From Left to right: Robert Kelly (Board Chair), Laurie Anne Spagnola (President & CEO), Nicole Smith (Executive Director of MD & DC Programs), Bob Kimmons (Board Member), Kevin Gralley (Vice Chair)BCC Wins Best Practice Award from EAGLE Commission
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Kristian Sekse
Chief Operating Officer
(443) 845-4395 (cell)
ksekse@everstand.org
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – February 19, 2019. Board of Child Care announced today it had received a best practice award from the EAGLE Accreditation Commission. The best practice award is given to organizations doing standard practices in an outstanding way.
Summary of the Nomination
In 2016 a tragedy occurred at a Delaware residential program that took the life of a young lady from Maryland. This prompted the expedited, targeted removal of all MD youth from that facility. The programming needs of these youth were considerably outside the traditional profile served by BCC at the time. Eleven youth ultimately transferred to BCC because of the tragedy, and with the knowledge that significant challenges were expected to serve these young people and their families, BCC sprang into action.
Staff learned skills such as Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for the Developmentally Delayed individuals (TCI – DD), and were retrained to collect new types of behavioral and environmental data. Major investments in the facilities such as safe, non-breakable windows and calming rooms were made. As the new program progressed its data was tracked and, ultimately, showed very positive outcomes for some of the youth who were previously not considered to be able to be served by any Maryland provider.
In the end being closer to family, combined with a deep focus on prescribed medications and behavior management drove better treatment outcomes. Big picture, the event in Delaware and BCC’s adaptations to its high intensity residential program made an impact at the state level. The State of Maryland released a Request for Proposal that utilized the hard work of BCC as the framework for new programming offered in state. BCC responded to the opportunity in 2018 and is still anxiously waiting the awarding of the contract to serve Emotional, Cognitive and Developmentally Delayed youth and their families.
What outcomes or benefits came from this practice or program?
Kids with complex problems and treatment needs were able to be served in the state in which they live. Being closer to family drove better treatment outcomes. BCC was able to respond to the State of Maryland in their time of need. BCC shared this practice, and our learning with some of our United Methodist partners from different states like WV and GA. BCC developed more capacity to serve some of the state’s most vulnerable youth.
Why is this considered a best practice?
Working with complex trauma is something very few organizations do or do well. During the research phase BCC traveled to providers in California and Oregon widely considered the best in this space. The way BCC prepared to serve this newer, more acute population is a best practice because what was learned from the leading agencies in this space was applied to the new program structure. The results of our data collection drove a new program offering by the state of Maryland.
Disclosure:
BCC’s President & CEO, Laurie Anne Spagnola, was at the time of this award a board member of the United Methodist Association (UMA), the not-for-profit that oversees EAGLE accreditation. However, Ms. Spagnola was not a member of the selection committee nor was she privy to conversations during deliberations for the award.