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Standards for public agencies

COA’s standards for public agencies were developed in partnership with public human and social service experts across the country and are designed to promote public agency effectiveness and achievement of positive outcomes. The standards address both administrative and service delivery practices to enable the review and accreditation of the entire agency.

The standards are divided into three parts:

  1. Administration and Management Standards

    The Administration and Management Standards address practices that promote sound operations and management, including leadership, financial management, and quality improvement. These apply to all agencies regardless of the services provided or populations served.

  2. Service Delivery Administration Standards

    The Service Delivery Administration address practices related to the administration of services, including client rights, training and supervision, and program supervision. These also apply to all agencies.

  3. Service Standards

    For agencies that provide direct services to clients, Service Standards address practices related to service provision areas across the full continuum of community-based social and behavioral healthcare services. These standards apply based on your agency’s scope and service population, and include:

  • Child, youth, and family services
  • Behavioral health services
  • Aging services
  • Homelessness services
  • Intellectual and developmental disabilities services
  • Residential services
  • Additional social services

VIEW THE STANDARDS