By TAWNA BUSS
Quality Assurance Manager
Forte Residential, Inc.

SYRACUSE — Forte Residential, Inc. has achieved accreditation by the Council on Quality and Leadership. The award was granted Aug. 7, after a rigorous evaluation of company policies, practices and training procedures. Forte’s evaluation demonstrated a commitment to excellence in services that leads to increased quality of life for its disabled clients. The accreditation will extend for a three year term and include an ongoing process of review.

“This organization is clearly not only one we could accredit, but we could see from the first day we were here that this was going to be an easy accreditation decision,” Jeff Shoemaker, of CQL, said. “We found your staff to be very welcoming and kind; staff inside and outside the office. You are well served by your direct care staff. They are the face of the company, and they serve you well.”

Quality Assurance Manager, Tawna Buss, said, “Going through accreditation was a lot of hard work, but Forte is used to working together as a team to make things happen. It wasn’t just about our amazing staff, but about the wonderful families that we serve as well. We all came together to make it a positive review, which is really what Forte is all about.”

Forte provides in-home services to disabled individuals through family-based initiatives, allowing families to supervise the care of their loved ones, and even work as paid staff. The company was founded in 1992 by Tom Van Meter to serve his son, Naaman Van Meter. Since that time, Forte has grown to more than 350 clients in 30 northern Indiana counties, focusing on person-centered support and training.