WestCare Pacific Islands pursued accreditation this year to ensure island residents that they are continuously working to improve their services provided to the people of Guam.

The organzation received accreditation from Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities also known as CARF, for one of its newest programs, Uplift counseling services. The program is an outpatient mental health counseling and substance use treatment program for adults, which recognizes WPI as the first accredited non-profit organization to provide these services on Guam.

In 2009, WestCare was established as a non-profit organization geared towards human services.

Vice President of Operations Aja Ramos told KUAM News, "The services that we have all focus on one mission and that's uplifting the human spirit and so everything that we do whether it be our prevention programs with youth where we are teaching them how to say no to peer pressure, how to reduce the risk of drugs and alcohol by giving them skills and leadership empowerment. Or, it's with our treatment programs."

Other programs offered are substance abuse treatment, mental health counseling, and homeless prevention and rehousing programs for veterans.

Meanwhile, WestCare also received it's second accreditation from CARF for its overall organizational practices including SSVF Veterans' homeless prevention & rapid re-housing program, PREP Youth Prevention Program, STI/HIV testing and counseling program and counseling program Guahuan Project.

Despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Ramos shared that WestCare is committed to ensuring the people of Guam that their high quality services provided meet the standard not only nationally but across the globe.

"It's a great accomplishment for us not only as the first behavioral health for adults from a non-profit but also our only rapid re-housing program for homelessness that addresses homelessness here on island. I think it's an amazing process to go through as an organization to really hold yourself accountable to the community in saying that what we offer really meets the needs of our people and does it in a way that not only is efficient, and effective but is compassionate and brings dignity to the lives of everyone that we serve," she said.

WPI received its first accreditation by CARF in 2017, making it the second non-profit to be accredited on the island, alongside Sanctuary.