The Hamilton Area YMCA has been awarded Praesidium Accreditation by Praesidium, an organization that specializees in preventing sexual abuse in organizations that serve youth and vulnerable adults.
Praesidium Accreditation is an honor intended to publicly demonstrate the organization has worked to achieve the highest industry standards in abuse prevention.
The Hamilton Area YMCA underwent a process to implement Praesidium’s Accreditation Standards, focusing on eight primary operational areas within their business: policies, screening and selection, training, monitoring and supervision, consumer participation, internal feedback systems, responding and administrative practices.
Praesidium then worked to verify the Hamilton Area YMCA’s successful implementation of those standards. The Hamilton Area YMCA will be accredited for three years, and during that time will commit to “uphold fundamental organizational values and stringent safety practices that demonstrate their commitment to protecting those in their care from abuse.”
“We are pleased to send the message that we will not compromise the safety of those in our care—for any reason,” said Diana Zita, Hamilton Area YMCA chief executive officer “As an entire organization, we are dedicated and committed to proactively keeping those in our care safe from sexual abuse.”
Praesidium reports that over a period of more than 30 years, the company has reviewed over 4,000 cases of abuse within organizations to determine the root causes of sexual abuse within organizational settings. Praesidium employs more than 50 staff, including licensed social workers, lawyers, health care researchers, and other experts. The company has served over 5,000 clients with a broad range of products and services to aid organizations in preventing abuse, including online and instructor–led trainings, organizational risk assessments, model policies, and background checks.
Established in 1951, the Hamilton Area YMCA is a nonprofit community organization with the mission of promoting youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.
