Linn County gets recognition for its budget and day habilitation services

Linn County received multiple recognitions last week, one for its budget and one for its day habilitation program.

Linn County received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada. This is the 27th consecutive year the county has received the award.

The award is the “highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting and reflects the commitment of the Linn County governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting,” according to a news release said.

To receive the award, the county has to meet guidelines for an effective budget presentation, including how its budget serves as its policy document, financial plan, operations guide and a communications device.

According to the association, award recipients have “pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example of other governments throughout North America.”

In addition, the county received its three-year accreditation for the Options of Linn County Day Habilitation Program from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities International.

Options of Linn County provides day habilitation services to adults with disabilities as a department of Linn County Community Services. Options serves about 160 people annually.

The three-year accreditation is the highest level of acceptance from the organization.

“This achievement is an indication of your organization’s dedication and commitment to improving the quality of the lives of the persons served,” the accreditation notice from the commission reads. “Services, personnel and documentation indicate an established pattern of conformance to standards.”

“Options of Linn County has been a long-standing staple of the community that serves individuals with disabilities. For over 30 years now, Options of Linn County has been CARF accredited, which is a testament to the commitment Linn County has to quality programming,” Linn County Community Services Director David Thielen said.

According to the commission website, the accreditation signals a service provider’s commitment to continually improving services, encouraging feedback and serving the community.

“We are honored to once again be officially recognized by this international accrediting body for meeting their high standards and best practices,” Thielen added. “We could not have done this without the hard working and caring nature of all our staff, especially through the pandemic.”

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