Clinically Reviewed by Krista Boe, MA, BCBA, LBA, Chief Clinical Officer
In early July, Acorn Health earned full accreditation for all of its 71 centers from the Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (BHCOE), extending its current accreditation for two more years. This marks Acorn Health’s third continuous accreditation since it was founded in 2018.
This independent third-party accreditation serves as an objective measure of our expertise and proficiency, confirming we follow industry-leading practices and aim for delivering best-in-class care. I’m incredibly proud of our team and the clinical care Acorn Health provides to our clients and their families.
From an outside perspective, this may seem like any other accrediting body’s stamp of approval. But ABA therapy isn’t quite like any other health care service.
As a whole, ABA therapy is still a relatively new service for children with autism spectrum disorder. Since we as an industry are in our infancy, there aren’t many agreed upon standards that indicate an organization provides good services to its clients, making differentiation difficult. In fact, there are a lot of different thoughts and approaches out there for ABA therapy, and they vary widely.
I became a board-certified behavior analyst 15 years ago and have been working with children, adolescents, and adults with ASD and their families ever since. I’m proud to have been part of Acorn Health’s leadership from the very beginning. When we were building Acorn Health’s foundation, it was important to me and the rest of the leadership team that we centered ourselves on delivering high-quality ABA therapy – this called for the development of agreed upon clinical standards, which is exactly where we started. At Acorn Health, with the help of our Clinical Advisory Board led by Dr. Greg Hanley, we evolve those standards to meet the changing needs of our families in alignment with current best practices.
Reaccreditation helps to validate that we truly are providing high-quality ABA services, which is of utmost importance to us. It validates all the work we’ve put into establishing our clinical standards, measuring client progress relative to treatment over time, and evolving based on what we learn.
Our organization scales with integrity and achieves high client satisfaction. That’s what it’s all about.
I’d like to specifically thank Jessica Dow, our VP of Clinical Standards and Outcomes, and the rest of our clinical team for leading this effort. Their commitment to best-in-class care will continue to be invaluable in the ongoing continuous improvement to which Acorn Health is dedicated.
We’re committed to tirelessly working to move our clients from the left to the right on the Behavioral Health Index, toward more meaningful and independent lives. So, what does our continued BHCOE accreditation mean for your child?
- Your child is receiving therapy that follows evidence-based methods to achieve the best possible results for your child. The science behind ABA therapy, like health care, changes as new data and information becomes available. We are committed to following the science for the benefit of your child and all of our clients.
- Our staff works ethically and professionally and maintains the highest level of integrity. Your child will always be treated with compassion.
- Your child’s RBT and BCBA are committed partners in your child’s success. We want to see our clients achieve their goals and reach new abilities so they can grow into more independent adults. Your goals for your child are our goals, and we will be your partner every step along the way.
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If you are interested in learning if Acorn Health is the right place for your child to begin their ABA therapy journey, call us to schedule a free consultation at 844-244-1818 or contact us at acornhealth.com/admissions.