National Accreditation
Point in Time is proud to say we are accredited with the Canadian Centre for Accreditation (CCA). The CCA is an accreditation body which reviews agencies across Canada. While we have been successfully accredited over the last 16 years our current accreditation term is January 11th, 2025, to January 10th, 2029.
Introduction to Accreditation with CCA – What is it?
The Canadian Centre for Accreditation (CCA) is a national not-for-profit offering accreditation to community-based health and social service organizations in Canada. Accreditation provides an external review of an organization’s operations in relation to accepted standards of good practice and risk management. Standards address all aspects of the organization, including governance, management, programs and services. It is also a system to promote learning, quality improvement, excellence and innovation. CCA looks at the whole organization. Reviews are conducted by CCA-trained teams made up of senior staff, governing body members and volunteers from the community-based organizations that participate in CCA.
Process
In order to be accredited as a children’s mental health agency, we were required to meet a number of standards, some mandatory and others leading practice.
Mandatory standards are those that we must meet at 100% rate, either because they are required by law, necessary for safety, or are crucial elements of good practice. Leading practice standards promote quality improvement and excellence in our work. To be accredited, we had to meet all the mandatory standards and 80% of leading practice standards, so, the bar is high.
To assess how our agency meets the standards of practice, the review team from CCA interviewed our staff and clients, audited our files, observed some of our programs, and surveyed a variety of people, including community partners, volunteers and staff. This gave them a chance to see and hear whether we do what we say we do.
Standards
There are standards for how our organization is managed and standards for service delivery. PinT not only met but exceeded the requirements:
We met 81 of 81 mandatory standards and 33 of 33 leading practices standards for a total of 511 indicators. This is an exemplary accomplishment!
CCA reported that “Point in Time Centre for Children, Youth and Parents excels in fostering an inclusive environment by prioritizing diversity and ensuring that all individuals – whether clients, staff, of community members – are treated with respect, dignity, and without discrimination. The review team noted that this commitment to equity is deeply embedded in their organizational culture, where diversity is not only acknowledged but actively valued across all aspects of service delivery, governance, and work environments and takes many forms, such as flexibility in scheduling and pivoting of programs as necessary.”
What CCA says about Our Approaches:
The review team noted that the organization prioritizes the professional development and well-being of its clinical staff through regular and structured clinical supervision. Supervision is a vital component of the organization’s commitment to providing high-quality, therapeutic services, as it offers staff the opportunity to reflect on the direction of therapy and the dynamics of their therapeutic relationships with clients. Both individual and group supervision sessions are conducted regularly, providing a platform for staff to discuss complex cases, seek guidance, and enhance their therapeutic skills.
Specialized supervision is also provided for staff working with evidence-based programs and services, such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), play therapy, and working with 2SLGBTQ+ clients, ensuring that staff are equipped with the specific knowledge and competencies required for these unique interventions. This supervision not only supports the professional growth of staff but also safeguards the well-being of clients by promoting the safe, effective, and ethical use of self in the therapeutic process. By fostering ongoing learning and reflection, Point in Time ensures that its staff remain well-prepared to navigate the challenges of working in a therapeutic capacity with children, youth, and families.
What CCA says about Working Together:
Point in Time has cultivated valuable community partnerships, consistent with the Centre's overarching purpose. The reviewers found that PinT effectively uses public education activities to support its organizational priorities and respond to evolving community needs. The organization actively engages with key community initiatives and can align its public education efforts with the most pressing issues facing the community, including housing, transportation and other critical needs of the youth and families
Concluding Comments from our CCA Accreditations Teams Present and Past:
“Point in Time Centre for Children, Youth and Parents excels in fostering continuity, coordination of service, and collaboration across all levels of care, both internally and externally. The organization places a strong emphasis on clear communication and role definition, ensuring that all individuals involved in a young person's care—whether internal staff, external service providers, or members of the young person’s support network—have a well-defined understanding of their roles and responsibilities.”
“The reviewers heard positive feedback from clients and their families regarding PinT staff and programs and services. Parents shared that their workers were ‘awesome’, and open to questions and guidance. Families felt respected. They shared that PinT does much for the community. Many families commented on PinT being like a family”.
“Point in Time strives to live its mission and vision for services to children, youth and parents, and is highly successful. Point in Time is an exemplary organization, with a committed board, staff, management and executive director. It is clear this organization is valued in its community. Point in Time has built a healthy organization and actualized its standards and mission in a way that is consistent with the distinct nature of the rural community it serves.”