In June 2012, Durham Mental Health Services completed our first accreditation survey, receiving the highest possible award from Accreditation Canada.

In the accreditation process, we compared what we do to comprehensive national standards of excellence in community mental health services. Where we met those standards, we celebrated with our clients and staff; where we saw room for improvement, we improved.

In this spirit of commitment to quality and continuous improvement, we are now preparing for our next accreditation survey, which is scheduled for June 2016. Once again, recognized experts in community mental health service delivery will review all of our processes, visit our facilities and speak with our clients, staff and community partners.

From the beginning, DMHS has developed and designed services to meet the needs of our clients and their families. In doing so, we have sought out and followed through on the advice they have given us. During this accreditation cycle, the voices of clients and their families will be heard and acted on more than ever as partners with our service providers. The Accreditation process is now recognizing the importance of what DMHS has known from the start.

We are continually seeking input from our community, and in particular from people who have used our services. If you would like to help us and to learn about some of the options for participating, please contact DMHS Quality Coordinator Doreen Hume McKenna at dhumemckenna@dmhs.ca or 905-666-0831, ext. 3245.