Why does accreditation matter?
Consumers face a variety of options when deciding what services to use and who should provide them. Accreditation is a sign of quality and is an important consideration in their decision making. They look for CARF accreditation in their choice of treatment for addiction and substance abuse, rehabilitation of a disability, home and community services, retirement living, and other health and human services.
CARF International has surveyed hundreds of thousands of programs throughout North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia since it was founded as an independent, nonprofit accreditor in 1966.
The value of accreditation goes beyond a competitive distinction for service providers and a framework for continuous quality improvement. CARF offers a wide variety of value-added benefits and several unique advantages to help providers receive the greatest return for their accreditation investment.
How is accreditation achieved?
Achieving accreditation requires a service provider to commit to quality improvement, focus on the unique needs of each person the provider serves,
and monitor the results of services.
A service provider begins the accreditation process with an internal examination of its program and business practices. Then the provider requests an on-site survey that will be conducted by a team of expert practitioners selected by CARF. During the survey, the provider must demonstrate that it conforms to a series of rigorous and internationally recognized CARF standards.
Based on the results of the survey, CARF prepares a written report of the provider’s strengths and areas for improvement. If a provider has sufficiently demonstrated its conformance to the standards, it earns CARF accreditation.
After receiving the report, the provider must submit a Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) to CARF to show how it is addressing any areas for improvement. Then, each year during the term of accreditation, the provider must submit a report to CARF documenting additional improvements it has made. The QIP can be downloaded from the Customer Connect website. Read more about the accreditation process at steps to accreditation.
CARF accreditation is cost competitive. For fee information, please Contact Us to request an estimate.
What does CARF accredit?
Program areas accredited by CARF are: