Face-to-Face with the Surveyors
Accredited with Exemplary Standing: a major achievement for everyone at GSS. But what was it like to actually meet with the Accreditation Canada surveyors to answer questions that would help shape survey results for the whole agency?
The two surveyors spent June 20 and 21st at the Whyte Avenue and MDU sites. One surveyor, Helene, met with agency leaders, the Board and community partners to learn about our systems and to get broader views on the agency. The other surveyor, Donna, focused on service delivery and safety by meeting with program staff and clients from the Clinical Access Team and Medical Detox Unit. Here is what some CAT and MDU staff said about those meetings.
CAT Team
Donna first met with Robynn Strikwerda, Program Manager, then with Jeremy Layton, Mental Health Therapist, and Chantelle Phillips, Harm Reduction Specialist, to talk about CAT program processes and client care.
Because Donna had reviewed CAT processes with Robynn, Chantelle thought the second meeting with the surveyor was “…to demonstrate that as employees, we also understood the processes and standards.” That discussion, according to Chantelle, was ‘absolutely lovely.’
A big benefit was that Donna had a background in mental health and addictions, so she understood the client population. That made it possible to talk easily about topics like harm reduction and why it was so important to CAT’s work, to give examples related to client care, and to discuss how staff prepared to respond safely to unexpected situations that might come up.
In a separate meeting, Donna talked with Sue Lawrence, Outreach Nurse, and Richard Sanders, Mobile Harm Reduction Specialist, about how the CAT team used the ethical decision-making framework.
Sue and Richard had worked with Robynn to select and prepare an ethics example for the meeting. During the interview, Richard went over the details of the case and Sue explained the discussion and decision-making process. They related how this ethics review is used to inform policies and procedures. In this meeting, too, Sue and Richard found the surveyor “…relaxed and genuinely interested in what we had to say.” Something that also helped Sue feel more relaxed was bringing notes for back up during the interview.
MDU Team
At MDU, Leah-anne Graham, Assistant Manager, and Andrew Wilson, Addiction Specialist, were among staff who met with the surveyors. Leah-anne and Andrew talked with Donna about addictions client care, and Leah-anne was also part of an emergency preparedness discussion.
As with the CAT team, Leah-anne and Andrew found Donna personable, easy to talk to, and knowledgeable. Leah-anne described the sessions with Donna as “…easier to navigate than expected and very conversational. She had a keen eye and knew what to ask for.” Andrew was pleased that Donna was aware of more progressive treatment methods which made it possible to have a focused, meaningful discussion.
Interview stress levels varied. Andrew had experience with accreditation meetings at GSS and another agency which helped him feel more comfortable with the process. He knew the interview would be about service areas he specialized in. Leah-anne did feel some stress. Although MDU had mini-team meetings to prepare for the scheduled interview topics, what if something unexpected was asked that they hadn’t prepared for? But that didn’t happen. Interviews were on topic with no trick questions.
There were even no trick questions when Donna took time to walk around MDU and chat with other staff. She did ask staff some questions, but they were positive and easy to answer, for example, “What’s your favorite thing about working at GSS?”
Program Leader Support
In looking back, both CAT and MDU staff highlighted the big role their supervisors played in helping them to prepare. In CAT, Sue described how, Robynn, Program Manager, put “…extreme effort into keeping accreditation front of mind for six months prior to the big day.” At MDU, Andrew commented on “the amount of management work going into the preparation.” Leah-anne echoed Andrew, describing Jeff Walker, Senior Manager at MDU, and Lindy Dowhaniuk, Director of Emergency Services, as working tirelessly to support, reassure, and prepare them for the accreditation survey.
Interview Success
All that preparation paid off. Staff were well supported and prepared. They knew their jobs and could describe how that work was based on procedures that aligned with accreditation standards. That knowledge made discussion with the highly experienced and interested accreditation surveyors relaxed and on target resulting in an outstanding accreditation outcome for the George Spady Society. You all did an amazing job for us, thank you!