Enfants Ontario Accreditation Program Accredited children's mental health centres have their Children's Mental Health Ontario Accreditation Certificate prominently displayed in their offices. Our accreditation program is a service available to member centres to assist them in continuously improving their services. Through a process of self-study and independent review, the accreditation process verifies that accredited centres meet standards of high quality. Except for the costs of the on-site review, the annual Children's Mental Health Ontario membership fees cover the costs of accreditation. In essence, accreditation is a process involving the setting of standards and then verifying that those standards have been attained.
Standards are the foundation of any accreditation program.
Unlike licensing, which measures compliance with minimum standards, accreditation emphasizes challenging standards which define high quality services and performance. Standards are the heart of the accreditation process because they identify the elements that create quality services. Children's Mental Health Ontario developed its standards through a process of extensive consultation that was supported by the Trillium Foundation. As a result the standards reflect a broad consensus of the knowledge and experience about effective practices in Ontario. A standards committee continues to recommend changes.