Empower, a Niagara County-based not-for-profit service provider, has been awarded the three-year quality assurances accreditation from the Council on Quality and Leadership. This award confirms Empower embraces person-centered solutions to improve the quality of life for people receiving supports and services.
Each year, Empower helps 1,000 people with and without disabilities through a variety of programs and services. With 300 employees and a $14 million budget, Empower is one of Western New York's 60 largest nonprofit organizations. The administrative offices, preschool and community clinic are located on Lockport Road in the Town of Niagara. The job training and day programs division is based in the Town of Niagara and in the Town of Wheatfield, while residential facilities are located throughout Niagara County. Licensed by the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities and the New York State Education Department, Empower is an affiliate of the Cerebral Palsy Associations of New York State.
The Council on Quality and Leadership is an international not-for-profit, virtual organization dedicated to the definition, measurement and improvement of personal quality of life. CQL's vision is a world of dignity, opportunity and community for all people. Information is available at
www.c-q-l.org.
"Over the course of a year, we went through an agencywide effort to audit our practices and policies to make sure we are truly person-centered," said Jeff Paterson, Empower CEO. "It was a momentous effort that involved Empower staff, people supported by the agency and their families, board members and other stakeholders coming together around the shared purpose of achieving excellence."
"CQL commends Empower for its success in increasing the quality of life for the people it supports," said Mary Kay Rizzolo, president and CEO of CQL. "We are pleased to partner with them on this journey of ongoing organizational transformation."
When Empower decided to pursue CQL accreditation, it undertook a rigorous process to review and improve supports and services. Throughout the process, the organization has worked to empower people who receive supports to pursue what really matters in their lives, and achieve their personally defined outcomes.
Empower has been awarded accreditation by ensuring safeguards related to health, safety and human security, supporting people to achieve their goals and dreams, and demonstrating commitment to improving its systems of care.
