NAMI Sarasota and Manatee Counties Achieves Prestigious Accreditation

The National Alliance on Mental Illness Sarasota and Manatee Counties (NAMI), a local nonprofit behavioral health support organization serving individuals, families, and caregivers throughout Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto Counties, has achieved national accreditation through the Council on Accreditation (COA). In doing so, NAMI Sarasota and Manatee Counties became the first NAMI affiliate nationwide to achieve this prestigious distinction.

Organizations pursue accreditation to demonstrate adherence to best-practice standards in the field of human services. COA Accreditation demonstrates accountability in resource management, sets standardized best-practice thresholds for service and administration, and increases organizational capacity and accountability.

“For the past 18 months, NAMI has developed and enhanced its programs, services, management, and administration to meet the standards developed through COA, providing us with a framework for ongoing quality improvement for our peer-led support and education programs,” said Colleen Thayer, NAMI CEO. “I am incredibly proud of our team and the time and dedication committed to this effort. We are the first NAMI affiliate in the U.S. to achieve accreditation!”

To achieve accreditation, NAMI first provided written evidence of compliance with the COA Accreditation standards. Following that, a group of specially-trained COA Peer Reviewers confirmed adherence to the standards during a series of on-site interviews with board members, staff, volunteers, and clients. Based on their findings, COA’s volunteer-based Accreditation Commission voted that NAMI had met the accreditation criteria.

COA Accreditation, a service of Social Current, is an objective, independent, and reliable validation of an agency’s performance. The rigorous accreditation process involves a detailed review and analysis of an organization’s practices and service delivery functions against international best-practice standards. The standards driving accreditation ensure that services are well-coordinated, culturally competent, evidence-based, outcomes-oriented, and provided by a skilled and supported workforce.