BRADENTON, FL – The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) International announced Goodwill Manasota has been accredited for an additional period of three years for its Job Connection Program. Goodwill’s Job Connection – a free service – is designed to help individuals obtain long-term employment or transition to better-paying jobs. Through community partnerships, Goodwill matches jobless and underemployed workers with companies seeking well-trained, dependable employees.
Goodwill has one Veterans Services Program office in Sarasota and five Job Connection sites throughout its service area of Sarasota, Manatee, Hardee and DeSoto counties; these six sites were all part of the survey. Job Connection specialists help participants assess their career goals, prepare strong resumes and cover letters, identify prospective employers, and conduct successful job interviews. In 2017, Goodwill placed 555 people in jobs through its Job Connection service.
This accreditation decision represents the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an organization and shows Goodwill’s substantial conformance to the CARF standards. An organization receiving a Three-Year Accreditation has put itself through a rigorous peer review process and has demonstrated its commitment to offering programs and services that are measurable, accountable, and of the highest quality.
Goodwill’s CARF “report card” included the following observations:
• The organization’s diverse array of programs underpins its reputation as a vital asset in the community’s safety net for people with support needs.
• The organization, which essentially has freed itself from the uncertainties of public funding, prides itself on the ability to self-fund its mission services.
• The organization’s administrative, program, and retail areas provide accessible, attractive, clean, and pleasant environments in which to work, learn, and share.
• The members of the leadership team are dedicated to the mission, providing strong supports to the organization, and their shared enthusiasm and dedication permeate the organization.
• Goodwill recognizes that partnering and leveraging are essential to maximizing its ability to meet community needs, and it has embarked on several innovative relationships in this regard.
• The organization has established itself as a trusted community partner that serves as an anchor in the provision of services that are essential to the health and well-being of the persons served in its service area.
“We are honored to have, once again, earned our CARF accreditation for the Job Connection program,” said Margie Genter, vice president of mission services for Goodwill Manasota. “While we are pleased to be recognized for our commitment to improving the quality of the lives of the people we serve, we are not going to rest on our laurels – this accreditation is just another step on our path to continued self-improvement.”
CARF is an independent, nonprofit accrediting body whose mission is to promote the quality, value, and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process that centers on enhancing the lives of the persons served. Founded in 1966 as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and now known as CARF International, the accrediting body establishes consumer-focused standards to help organizations measure and improve the quality of their programs and services.
For more about Goodwill Manasota’s Job Connection program, go to experiencegoodwill.org.
About Goodwill Manasota
Goodwill Manasota is an industry-leading, 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization that changes lives through the power of work. With the sales of donated goods and philanthropic donations, Goodwill is able to assist people with disabilities and other barriers to employment by providing job skills training and employment opportunities. In 2017, Goodwill Manasota served 11,672 people, placed 555 people in jobs, assisted 360 veterans as they reintegrated back into the civilian workforce, and provided 19,540 hours of on-the-clock training for its employees. Goodwill Manasota’s economic impact back to the community is worth $92.1 million. Goodwill is one of the pioneers of the reduce-reuse-recycle movement and this past year diverted more than 41 million pounds out of the landfill. Goodwill Manasota is accountable to a local Board of Directors. Goodwill Manasota, in essence, belongs to this community and is not owned by any individual or company. For more information, visit www.experiencegoodwill.org.