Photo By 1st Lt. Anna Doo | The New Mexico National Guard Family Programs has earned accreditation from the...... read more read more
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The New Mexico National Guard Family Programs earned accreditation from the Council on Accreditation, recognizing the program as achieving the highest standards of professional practice for the services it provides. A celebration of this accolade was held here June 29, 2016, and served as a public acknowledgement of the efforts of the individuals who contributed to this first for New Mexico National Guard.
The Council on Accreditation, who according to its website, “aims to partner with human service organizations worldwide to improve service delivery outcomes by developing, applying, and promoting accreditation standards,” meticulously reviewed all the content the NMNG Family Programs submitted. They then awarded a four-year accreditation to the program in three services: Community Capacity Building Initiatives, Emergency Family Assistance, and Military Lifestyle Support and Education. These services are available at each of the seven locations statewide.
First Sgt. Julian Chino, Family Programs Director, spoke of the team effort required to meet this accomplishment. “It’s not just one person, it’s not just me. I had help from everyone; all the family programs staff were working long hours. With the diligence the team members put into the work, I just can’t thank them enough,” he said. “When we were first notified we would be going through accreditation it was wow, what is this all about? The team already started the process and we just followed through. When we were notified of the accreditation we sent the message to Col. [Milo] Moody and said Sir, you have an accredited program. That was one of the best feelings to be able to say our state made it happen.”
Chino was awarded an Army Commendation Medal for his exceptional efforts in leading the team to earning the accreditation. Sgt. Jacklyn Sanchez-Davis was also awarded an Army Commendation Medal due to her expertise in managing the logistics of the program. She was instrumental in redefining the property books for the program and accounting for all the material elements of the joint Army and Air National Guard Family Programs team.
Air National Guardsmen Master Sgt. Jared Ortiz and retired Master Sgt. Fidel Romero were also recognized for their tireless efforts. They both earned Air Force Commendation Medals and their citations spoke to their demonstrated superior organization, research and customer service skills while preparing the Family Readiness Program’s package for the national accreditation. They awards also noted the abilities of the Airmen to continuously support the families of the forward deployed Air National Guard unit while simultaneously working to earn the accreditation.
Chaplain Quentin Collins, retired Army National Guard colonel, began the accreditation process and said he was part of the discussion at National Guard Bureau on the necessity of standardizing the individual state’s support of the families of servicemen and women.
“I’m so thankful for the team I was able to work with and for the trust that was put in all of us. In 2010, I was sitting in a meeting at National Guard Bureau when the Army said they would not be able to fund the Air Force Reserves or the Army Reserves and definitely not the National Guard because they don’t have a standard of accreditation. They don’t have any way to be measured against each other,” said Collins. “I always knew New Mexico had the potential. The standards we were able to present were beyond what anyone expected.”
The Adjutant General of New Mexico National Guard, Brig. Gen. Andrew Salas, echoed the sentiments of the team effort and the above-the-standards services provided by the hard-working Family Programs personnel. He began by saying how proud he is of the support the families of those who serve receive. Salas said those family members back home with deployed servicemembers overseas deserve the support provided as those in uniform would not be able to serve without their families behind them.
“It brings a whole lot of comfort when you’re in uniform and you’re deployed and you know that there is a team behind that is dedicated to making sure the needs and the issues our families face are being tended to. They have somebody they can go to that they can trust with their heart of hearts to find the answers and the solutions they need to overcome whatever it might be,” Salas said.
He spoke to the accreditation itself and the importance of enduring the process to earn it as well as the requirement now to maintain that level of service.
“How do we make sure that we can demonstrate to our families, and to anybody else that’s concerned, that we are doing things right, and for the right reasons, and in the right way? We do that because we have professionals doing so,” Salas said. “The accreditation brings credibility. To be accredited, you have to adhere to a set of science-based standards. You do a self-assessment, then a team comes in and you have to meet certain qualifications and criteria. It’s a way to demonstrate that we are doing the right things in the right way. It takes commitment, time and effort, which this team has managed to accomplish.”
Each of the team members were presented with a certificate of accreditation to display in their workplace and Salas was presented with the plaque from the Council on Accreditation annotating New Mexico’s status. Now that the stage is set and the initial work has been completed, the staff of Family Programs aims to continue upholding the standard they’ve created and providing superior service to the families of the New Mexico Air and Army National Guard.
| Date Taken: | 06.29.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 06.30.2016 17:10 |
| Story ID: | 202930 |
| Location: | ALBUQUERQUE, NM, US |
| Hometown: | LAS CRUCES, NM, US |
| Hometown: | LAS VEGAS, NM, US |
| Hometown: | RIO RANCHO, NM, US |
| Hometown: | SANTA FE, NM, US |
| Web Views: | 374 |
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