Winchester, VA – February 14, 2008 – The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) has granted Grafton’s Berryville, Virginia facility and Corporate Services division a three-year accreditation, CARF’s highest level. Grafton earned the rating following an on-site review.

In early January, CARF surveyors visited Grafton’s Berryville site to conduct a re-accreditation review of services provided at Grafton’s Berryville Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF). During a review, surveyors look for evidence of conformance to 1,062 CARF standards. Berryville’s PRTF and supporting corporate departments meet all applicable criteria, scoring a perfect 1,062. The official CARF survey report states, “This is an extraordinary accomplishment, as only 3 percent of CARF surveys result in no recommendations.” The “no recommendation” classification means that Grafton already meets CARF’s 1,062 required standards and no corrective steps are necessary.

“We are, of course, pleased that we have been given a perfect score by CARF,” said James Gaynor, Grafton’s CEO. “The dedication of our Berryville and corporate staffs to the care of our clients is the reason for this outstanding accomplishment which we consider to be the ‘Grafton standard.’”

In its report, CARF commends Grafton for three areas of “exemplary conformance” to standards:

• 1. A revolutionary results-oriented job description that clearly breaks down job functions, proficiencies and competencies by employees. These proficiencies are used as measurements of achievement towards the three levels of promotion. This on-the-job training tool exemplifies best practice in supporting employees’development and performance.
  
• 2. An extensive training program that provides initial and ongoing training that is competency-based with pre and posttests and Grafton’s learning management system, an on-line training tool were also commended for providing employees with the necessary skills and knowledge to meet the needs of the population served.
  
• 3. The campus-wide incentive program, also known as Step It Up is cited as a best practice behavior management tool that surveyors recommend for replication and sharing with other behavioral healthcare organizations.
   

CARF has been a leading, independent, nonprofit accrediting body of human services since 1966, and conducts 1,600 on-site reviews each year. Its focus is ensuring that services provided by an organization meet the highest industry standards of quality and outcomes.

“In today’s marketplace, it is more and more important to look for accredited organizations as a sign of exceptional quality before choosing a provider,” according to Gaynor. “Accreditation is evidence to consumers that an organization is committed to encouraging and utilizing feedback, continuously improving services, and serving the community. For a provider, accreditation is evidence that an organization strives to improve efficiency, fiscal health and service delivery—creating a foundation for continuous quality improvement and consumer satisfaction,” he said.

  For fifty years, Grafton has been providing 24 hour support to individuals with co-occurring intellectual, developmental and psychiatric disabilities. As a nationally recognized leader in behavioral healthcare, Grafton employs more than 700 employees and supports more than 400 clients per year. Its psychiatric residential treatment center in Berryville supports children and adolescents with mild to moderate developmental and psychiatric disabilities. Operations are also located in Winchester and Richmond where community-based group homes support children and adults with Autism or other pervasive intellectual disabilities and may also have a concurrent psychiatric condition.

For more information about Grafton, please go to http://www.grafton.org/.

The entire CARF report is available upon request.