Following a year-long review process, Metro Inclusive Health today announced they have achieved national accreditation from the New York-based Council on Accreditation (COA).

Being so impressed with the organization’s practices, COA expedited METRO’s accreditation process. In a letter, COA president and CEO Jody Levinson-Johnson congratulated METRO’s leadership for such an “…amazing achievement.”

Founded in 1977, COA is an independent, not-for-profit accreditor of the full continuum of community-based behavioral health care and social service organizations in the United States and Canada. Presently, COA has a total of 47 service standards that are applicable to over 125 different types of programs.

The accreditation process combines both documented evidence of compliance that fit within the COA standards and extensive on-site, organization-wide peer reviews taking into consideration management effectiveness and delivery of services.

An endorsement of COA and the value of its accreditation process is reflected in it being named by the US State Department as the sole national independent accrediting body under the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption to accredit intercountry adoption service providers. The standards driving accreditation ensure that services are well-coordinated, culturally competent, evidence-based, outcomes-oriented, and provided by a skilled and supported workforce.

For METRO specifically, the Accreditation assures the organization has met the qualifying standards to maintain its substance abuse programs as required by the State of Florida.

Offering over 100 community-focused health and wellbeing services to the Tampa Bay area, METRO was recently identified as the second largest LGBT center, next to the Los Angeles LGBT Center, among dozens of similar organizations across the country. Among those services offered are LGBTQ+ focused primary care, counseling, sexual health and prevention, trans care and HRT and advanced HIV care with partners, CAN Community Health.

With an annual operating budget of $25 million, Metro Inclusive Health served over 27,000 individuals in 2018, which is on track to increase by nearly 20% in 2019. Having opened a 47,000 square foot facility in December 2018, METRO is continuing their expansion to meet regional demand with the acquisition and remodel-expansion of the historic German American club in Ybor City. Working with partners CAN Community Health and Alliant Capital, the 30,000 square foot facility is set to open mid-2020.

In addition to LGBTQ+ focused healthcare services, Metro Inclusive Health provides dozens of donor-funded programs for the LGBTQ+ community including youth, seniors and trans-specific, at no cost.