Village Northwest Unlimited of Sheldon, Iowa has received the highest accreditation from CARF International. CARF International is the Commission for the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities and is an independent, nonprofit accreditor of health and human services.
The Village’s receipt of a three-year accreditation decision represents the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an organization and shows the organization’s substantial conformance to the CARF standards. Village Northwest Unlimited must meet or exceed over 1,200 standards to maintain CARF accreditation. To receive a three-year accreditation, an organization must complete a rigorous peer review process. In the peer-review process, VNU demonstrated to a team of surveyors its commitment to offering programs and services that are measurable, accountable and of the highest quality.
VNU received accreditation for seven programs including: Community Employment Services - Employment Supports, Community Employment Services - Job Development, Community Housing, Community Integration, Employee Development Services, Supported Living programs and Governance Standards.
The CARF Survey Report included a list of 25 strengths, which the CARF survey team identified. The report stated, “Village Northwest Unlimited demonstrated substantial conformance to the standards. VNU has been prominently recognized on many occasions as a leading organization in the community and the state of Iowa. It benefits from an actively engaged and knowledgeable board, enthusiastic, dedicated and visionary leadership and a team of dedicated professional care givers whose passion for their residents brings the Village mission of Purpose, Privacy and Dignity to life for the people they serve”.
Barry Whitsell, president and CEO of Village Northwest Unlimited, commented: “Accreditation for VNU is an ongoing process that our team of dedicated staff perform on a daily basis and this accreditation is a testament to the quality of our service delivery. This signals to our residents, families, guardians and the public that VNU is committed to continuous performance improvement, responsiveness to feedback and accountability to deliver quality and comprehensive care and services to our residents”.
Village Northwest Unlimited is a nonprofit organization that has been providing services to 180 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injury, and autism spectrum disorder since 1975.
