Jacksonville, Fla. – Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc. of the Diocese of St. Augustine, just received notification that they have been reaccredited by The Council on Accreditation (COA).

“This is a significant achievement for our organization and an accomplishment that we are extremely proud of,” said Laura Hickey, diocesan director of Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc.

She said COA accreditation attests that an organization meets the highest national standards of best practices and establishes credibility that the organization is effective and professionally sound. In addition, “it provides assurance to all of our stakeholders that Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc. of the diocese is delivering needed services in our community, conducting its operations successfully, and managing its funds effectively,” Hickey added.

The COA is an international, independent, not-for-profit, child-and family-service and behavioral healthcare accrediting organization. The COA’s commitment to maintaining the highest level of standards and quality improvement is designed to identify providers that have set high performance standards for themselves and have made a commitment to their constituents to deliver the highest quality services.

The council, in their letter confirming reaccreditation, said they were proud to recognize Catholic Charities as one of these outstanding providers highlighting its organizational strengths in the areas of administrative, management and service standards.

The programs receiving the highest marks include Catholic Charities’ outreach services, adoption services, the Immigration and Refugee Resettlement program and pregnancy services.

Although the formal part of the accreditation process has been completed, Hickey emphasizes that “our work is far from over. COA accreditation is not an end in and of itself. Rather, it is a process by which our organization can consistently strive for and achieve new levels of excellence,” she said.

Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc. serves thousands of men, women and children in the 17-county area of the diocese, which includes Northeast and North Central Florida. It has regional offices in Gainesville, Jacksonville, Lake City and St. Augustine.

For more information and follow-up interviews, call Laura Hickey or Anita Hassell at (904) 899-5500.