Sunny Hills Services Receives Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval

Sunny Hills Services recently earned The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval® for Behavioral Health Care Accreditation.The Joint Commission is an independent, not-for-profit organization that certifies more than 20,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States and is widely considered the premier health care quality improvement and accrediting body in the nation. The Gold Seal of Approval® is a national symbol of quality that reflects an organization's commitment to providing safe and effective care.

Sunny Hills Services underwent a rigorous on-site survey in March 2016 at each of its program locations. During the survey, compliance with behavioral health care standards related to several areas-including, care, treatment, and services; environment of care; leadership; and screening procedures for the early detection of imminent harm-was evaluated. On-site observations and interviews with clients and staff also were conducted. Sunny Hills' Behavioral Health programs are strength-based, mental health and behavioral intervention services that may include therapy / counseling, case management, and / or individualized services.

The Joint Commission's behavioral health care standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, quality improvement measurement experts, and individuals and their families. The standards are informed by scientific literature and expert industry consensus to help organizations measure, assess and improve performance.

Tracy Griffin Collander, LCSW, executive director of The Joint Commission's Behavioral Health Care Accreditation program, said, "We commend Sunny Hills Services for its efforts to elevate the standard of care it provides and to instill confidence in the community it serves."

"We are very pleased to receive this acknowledgement of our exceptional work from The Joint Commission. Sunny Hills is one of only 31 organizations serving California's Bay Area to receive the award," added Mary Denton, Sunny Hills' CEO. "Our staff will continue to develop and implement approaches and strategies to improve care and outcomes for the children and youth we serve."