The Ray
Graham Association is the first organization to be accredited with our new
Person-centered Excellence Accreditation.
CQL's Person-centered Excellence Accreditation promotes and
facilitates excellence in person-centered services and supports that lead to
increased quality of life.
Based in Downers Grove, IL, the Ray Graham Association is
dedicated to the full participation of all people with developmental
disabilities in a quality life by providing leadership that supports the
accomplishments of individuals, strengthens families and inspires community
involvement. President and CEO Kim Zoeller sat down with CQL to talk about the
experience.
Why did
you choose CQL for Accreditation?
Our
decision to pursue accreditation through CQL was based on a strong history and
high regard for work and philosophy of the organization. Each time we have partnered with CQL it has
proven to be an overwhelmingly positive experience and valuable investment for
our organization. The mission of Ray
Graham Association and CQL is very much in alignment, making the decision an
easy one.
How
does it feel to be the first organization accredited with our new model?
Ray
Graham Association values the priorities of principles of Person-Centered
Excellence. To be the first organization
in the world to be accredited with this new model validates our work. The overwhelming response from stakeholders,
including people serve, their families, and our staff, has been one of
excitement for the future.
Tell
us about how your organization prepared for your first Person-centered
Excellence Accreditation visit?
Probably
the largest effort in preparing for this Accreditation visit was wanting to
assure we understood what the process would entail, and organizing the various
components of the organization that would be involved in the stakeholder
meetings. The use of Personal Outcome
Measures® is a well established component of our organizational culture, so in
that area, we just continued the processes and systems that we already have in
place. Completion of the pre-visit
surveys really didn’t consume that much time, and was such a useful
self-reflection that we were glad to have had cause to spend the time that activity
did take.
Tell
us about your Aha moments.
Fairly
early on in during the first day of the stakeholder meeting, we realized this
process was going to yield some valuable insight into where we as an
organization stand today, and where we want to see ourselves in the future.
What
do you think will be the impact of PCE Accreditation on the people you support
and the staff who offers supports and services?
I
think the most significant and enduring impact of this process will be the
positive impact of a renewed and refreshed commitment to supporting people we
serve and their families to pursue advancement opportunities that take to them
to a new level in their life. The CQL accreditation process is a unique
experience for each agency that pursues it.
The plan that we’ve created as a result of this process is customized to
the character, mission and priorities of Ray Graham Association, yet reflects
the values of CQL and uses that framework to help us advance our pursuit of
person-centered excellence.
What
are your next steps and how can CQL help you implement the changes you
identified and prioritized during the Accreditation visit?
As
part of the CQL Accreditation process, we established 3 priority areas for our
organization, and initial steps we’d take in pursuing those. We’ve since added more detail and structure
to those plans, and have expanded the number of people throughout the
organization who will provide leadership in these efforts. We’re committed to including individuals and
staff at all levels in these leadership opportunities, and are excited about
the growth we think this process will bring to individuals, as well as the
organization. We expect that our
partnership with CQL will help identify creative strategies and opportunities
to make this commitment as meaningful and long-lasting as possible.
Anything else
you would like to say about CQL or the PCE Accreditation Process?
The past few decades have brought remarkable change to our
organization and the lives of people we support. Much of the positive change that has occurred
during this period has been connected to our relationship with CQL, and our
mutual focus on person-centered excellence.
Maintaining a strong partnership with CQL on our journey has been and
will continue to be an important factor for us today and in the years to come.