High Marks for Berkshire County ARC

For three days this spring Berkshire County Arc (BCArc) opened its doors to a team of four CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) International surveyors to be put through a rigorous process of over 1700 standards, checks and balances of best practices, and quality controls.  The result: BCArc was awarded a maximum three year certification. BCArc is the first agency in Massachusetts to be accredited for Adult Family Care (AFC) services.

According to a press release from BCArc, the surveyors stated that they were most impressed with BCArc’s sole focus being on the individuals served and empowering individuals to own and control their days, as well as their living spaces, from picking out window treatments and paint colors to bedding and personalizing paintings and drawings on the walls in residences.  This shows that the programs and houses are laid out to put individuals first, “putting BCArc in the TOP 3 for individualized preferences in homes across the country”, according to one of the CARF surveyors.

Special attention was noted on the level of strategic planning done by the agency and the longevity of staff and high employee satisfaction rate, as well as a highly specialized administration team and advanced use of technology.

Kenneth W. Singer, President & CEO of Berkshire County Arc, said "CARF accreditation signals a service provider’s commitment to continually improving services, encouraging feedback, and serving the community."

Berkshire County Arc is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization providing a broad range of community-based services to 750 individuals with developmental disabilities, brain injuries and autism throughout Berkshire and Hampden Counties in Massachusetts.