Answering your questions about CARF International
Who are we?
Founded in 1966, CARF is an international, independent, nonprofit accreditor
of human service providers and networks in the areas of aging services, behavioral
health, child and youth services, employment and community services, and medical
rehabilitation. The accreditation services are provided throughout the CARF
International family of organizations, which includes CARF, CARF Canada, and
CARF-CCAC.
What is our mission?
To promote the quality, value, and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative
accreditation process that centers on enhancing the lives of persons served.
What is the role of the persons served?
Persons served are the moral owners of CARF. We affirm that all our products
and services are focused on creating a positive impact in the lives of persons
who receive services from CARF-accredited providers. Persons served are central
to CARF's mission and vision. CARF's core values further specify that:
- All people have the right to be treated with dignity and respect.
- All people should have access to needed services that achieve optimal outcomes.
- All people should be empowered to exercise informed choice.
Who are our surveyors?
Surveyors are peers in the field employed by organizations that have CARF accreditation
and who have expertise in the types of programs and services accredited by the
CARF family of organizations.
Our goal is to recruit and train the most highly qualified professionals to
conduct surveys. As a result, the surveyors who come to your organization during
an on-site survey are among the industry's most knowledgeable and respected
experts in the field of human services.
"We were very happy that the expertise of the survey team matched
our agency. This is the best thing we've ever done as an organization to improve
our system of care."
-- an accredited provider
What is a CARF survey?
As a step toward accreditation, a provider invites CARF to send a team of surveyors
to visit its site and evaluate its services for quality. The surveyors consult
with leadership and staff members, and interview people who use the provider's
services. Based on the surveyors' review, the provider may be awarded accreditation
for a term of one or three years, or for CARF-CCAC accreditation, a term of
up to five years. In some cases, the provider may need to improve its services
before it can become accredited.
What distinguishes our accreditation survey?
We believe that accreditation is a partnership with the service provider. The
survey is consultative rather than inspective. The survey team recommends improvements
to services. We allow you to seek accreditation with the program standards that
match your needs -- including the option to blend from different standards manuals
to accurately reflect your agency's multi-faceted services.
What distinguishes an accredited organization?
Organizations that have achieved accreditation demonstrate:
- A higher degree of internal quality.
- Greater involvement of persons served in their services.
- Increased cohesion among staff members at all levels within the organization.
- Enhanced status of the surveyed services within the community.
When your organization is accredited, the public is assured that you are committed
to continually improving the quality of your services and your organization's
focus is on service outcomes and customer feedback and satisfaction.
"Insurance companies that are most aggressive in their pricing (and
have the most knowledge of the human service field) take CARF accreditation
very seriously in their pricing judgments. Your accreditation programs ensure
that organizations have addressed such things as documentation of procedures
and dignified treatment of staff and clients."
-- an insurer
"Is it worthwhile? From a rating standpoint, a marketing standpoint,
a client satisfaction standpoint ... all of those things, undeniably, make
accreditation worthwhile."
-- an accredited provider
Ninety percent of CARF's customers report accreditation helps improve their
business.
What do persons served and their families say?
"A consumer needs understanding in the form of dependable guidance,
which includes full disclosure about outcomes, CARF survey results, program
elements, a list of past patients who have agreed to be contacted, an on-site
acute care evaluation, and an invitation to tour the organization. …I
urge providers to place information in as many hands as possible."
-- spouse of a stroke patient
What do payers, insurers, and funders say?
"Providers with CARF-accredited services are considered lower risks,
in part because they conform to CARF standards relating to risk management,
health and safety, corporate compliance, and business practices."
-- senior vice president of a national insurance company
What do providers say?
Here is a sampling of the feedback we have received from different organizations
soon after a survey.
"Our involvement with CARF has benefited the people we serve beyond
belief. We have become even more customer driven and outcomes based. CARF
has demonstrated that you can be rural and deliver quality care."
"Initially, we began solely for future contract requirements. However,
as we became more familiar with the standards and what accreditation stands
for, we became excited about the fact that CARF accreditation represents a
continuous push for excellence."
"The standards were very supportive of the services, philosophy,
and mission of our organizations. The standards assisted us in fine-tuning
our client-oriented program and in establishing systems for accountability."
What are the accreditation areas?
We accredit providers for many specific programs and services, and many providers
seek CARF accreditation in more than one area. The CARF standards manuals used
to accredit programs and services are:
- Aging Services
- CARF-CCAC ASPIRE to Excellence® (for Continuing Care Retirement Communities
and Aging Services Networks)
- Behavioral Health
- Business and Services Management Network
- Child and Youth Services
- Employment and Community Services
- Medical Rehabilitation
- One-Stop Career Center
- Opioid Treatment Program
- Vision Rehabilitation Services
How are the standards developed?
We convene our International Advisory Council; advisory committees; and regional,
national, and international focus groups each year to review and revise standards
and develop standards for new accreditation opportunities. The standards development
process provides opportunities for persons served, organizations, surveyors,
national professional groups, advocacy groups, third-party purchasers, and other
stakeholders to be actively involved in developing standards.
What are the elements of accreditation?
On-Site Survey
The survey process is rooted in peer review, networking, and improvement of
business practices and organizational quality. The on-site survey team of professional
peers provides an impartial, external review of your organization's conformance
to the accreditation standards and can provide confirmation of what you are
doing well. The survey team members also offer consultation for ongoing quality
improvement.
Survey Report
After the survey, CARF prepares a report highlighting your organization's strengths
and areas for improvement, based on your organization's level of conformance
to the standards.
Term of accreditation
The accreditation award is based on your organization's demonstration of its
conformance to the standards. The CARF accreditation term may be for one or
three years. The CARF-CCAC accreditation term may be for up to five years.
Quality Improvement Plan
The quality improvement plan is a key part of the accreditation process. Equipped
with the survey report information, your organization prepares a quality improvement
plan to address the areas for improvement during the term of the accreditation.
CARF reviews the plan for completeness, and is also available to assist you
to develop the plan.
Annual Reporting
An accredited provider participates in an annual review of its practices. The
leadership of your organization sends a signed commitment to us stating that
it is using our standards to guide the organization. Accreditation is a commitment
to continuous quality improvement.
"The opportunity for an objective and standardized review of our
programs validated our focus for service delivery. The opportunity for feedback,
dialogue, and exchange of ideas provided the impetus for further creativity
and identified areas for improvement."
-- an accredited provider
Does CARF International offer more than just accreditation?
Publications
The CARF family of organizations publishes standards manuals that correspond
to the fields served by the areas eligible for accreditation. Individuals in
those fields develop the standards with the input of persons served, professionals,
purchasers, providers of services, and other interested parties. The standards
manuals are updated annually or as necessary to ensure that they reflect current,
practical, and relevant standards for quality. CARF also offers many other publications
to help your organization's efforts in providing programs and services focused
on quality.
Education
Seminars and conferences are an excellent way for your organization to receive
information about the application of the accreditation standards, the survey
process, and our policies and procedures. If your organization is preparing
for a survey for the first time, it is helpful to send key staff members to
an educational event offered in cities throughout the United States, Canada,
and Europe.
Information
uSPEQ® data and information services was developed by CARF to gather opinions
on participants' experiences with a program, service, or provider. In turn,
the provider uses the reported information to improve the quality of its programs
and services.
Consultation
The CARF family of organizations assists your organization in improving the
quality of its services, demonstrating value, and meeting internationally recognized
organization and program standards. Surveyors are peers in the field who have
experience in the programs and services that CARF accredits, and who typically
have a direct link to organizations that have achieved accreditation. Surveyors
receive extensive training and are matched to organizations they survey based
on the organization's characteristics and program types. In addition, consultation
with staff members is personalized and prompt. They will be glad to answer your
questions about interpreting and implementing standards.
How do I become an accredited provider?
Join more than 4,900 accredited service providers who serve more than 6.3 million
persons annually. Contact CARF to find out how to start the accreditation process.
CARF-accreditation opportunities are in the United States, Canada, Western Europe,
and South America. Call CARF to find out how you can become accredited.
CARF International
Voice/TTY 520.325.1044
Toll free 888.281.6531
4891 East Grant Road
Tucson, AZ 85712 USA
www.carf.org
CARF-CCAC
Voice 202.587.5001
Toll free 866.888.1122
1730 Rhode Island Avenue NW, Suite 209
Washington, DC 20036 USA
www.carf.org/aging
CARF Canada
Voice 780.429.2538
Toll free 877.434.5444
10665 Jasper Avenue, Suite 1400A
Edmonton, AB T5J 3S9 Canada
www.carfcanada.ca
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