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The Sacramento County Youth Detention Facility has once again earned national recognition for its health services, receiving full reaccreditation from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC). The accreditation highlights the outstanding work of the medical and behavioral health team operated by Sacramento County’s Department of Health Services, which provides care to youth, including young adults ages 18 and older, housed in the facility.
The reaccreditation, awarded in June, follows the team’s initial NCCHC accreditation in 2021. Since then, staff have continued to uphold and improve upon national standards, implementing 17 new policies to align with updated 2022 requirements. The latest NCCHC review found the County’s health services to be 100 percent compliant with all applicable essential and important standards for quality in juvenile correctional health care across the country. Juvenile Correctional Health services include physical health, behavioral health, dental, pharmaceutical and ancillary care.
For 45 years, NCCHC’s highly respected standards have provided guidance to help correctional health professionals and administrators improve the health of justice-involved populations and the communities to which they return. The consensus-based standards are developed in consultation with national experts in juvenile health care, mental health, law and corrections—and are designed to strengthen systems, increase efficiency and reduce legal risk.
For the staff, this achievement is more than a credential. “We’ve always exceeded the minimum Title 15 requirements,” said Health Program Manager Pamela Gandy-Rosemond, who has led the team since 2007. “But this accreditation process helps ensure we’re not just compliant—we’re continually raising the bar.”
That dedication was evident to NCCHC surveyors, who commended the team for the excellent care they observed during their on-site visit.
Medical, mental health and probation staff worked together to ensure every standard was met. Team members shared materials, aligned practices and met regularly to stay on track. The Quality Improvement team also implemented enhanced peer review processes to help staff continue practicing at the highest level of their professional licensure.
“In continuing to achieve NCCHC accreditation, our Juvenile Correctional Health team has demonstrated their commitment to providing high-quality health care services to detained youth by ensuring effective and efficient service delivery in collaboration with Sacramento County Probation Department, Division of Behavioral Health Services and community service agencies,” said Noel Vargas, Deputy Director of Primary Health Services. “Accreditation is a voluntary process, and I am so proud of our staff for successfully maintaining this distinction. Providing appropriate health care to young people can positively impact the direction of their lives.”
With reaccreditation in place through 2027, staff remain focused on training, standards review and ongoing collaboration to maintain the excellence that earned them this distinction and that the youth in their care deserve.