Our Newsletter
Pacific Coast Community Services Earns CARF Accreditation!
BY RUTH COWAN – Jan/Feb/Mar 2024 – Vol. 1, No. 1
Pacific Coast Community Services (PCCS) strives to provide people with disabilities and veterans with the best possible services. For more than 25 years, PCCS has shown its commitment to its clients through the programs and services it provides. In 2023, this dedication resulted in PCCS receiving the CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) three-year accreditation.
“CARF accreditation is a review to determine if programs/services meet defined international standards of quality in health and human services,” according to the CARF International website. CARF accreditation testifies to the quality of services an organization provides. The three-year accreditation is the highest accreditation an agency can receive. In August 2023, PCCS received this distinction.
PCCS President and CEO Christopher Flynn and COO Lawrence Silva stated that the CARF accreditation review not only provided insight to PCCS on how to maintain the quality of its programs and services, but also on how to improve its systems and service delivery and the experience of staff and clients.
The accreditation process is no easy feat. It is more than just filling out an application. Several steps must be taken prior to the survey accreditation team assessing an organization from top to bottom. Keeping in line with CARF’s mission, the CARF survey accreditation team is comprised of industry peers who understand program services and organizational management. The survey is conducted to determine conformance with all standards. The survey accreditation team speaks with staff, clients, employers, and the State of California Department of Rehabilitation counselors to ensure PCCS provides quality services, reports data in a timely manner, and meets clients’ needs.
The CARF accreditation is important to PCCS. It not only confirms that PCCS is meeting the needs of its clients but that it continues to do so. Each year, PCCS submits an annual conformance report to ensure they continue to meet CARF standards. This gives clients, vendors, and other organizations confidence in PCCS’s services.
PCCS is a growing organization that is expanding its services into southern California and Nevada in 2024. Both senior executives, Flynn and Silva, are excited about being able to serve clients in other geographic areas. By utilizing the recommendations from the CARF survey accreditation team, PCCS can maintain the highest standards when rolling out its new programs and services. ■
Message from the Chief Operating Officer: Lawrence Silva
Jan/Feb/Mar 2024 – Vol. 1, No. 1
As Pacific Coast Community Services (PCCS) continues to develop strong workforce programs and services that benefit its participants, I am proud to be a part of the leadership team and work closely with staff members who are invested in our mission. Over the past three years, I have witnessed participants transition from our training programs into new careers and can vouch that job seekers have gained employment with the support of our solid employment team. Our partnerships with other organizations, such as HireAble, REAP Climate Center, Elegance of Berkeley, the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), and the Native American Health Center, strengthen our workforce development services and programs while creating more opportunities for our participants.
In 2024, I am excited to expand upon these relationships with our partner organizations. This year will bring new programming and services within the nature-based systems at the REAP Climate Center. The REAP Climate Center is doing incredible work with developing nature-based solutions to climate change and food/water insecurities. PCCS has relocated our food service and inventory control/logistics training to the REAP Climate Center, creating a state-of-the-art, hands-on training center with industry-standard facilities and equipment. The curricula are being developed for additional training programs in nature-based systems. PCCS will also be the workforce partner of the Native American Health Center for internships at the REAP Climate Center and is now providing training in food service and inventory control/logistics for the San Leandro Unified School District.
PCCS continues to manage and develop work experience and internship placements in the Bay Area. We receive referrals from the California Department of Rehabilitation to link clients with art and music programs that we bring to senior living facilities, as well as our clerical support and administrative work experience. Working with Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) of Oakland, PCCS successfully placed 13 senior job seekers in paid employment last year and acts as a host agency.
The outlook for PCCS is bright. Our organization received an outstanding review from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) in October 2023. We were awarded a three-year CARF accreditation. We plan to maintain this high level of compliance as we grow and serve more participants in the future. I look forward to being a part of PCCS as we build on our success and continue to provide opportunities for our participants. ■
PCCS Client Success Story: Laurie Van Allen
BY RUTH COWAN – Jan/Feb/Mar 2024 – Vol. 1, No. 1
Today is a new day—another day of hope that my job hunt will prove fruitful. I scroll through job listings. I check my email to see if there is a response from one of the positions I have applied for, but there is nothing. The feeling of defeat begins to set in, and I begin to wonder if I will ever find employment. That is, until I am introduced to a woman who had once been in my same situation, Laurie Van Allen.
Laurie Van Allen was born with Retinitis Pigmentosa, and, like me, has been visually impaired since birth. Over the years, Van Allen’s sight has gradually gotten worse; she currently has only a small amount of vision in her right eye. She also currently works full-time with the Social Security Administration. Although it wasn’t easy for her to find this position, her determination and positive outlook led to her success.
At 16, Van Allen left her home in southern California to attend a school for the blind in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her independence was evident then when she decided not to return home after school. Instead, she chose to remain in the Bay Area.
Over the years, Van Allen has worked at many places, but her work always centered around helping others. Whether training to support those with brain injuries, or volunteering as a rape crisis counselor, Van Allen’s dedication to others was present.
In 2022, Van Allen redirected her career goals, and became a client of Pacific Coast Community Services (PCCS). As with many people searching for a job, she became frustrated with the process. That is, until PCCS Chief Operating Officer Lawrence Silva suggested she apply to the IRS and Social Security Administration for their call center opportunities.
Van Allen now works for the Social Security Administration and loves her job. She states that she works alongside great people. She also says that her coworkers understand her needs as a person with visual impairment because they are also visually impaired, and this has made her training process a pleasant experience.
I am glad I had the opportunity to speak with Laurie Van Allen. Her positivity and uplifting demeanor were inspiring to me. Her determination and ultimate success gave me the hope I need to continue with my own job search. ■
Navigating Job Search: New Year, New Strategies
BY OTTO DELEON – Jan/Feb/Mar 2024 – Vol. 1, No. 1
Additional Help
BY OTTO DELEON – Jan/Feb/Mar 2024 – Vol. 1, No. 1
Americans with Disabilities Act – Part 1: An Overview
BY RUTH COWAN – Jan/Feb/Mar 2024 – Vol. 1, No. 1
PCCS Forms New Partnership with REAP Climate Center
BY RUTH COWAN – Jan/Feb/Mar 2024 – Vol. 1, No. 1
PCCS Call Center/Telephone Services Training Certificate Program
BY RUTH COWAN – Jan/Feb/Mar 2024 – Vol. 1, No. 1