June 07, 2017

Rehabilitation service program earns accreditation

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The Evaluation and Developmental Center (EDC), a comprehensive rehabilitation service program at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, has earned three-year accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).

The EDC, part of the College of Education and Human Services’ Rehabilitation Institute, provides a wide variety of services to more than 200 people from across the state each year, according to LaDonna Henson, center director. These services include community employment services, vocational and psychological evaluation services, work skills development, driver’s rehabilitation, behavioral consultation and a living center program

The accreditation recognizes the quality and scope of the center’s programs. Funded by the university and the Illinois Department of Human Services’ Division of Rehabilitation Services, the EDC assists people with disabilities in order that they may live and work independently. It also serves as a professional training facility for SIU’s graduate students, helping them prepare for careers in the field and participate with faculty in research regarding the development of innovative rehabilitation practices.

Clients are referred to the EDC through the Division of Rehabilitation Services. The facility also receives referrals from public high schools, community colleges, universities, hospitals, the Veteran’s Administration and attorneys. 

The three-year accreditation for the Evaluation and Development Center is the longest accreditation possible, and obtaining it is “a big deal,” Carl Flowers, director of the Rehabilitation Institute, said. He praised Henson and the center’s staff for their hard work and sound documentation practices, which illustrate the center conforms to the highest standards.