December 27, 2011

I want to begin by wishing you a Happy New Year. This past year at Mars Home for Youth has been both extremely challenging and very rewarding. As an organization we have much to be proud of and wish to share with you our accomplishments.

In March, 2011 we became one of less than two dozen organizations in the State of Pennsylvania to achieve Sanctuary Certification which personifies our commitment to trauma informed care. Sanctuary has changed the culture of our agency and how we interact with our Recipients of service delivery and their families and also as to how we inter relate with each other as caring professionals.

Despite this achievement as an agency after close to three years of preparation our goal also in 2011 was to pursue accreditation given our commitment to quality service delivery with positive measurable outcomes. In November, 2011 we were visited by two Surveyors from CARF International who measured us against close to 1400 standards. On December 21, 2011 in our first attempt at becoming an accredited organization we were informed by CARF that we had been accredited for a period of three years for the following programs:

1.       Crisis Stabilization: Mental Health (Children and Adolescents)

2.       Out-of-Home Treatment: Psychosocial Rehabilitation (Children and Adolescents)

3.       Residential Treatment: Psychosocial Rehabilitation (Children and Adolescents)

4.       Board Governance

One certification in any given year is a wonderful accomplishment but two in our opinion is outstanding for an organization our size. We are thrilled with these accomplishments as they reflect our commitment to openness, accountability and service excellence.

Should you wish to learn more about Mars Home for Youth and the programs we provide please do not hesitate to contact me at your convenience at 724 625 3141.

Martin Harris