In January 2020, the National Office of Adult & Teen Challenge released a new edition of the accreditation standards we all know and love. As someone who has labored over these for the last 8 months, let me assure you – they are beautiful – and represent a tremendous amount of careful consideration, institutional knowledge, ministry best practices and benchmarks.
In partnership and collaboration with Global Teen Challenge, we have worked to simplify the previous 90 independent standards (the dreaded checklist) into six core categories:
- Identity
- Governance
- Measurement & Improvement
- Resource Management
- Residential Operations
- Specialized Services
The most notable difference between the new format and the old is that while all 90 standards are still inspected, they are now grouped within the six core categories. The new format is not only simpler, but also better aligned with best practices in substance abuse recovery and education. As we seek to offer the highest standards of care and best possible service to those who are addicted and in need of a new life in Christ, we should have standards at least as stringent as the secular providers (though a case could be made for “going beyond what is required of us” in Matthew 5:4)!
Accreditation reviews began in January 2020 and will continue throughout the year. The goal for 2020 is to use these “pilot” visits to not only invest in our centers, but to perfect the new process. We promise to “test and repeat” – making necessary adjustments as we communicate with, and learn from, the field before implementing final requirements. The change in structure gives us time to connect with multiple staff members at each site – leading to beneficial and helpful conversations where team members can learn from each other. There are familiar aspects of the previous accreditation review process, but also some additional components that better support the new format and direction we are headed as an organization.
Regardless of specifics, the National Office is determined to make the ATC accreditation process more of a partnership and less of a checklist. We will seek to foster strong relationships with our colleagues in the field, while also holding each member of our network accountable to the highest of standards of student care and brand integrity.
Early feedback of the process has been very positive and encouraging. (Whew!) During the pilot phase of implementation, I will be personally conducting all accreditation visits with just one other reviewer. It is still our goal to add trained peer reviewers to the process, but we are taking time to carefully think through that change. We plan to have more information regarding this strategy by Q3.
If you have questions or concerns about accreditation – please contact me directly at russc@teenchallengeusa.org. I look forward to meeting you in the field!
