Blended surveys
Service providers may seek CARF accreditation for programs or services included in more than one standards manual. This is possible in what CARF calls a "blended" survey.
Blending enables an organization to seek accreditation in a single on-site survey for programs or services with applicable standards in more than one standards manual.
Blending takes standards relevant to specific programs or services from one standards manual and incorporates them into a survey being conducted using another standards manual in which the programs are not included. For example, the services found in the Employment and Community Services Standards Manual may be blended into a survey being conducted that primarily uses the Medical Rehabilitation Standards Manual.
CARF considers these factors when blending programs:
- The integrity of the programs and services.
- Whether to incorporate standards from a related program or service section, such as the rehabilitation process or quality services for the persons served.
- The primary manual that an organization uses. The primary manual (that is, the one into which other standards are blended) is determined by the predominant focus of the programs or services for which the organization is seeking accreditation.