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NEW COCA GR Accredited Logo

Welcome to the Gold Ribbon Accreditation Program

  

  • What Is the COCAI Gold Ribbon Accreditation Program?

    •  An education program intended to help COCA-I member camp organizations identify policies and practices, specific to their setting and population, that are documented and delivered in the course of providing a medically and emotionally safe pediatric oncology camp experience. 

    •  COCA-I recommends the camps to use the Suggested COCA Guidelines/Standards to achieve Gold Ribbon Accreditation. 

  • For a Camp to be eligible for Accreditation, they:

    • Complete an Application in the Fall for an Accreditation visit the following summer.

    • To ensure Camps are following the suggested guidelines and standards, they are given access to an online portal to upload their corresponding documents. This process is typically October-March.

    • In October, January and February, the Camp participates in mandatory webinars to help educate and prepare them for the visit and assist with documentation and use of the portal.

    • Camps are required to submit all documents by the end of March so the coordination of two visitors (peer and medical) can be assigned to review their documentation on the portal then visit the Camp in the summer.

    • All documentation by the Camp MUST be submitted and reviewed prior to any visit taking place.

    • The visitors do not decide whether a Camp is to become Accredited or not. The visitors submit a worksheet designating which policies and procedures were either 'seen' and/or 'not seen' during their visit. The worksheet is used in collaboration with the requirements of each standard.

    • The visitors turn in their worksheet to the Gold Ribbon Committee who meets in September to discuss each of the Camps visited and determines their recommendations to the Board for those Camps to be Accredited.

    • The Board of Directors votes in September on the Camps to become Gold Ribbon Accredited.

    • Camps are notified of their Gold Ribbon Status in the Fall prior to the Annual Conference.

  • As a COCA-I Gold Ribbon Accredited Camp...

    • You will be recognized at the Annual Conference as a Gold Ribbon Accredited Camp.

    • You will be included on the COCA-I Gold Ribbon map and your camp profile will state you are a Gold Ribbon recipient.

    • You will be presented with an official COCA-I Gold Ribbon Accredited Camp Certificate suitable for framing and display in your camp office.

  • Digitize Your Documents

    NEW COCA GR Accredited Logo

     

    DIGITIZE ALL WRITTEN CAMP DOCUMENTS TO STAY ORGANIZED

     

    All COCA-I Camps being visited in 2022, are required to prepare ALL written documentation in a digital format so they can be uploaded to the Gold Ribbon Portal and reviewed in advance of your onsite visit next summer. 

     

    CLOUD STORAGE

     

    All camps should create and use cloud file storage (dropbox, google drive, box, etc.) to organize ALL written documentation related to accreditation standards. 

     

    The other key to great organization is highlighting, tagging, or marking specific elements of your written documentation to make it easy for the visitor team to find your compliance demonstration.

     

    BENEFITS OF DIGITAL DOCUMENT ORGANIZATION

     

    One of the objectives of having written documentation is that it provides consistency and makes your policies, procedures, and practices easier to disseminate. If only the director or coordinator of your written documentation has access to it, how can you ensure that your entire camp community embraces and implements the standards? Having documents that you can share quickly and easily in a digital format allows greater exposure and access to all the work you put into aligning with the Gold Ribbon Accreditation Standards.

    Paper copies are more likely to be accidentally thrown away, are harder to recreate if it is the only version that exists, can be damaged or destroyed between uses, or disappear in leadership transitions. Having your documents in cloud file storage allows you to share the folder with other key staff/team members, so they are less likely to be lost or destroyed year to year.

    Gaining feedback from visitors on your written documentation is one of the fundamental learning opportunities in the accreditation process. When documents are in cloud file storage space, they can be easily shared directly with visitors and/or in the online Gold Ribbon Portal.

     

    NEED A WRITTEN POLICY/PROCEDURE? 

     

    If you realize during this process you need to create a written policy or written procedure for a practice that is for a specific Standard, but you are not sure where or how to start, COCA-I has a Standards Resource Library. This Library contains sample policies from COCA-I Camps who are Gold Ribbon Accredited. Once you log into the Gold Ribbon Online Portal, these resources can be found on the bottom left of each Standards page. Again, make sure your created policies or procedures are realistic and have been practiced in the field. 

  

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