Oesterlen Services for Youth, Inc., located in Springfield, has been awarded national accreditation by the Council on Accreditation (COA). This award, announced by COA President and Chief Executive Officer Richard Klarberg, culminates a nearly two year process of extensive internal program and policy reviews, including an extended on site visit, by COA officials.

Oesterlen’s COA accreditation attests that the agency meets the highest national standards and is delivering the best quality services to Springfield and throughout Ohio. With this award, Oesterlen joins COA’s Community of Excellence that includes more than 1,000 private and public organizations that serve over 6,000,000 children, individuals, and families in the United States and Canada.

“Oesterlen is honored and proud to receive this national accreditation,” said Donald L. Warner, Oesterlen’s Executive Director. “For 102 years Oesterlen has provided quality services to children and families. Now, our work has achieved national recognition which provides even more confidence and assurance to our consumers of Oesterlen’s high level of professionalism and quality care.”

Oesterlen offers multiple youth and family mental health and social service programs, including residential youth care, outclient services, independent living programs, foster care, and in-home family assistance programs. All Oesterlen programs are included under its COA accreditation.

The extensive COA accreditation process included an in-depth review of organizational standards including human resources, financial and risk management, and continuous quality improvement, as well as thirty-nine service standards. The service standards address a full array of child, family, and behavioral healthcare services, including financial management, employee assistance programs, residential and outpatient mental health counseling, foster care, and other related services.

COA is endorsed by leading consumer and professional groups and by many regulatory bodies, including the Ohio Department of Mental Health, which licenses Oesterlen’s services, and by leading managed care organizations. COA is sponsored by the Alliance for Children and Families, Association of Jewish Family and Children’s Agencies, Catholic Charities USA, Child Welfare League of America (of which Oesterlen is a member), Foster Family-based Treatment Association, Lutheran Services in America (of which Oesterlen is a charter member), National Council for Adoption, National Foundation for Credit Counseling, National Network for Youth, and Prevent Child Abuse America.