Standards

Our current version of the standards has evolved from a rich history of more than 30 years in partnership with individuals, groups of like-minded programs, and health and human services organizations. Since the release of the first version of standards, they have been developed, revisited, revised and are continually evolving in order to provide the most current best practice.
The 2015 Edition of the Governance & Management Standards, which includes CAC’s Process Manual, is available for purchase through Lulu.com. Program standards are available on the Members Only page for Organizations.
There have been many changes over the course of the past 30 years, such as the broadening of the Program Standards to include a wider range of programs, reflective of our evolution from focusing solely on accrediting programs supporting children, youth, and families to a wider focus that includes adult and health programs. The Enhanced Designations were also created to allow programs to be recognized in their areas of specialty. We also understand that different program types and communities have very different needs. To allow organizations to demonstrate the uniqueness of their programs, we have worked with many different stakeholders to develop standards that reflect their individual needs. Below is a list of some of the different types of organizations and programs we provide accreditation services to.
Addictions Programs
CAC understands the needs of individuals who participate in addictions programs. An enhanced designation has been created specifically to ensure that there is additional training in the area of addictions as well as the medical and clinical support required to operate this type of service.
Adult Programs
In 2011, CAC launched the 2011 Edition of Adult Standards, an extension of the standards we already provided to Child, Youth and Family organizations. The 2015 Edition of Standards has maintained this expansion into adult-oriented programs, ensuring that the Governance & Management Standards are appropriate for all organizations and the program types used for adult programs have been maintained. Extensive research and expert feedback was used in the creation of these standards, ensuring that the unique needs of adults within programs have been taken into consideration and are reflected in the standards.
Calgary Homeless Foundation

In order to promote excellence in practice, CAC continues to work with Calgary Homeless Foundation (CHF) to utilize our process for their Case Management Standards. As CHF continues to coordinate Calgary’s Homeless-Serving System of Care towards the achievement of Functional Zero homelessness in Calgary, it works with the local community in developing a process by which standards are reviewed and supported. This allows programs working with the case management model to implement and consistently demonstrate common standards. If you’d like to learn more about Calgary Homeless Foundation and their work towards the achievement of Functional Zero homelessness in Calgary, please visit www.calgaryhomeless.com

Child, Youth, and Family
CAC has a rich history of providing services to organizations specializing in children, youth, and families, and we continue to improve upon those standards with each cycle. We offer a wide range of standard sets applicable to Child, Youth, and Family programs and organization, as well as the ability to combine these sets to better reflect the uniqueness of the programs in operation.
Employment Programs
These standards are designed to introduce individuals into the workforce by reviewing and supporting the development of basic skills necessary to pursue work opportunities. The focus is on the individuals in the program, from exploring their interests to increased competence, cumulating in obtaining and maintaining long term employment.
Health Centres
Community Health Centres provide health care, health promotion and community development services to individuals who live in semi-isolated communities across Canada. CAC works closely with these organizations to provide standards that reflect the wide range of programs they offer, all of which share a similar goal in promoting healthy living, social connection, and the provision of necessary resources.
Indigenous Programs
CAC is committed to working in collaboration with First Nations communities to enhance programming through the process of accreditation. Standards supporting on-going learning about Indigenous history and culture, access to Indigenous resource people, and providing positive role models through recruiting and retaining Indigenous staff were first introduced in the 1999 Edition of Standards and remain embedded in the current editions. An enhanced designation for Indigenous or Cultural Programs also allows organizations to demonstrate the deeper uniqueness of their programming.
Mental Health
Mental Health is a crucial dimension of overall health and an essential resource for living. Our standards for Mental Health Programs are designed to increase the individual’s capacity to feel, think, and act in ways that will enhance their ability to enjoy life and deal with challenges. These programs help to address various capacities, including relating to others, handling stress, evaluating challenges, and pursuing goals.
Military Family Resource Centres
In 2014 CAC began working with the Military Family Resource Centres (MFRCs) which are committed to enriching the lives of individuals and families in the Canadian Armed Forces communities across the country. CAC has been working with these centres to provide continued support and services to them as they strive towards accreditation with CAC.
Nursing Stations
Nursing Stations operate across Canada, providing health care to isolated and semi-isolated communities. CAC has standards to help support the functions of these centres and the programming they offer.
Seniors
As Canada’s population continues to age, the need for organizations that provide services to seniors increases. CAC has program types tailored to the needs of those individuals, from programs that offer basic living support to those that assist with the ongoing care of the individuals in their program.

Volunteering for CAC

by | Oct 8, 2016 |

Our volunteers are the backbone of CAC, without their knowledge and expertise we wouldn’t be able to accredit organizations. We are always looking to recruit individuals interested in participating in reviews. There are many benefits to becoming a reviewer for CAC,...

2016 Declaration of Compliance

by | Apr 19, 2016 |

This year's Declaration of Compliance packages went out a few weeks ago; if you haven't received yours yet, please contact the office immediately by email (admin@cacohs.com) or by phone (780-424-4498). The package contained three items with two separate due dates: Due...

Newsletter – April 2016

by | Apr 15, 2016 |

The past month has been busy for CAC! Staff updated both the content and the look of the Annual Declaration, and assembled packages for each of our client organizations. We also created a Comparison Guide and Plan of Compliance for organizations accredited under the...

Newsletter – March 2016

by | Mar 16, 2016 | ,

This month's newsletter featured information about the Annual Declaration of Compliance, which is soon to be sent out to organizations! It also provided upcoming dates for the following training: Suicide & Self Harm Awareness Medication Administration Training...