was the first in the state to be designated as a COE in 2018 and though it’s been more than three years, due to COVID-19 pandemic, the Agency is the first in Vermont history to be recertified as a Center of Excellence.
“To be recertified as a Center of Excellence, particularly given the impact of the past two years, really speaks to the quality, commitment and passion of our staff. Not once…never did they stop giving from their hearts to those we’re so fortunate to serve,” said Mary Moulton, Executive Director at Washington County Mental Health. “It truly is testimony to the environment our team has created despite the workforce challenges we face, and the underfunding experienced by all community mental health providers. To say I’m proud would be an understatement.”
The review team highlighted a number of noteworthy elements as a part of the certification process including:
- The Agency’s ongoing dedication to housing, finding creative ways to support people who are not currently housed through 38 buildings and a spectrum of innovative services
- Dedication to peer supports and use of these important resources to support programs
- The support of young and expecting mothers through the doula program
- WCMHS’ independent school and its use of emerging literature and brain research to inform their day-to-day practices
- The overall culture of creativity to identify and address a problem and solve it
- Equity, diversity and inclusion across and within WCMHS’ programs
- Better use of data for decision making for individual, programmatic, and agency growth
“Any agency receiving recognition as a Center of Excellence is particularly noteworthy in these times due to understaffing, underfunding and an increase in the need for services provided by community mental health agencies, let alone the totality of the health care system,” said Catherine Burns of Vermont Care Partners. “It’s an honor to be a part of this process and witness the work being done by these seemingly tireless organizations.”
About Washington County Mental Health Services
For more than 50 years, Washington County Mental Health Services has been advocating for the inclusion of all persons into our communities and actively encourages Self-Determination and Recovery. We serve all individuals and families coping with the challenges of developmental and intellectual disabilities, mental health, and substance use by providing trauma-informed services to support them as they achieve their highest potential and best possible quality of life.
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About Vermont Care Partners
Provides statewide leadership for an integrated, high-quality system of comprehensive services and supports and representing 16 non-profit community-based agencies that provide developmental, mental health, and substance abuse services to Vermonters.
BARRE, VT – Washington County Mental Health Services
