By RICHARD DUKE
LOG CABIN STAFF WRITER
During Sarah Murphy’s entire time at the Conway Human Development Center, she has known nothing about the facility but success. The center has just received its fifth 3-year accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, a distinction that places not only a gold star on the entire campus, located on Siebenmorgan Road, but also gives it a reputation as one of the top centers for programs and housing for those adults who need supervised care.
Murphy, the assistant superintendant of CHDC, said the accreditation is not only important for the facility but for the families of those who reside there.
Murphy and Jan Fortney, a parent and guardian of a CHDC resident, spoke about the facility and its connection to Conway.
Log Cabin Democrat: What does this accreditation mean for CHDC?
Sarah Murphy: CARF is an international body that gives accreditation to these types of facilities all over the world. This is a statement about everything we’ve been through in the past and what we’ve done to get to where we are now.
LCD: Is there anything special that you are proud of?
SM: CARF looked over 1,000 different standards over a wide range of things. This report they made breaks down everything we do here and also looks at the big picture. What we are really proud of is that out of 1,000 standards, we received only four recommendations on where to improve. That places us in the top five percent of these types of centers in the country.
Jan Fortney: I bet you wanted to have a party.
SM: We were very happy. But it just reflects what the staff does.
JF: I can’t begin to say all the wonderful things they do here. My daughter has such a well-rounded life, and I know this is exactly where she wants to be.
LCD: How long has your daughter been at CHDC?
JF: She is 37-years old, and she has been here for 18 years. You could tell just before she came here that she wanted something different. My husband pointed out that it would have been the time that she normally would be going to college. She has just done so well here.
LCD: With this accreditation, what does this mean for the future?
SM: We have our own goals, and we continue to work on quality improvement on our own standards. We also know that when CARF comes back in three years, they will have different standards. I guess the best thing to do is to strive for zero recommendations. It may not be possible, but it’s something to strive for.
JF: You could. The place is so well-rounded, and there are some states that are moving away from having these types of places.
SM: What we do now for the next three years is to be proactive. Always strive to be better.