Harbor Care's Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Receives CARF Accreditation
Erin Segaloff, SSVF Program Manager, is proud of this 3-year certificate.
Harbor Care’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families program (SSVF) received a three-year accreditation from the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, commonly known as CARF. This is the third 3-year award Harbor Care’s SSVF has received.
CARF is important for New Hampshire’s veterans and their families because it provides a framework for structuring services around current best-practices, as well as a standard by which staff and management can measure their effectiveness. Accreditation helps Harbor Care demonstrate its high industry standards. Veterans and their families seeking help use CARF accreditation as a sign of quality. This award assures veterans that they and their loved ones will receive the best services available.
Accreditation demonstrates that our SSVF program has provided uninterrupted high-quality services for our clients.
With funding from the US Department of Veteran Affairs, Harbor Care’s SSVF serves hundreds of households throughout New Hampshire each year. Our case managers and outreach staff work with veterans and their families to make sure they have secure housing and the supports necessary to maintain housing. We help with housing counseling, assistance with benefits (such as through the VA), referrals for health care, referrals to legal services, and financial planning. Because of our connection to other Veterans FIRST and other Harbor Care services, our SSVF clients are immediately eligible for veteran transitional and supportive housing, if appropriate.
The road to CARF accreditation took nine months of preparation. The first step was for us to obtain a copy of CARF’s standards manual for this year and review it carefully. After studying the manual, our SSVF staff conducted a self-evaluation of how well they were meeting CARF’s current standards. They then submitted a survey application to CARF with details about our services and facilities.
Having received our survey application, CARF put together a team to run our assessment. Because of Harbor Care’s SSVF specialized demographic, CARF selected a survey team whose members had extensive experience with both veterans and family programs.
The survey team monitored how our SSVF staff deliver services, interview patients, and review documentation. In addition, the survey team offered consultation to SSVF staff.
Based on the survey team’s findings, CARF issued 3-year accreditation -- which is its highest award -- to Harbor Care’s SSVF.
The CARF survey team’s report specifically says that:
Harbor Homes is recognized for its diverse staff members in its rapid rehousing and homelessness prevention program.
Staff members demonstrate dedication, respect, teamwork, flexibility, and professionalism in their interactions with each other and the veterans served. They meet the veterans where they are and live in the communities in which they work.
The quality of the relationships developed by staff members with the veterans forms a foundation for the service delivery approach that clearly reflects the mission and values of Harbor Homes.
The community recognizes Harbor Homes as the driving force in cross-collaboration with other organizations providing services and supports to veterans who are homeless.
Feedback from veterans served by Harbor Homes is very positive, and they remarked that Harbor Homes is the “gold standard” in veteran services. They also stated that, “They raise you up and don’t let you down” and “They have been a tremendous help.” Each veteran made a point of saying they would recommend Harbor Homes to other veterans.
The board of directors is actively involved in all aspects of the organization. The board is an effective and active body that supports the mission and direction of Harbor Homes.
The strategic plan is integrated and utilized throughout the organization. The board is an effective and active body that supports the mission and direction of Harbor Homes.
The strategic plan is integrated and utilized throughout the organization. Input is gathered from stakeholders and used to develop the plan. The success of the plan is indicated in the substantial growth that the organization has achieved in recent years.
Harbor Homes is fortunate to have longevity in service of key leadership positions. The leadership has provided continuity and knowledge of the organization’s operations.
Funders and other stakeholders expressed a high degree of satisfaction with the services provided by Harbor Homes. Stakeholders reported that Harbor Homes was a valuable partner and an asset to the veterans. The organization is described as being a vital service in the continuum of supports provided to veterans in NH.
Harbor Homes is recognized for providing evidence-based practices in its Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program. Representatives from Harbor Homes have presented the success of their programs to statewide audiences.
The organization conducts a comprehensive community needs assessment to assist with identifying unmet needs in the community and to assist with future program development.
The CARF survey team was also impressed by the integrated services available to SSVF clients through Harbor Care. Because Harbor Care provides services in a broad range of areas, our SSVF clients can receive housing services, behavioral healthcare, dental services, primary healthcare, substance use recovery treatment, and a host of other services – all with one intake. Regardless of the complexity of the issues our veterans and their families may present, a service or treatment is available to them through Harbor Care.
For more information on Harbor Care’s SSVF program please visit: https://www.harborcarenh.org/veterans-first-supportive-services-for-veteran-families
For information on Harbor Care’s other services for veterans, please visit: https://www.harborcarenh.org/get-help-index#veterans-services-overview