The first step is to contact a CARF resource specialist to chat about the process. CARF also has online classes to help you prepare. Next, you conduct a self-evaluation, paying special attention to your patient outcomes, and submit a survey application and pay your survey fee.
Full Answer
What does it mean when a rehabilitation facility is CARF accredited?
For you, this means that you are receiving quality services. Several accreditation bodies help govern rehabilitation facilities. One of the many accreditations that American Addiction Centers has is from The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).
How do I get CARF accreditation?
Steps to accreditation. 1. Consult with a designated CARF resource specialist to receive guidance and technical assistance regarding the accreditation process. 2. Conduct a self-evaluation. The service provider conducts a self-study and evaluation of its conformance to the standards.
How many substance use facilities are CARF accredited in the US?
As of 2020, 4,763 substance use facilities in the United States received CARF accreditation. 2 What is CARF Accreditation?
Who does CARF contact during the accreditation tenure?
10. CARF maintains contact with the service provider during the accreditation tenure. Providers are also encouraged to contact CARF as needed to help maintain conformance to the standards. Was this information helpful? Please contact us if you have any questions or to begin the accreditation process.
How do I prepare for CARF accreditation?
Steps to accreditationCondensed from the CARF standards manuals.Consult with a designated CARF resource specialist to receive guidance and technical assistance regarding the accreditation process.Conduct a self-evaluation. ... Submit the survey application. ... CARF invoices for the survey fee. ... CARF selects the survey team.More items...
How long does it take to get CARF certified?
CARF will determine the certification decision based on the survey and issue the decision, Plan of Action form, and certificate (if applicable) approximately six to eight weeks after the survey.
What does CARF mean in healthcare?
CARF stands for Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. It is a private, not-for-profit organization that accredits rehabilitation programs with some of the following services: Adult day services. Assisted living. Behavioral health services.
What should I expect at a CARF survey?
They will be onsite for 2-3 days reviewing files, interviewing staff and generally checking out your organization. The CARF surveyor will need a hard copy of your policies, procedures and other plan documentation to review when they arrive. A general meet-and-greet will take place with all involved parties.
How much does it cost to get CARF accreditation?
CARF fees are based on the number of surveyors and days needed to complete the survey. Application fees are currently $995, and survey fees are $1,670 per day without the additional cost of travel, lodging and etc.
Why is CARF accreditation important?
In short, CARF accreditation matters because it demonstrates that a retirement community or other health or human services provider is unquestionably committed to continuous improvement in their community services and healthcare offerings, as well as in the satisfaction of their customers, clients, or other ...
What are the CARF standards?
The CARF standard ensures that the organization displaying their seal has undergone extensive auditing and inspection in order to ensure that the services you receive are of the highest quality.
What is CARF compliance?
When a service or program is CARF accredited, it means it has undergone an in-depth review of its services and demonstrated substantial conformance to the CARF standards during the on-site survey.
What are the two main accreditors of rehabilitation facilities?
Accrediting Bodies. The two most prominent accrediting organizations for addiction rehabilitation programs are the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and the Joint Commission, previously known as JCAHO.
What is the role of a CARF surveyor?
CARF surveyors are the cornerstone of the peer-review survey process. Surveyors are professionals in their fields with primary employment at CARF-accredited organizations. Successful surveyor candidates are actively involved in the accreditation process and implementation of CARF standards at their organization.
Is CARF accreditation required?
We encourage service providers to consider obtaining accreditation for every eligible service area, but it is not required. All sites that provide the services seeking accreditation must be included in an on-site survey.
What is publicly announced when an organization achieves CARF accreditation?
Following completion of the survey, CARF renders an accreditation decision and delivers a report that identifies the service provider's strengths and areas for improvement and its level of demonstrated conformance to the standards.
How to find a rehab facility in CARF?
On the CARF international site, there is a tool to help you find a provider based on your location and program type. Looking independently on the CARF site, you can review rehab facilities’ accreditations and standards of care.
What is CARF consultation?
Consultation The provider reaches out to CARF resource specialist to receive guidance and technical assistance regarding the accreditation process. Consultation with CARF is encouraged throughout the duration of the application process to help answer questions.
Why is CARF Accreditation Important?
The weight that CARF accreditation carries is recognized internationally in health and human services fields. During the thorough review and application process , the surveyors are looking for consistency in procedures and policies. Insurance companies require CARF accreditation for rehabilitation services. 7 Even if you’re receiving free drug rehab, you may want to seek treatment in a CARF accredited facility because beyond the insurance logistics, the providers are committing to continued learning and growth within their field, which is reviewed annually.
Why is accreditation important for rehab?
Accreditation is an important quality to consider when researching a rehabilitation facility because it means there are set policies, guidelines, and standards of practice and care. For you, this means that you are receiving quality services. Several accreditation bodies help govern rehabilitation facilities. One of the many accreditations that American Addiction Centers has is from The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). CARF has been around since 1966 1 and offers guidelines for rehabilitation facilities to follow to ensure the best care. As of 2020, 4,763 substance use facilities in the United States received CARF accreditation. 2
What is the CARF mission statement?
Addressed in their mission statement, CARF aims to “promote the quality, value, and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process and continuous improvement services that center on enhancing the lives of persons served.” 8 Facilities and providers are abiding by CARF’s core values that all people deserve to be treated with respect, have access to high-quality services, and utilize informed choice. 8
How many locations does CARF have?
CARF is an international nonprofit organization accrediting more than 60,000 programs at over 28,000 locations in aging services, behavioral health, child and youth services, employment and community service, medical rehabilitation, and inpatient rehab programs. 3 Elected board members, who all have expertise and experience in related programs, oversee policies and standards as well as provide ongoing consultation to members. 3
What is ACQR in healthcare?
Annual Conformance to Quality Report (ACQR) The provider completes this form every year on the anniversary of their accreditation as well as a QIP if updates or changes have been made.
Choosing a rehabilitation facility
Rehabilitation services are provided in many different places, including the following:
What is CARF?
CARF stands for Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. It is a private, not-for-profit organization that accredits rehabilitation programs with some of the following services:
What is CARF accreditation?
CARF provides accreditation services worldwide at the request of health and human service providers. Whether you are seeking rehabilitation for a disability, treatment for addiction and substance abuse, home and community services, retirement living, or other health and human services, you can have confidence in your choice.
Who recognizes that CARF accredited providers are accountable and a better risk?
Funders, insurers, referral agencies, and government regulators recognize that CARF-accredited providers are accountable and a better risk. Learn more >
How does CARF accreditation work?
Like most accreditation organizations, CARF representatives will visit the specific facility and complete a survey of the programs and services offered. The process begins when the organization reaches out to a CARF resource specialist. A self-evaluation will be conducted against the current standards, and once the organization has complied with those standards for at least 6 months, a survey application can be submitted. After a service fee is paid, a survey team will be selected based on their expertise of relevant services and experiences for that specific accreditation request. The survey team will visit the facility and complete the actual survey. This may involve interviewing the staff and clients and observing services and programs offered. After the review process, the survey team will give accreditation of either: three years, one year, provisional accreditation, or non-accreditation.
How does CARF work?
At its core, CARF approaches each organization in a collaborative manner as they believe that the best way to provide the highest level of care is through evaluation and improvement, not solely through inspection. They are made up of eleven elected board members that are constantly approving and amending policies and standards for the accreditation process. This keeps their survey process as up-to-date as possible. These board members come from all over the country and all have varying backgrounds. They have currently provided accreditation for over 60,000 programs and services and are dedicated to continuing to improve the standards and expectations of healthcare providers.
What is CARF?
The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, or CARF, is a nonprofit organization that accredits healthcare facilities based on the following types of care:
How to choose a rehab center?
What to Consider When Choosing a Rehab Center 1 Look at the accreditations. It’s better to choose a treatment center that has either been accredited by CARF or by the Joint Commission as this offers another level of comfort knowing that internationally accepted standards are being used to evaluate the treatment center you may go to. 2 Look at the online reviews. Even if a center has been accredited, if they have 500 Google reviews rated less than two stars, it’s probably not the best place to go. 3 Check through CARF or Joint Commission that the treatment center you are looking at actually is accredited. People can do almost anything on the Internet, so it is important that you double-check that their accreditation is real. 4 Consider the location of the facility and the programs that are offered. You may want to consider traveling for inpatient rehab. 5 Do they provide on-site holistic services like yoga or equine therapy, or are they added to treatment at an additional cost? 6 Does your insurance cover the treatment program, or will you need to pay out of pocket?
How to check if a treatment center is accredited?
Check through CARF or Joint Commission that the treatment center you are looking at actually is accredited. People can do almost anything on the Internet, so it is important that you double-check that their accreditation is real.
What is CARF in the community?
CARF holds organizations accountable to funding sources, referral agencies, and the community to which those services are provided.
Why is CARF important?
By evaluating each of these programs based on their own set of individual standards, CARF is able to help these organizations improve upon the services already offered and maintain the highest quality of care for their clients. Not only is this beneficial for people coming into a CARF accredited organization for treatment, but it also helps that treatment center market for new clients, thus allowing them to help more and more people struggling with addiction and possible co-occurring mental health conditions.
Why Is CARF Accreditation Important?
CARF’s main purpose is to evaluate rehab facilities’ abilities to meet certain standards that help factor into higher success rates for the patients. If a facility has been awarded CARF accreditation, this is a high honor, as CARF is a top accreditation organization. When a rehab facility has CARF accreditation, this means they have passed very strict recovery standards. As a result, you as the patient benefit greatly.
Is CARF accredited?
While accreditation is not required, CARF accredited rehabs indicate to patients that the rehab program adheres to strict standards of care. These standards factor greatly into the individual success of the patients. Some standards that are assessed may include customer satisfaction and success rates, the complexity of the program, training, and experience of the professionals, and other criteria.
Why Choose CARF-Accredited Rehab?
CARF accreditation and backing provide a much-needed baseline of quality to give you or your loved one the peace of mind you need when entering the treatment experience. The reality is that as necessary and lifesaving as addiction treatment is, it can be scary to go to a new place where you don’t know anyone, especially when you’re in the throes of withdrawal. CARF accreditation signals to you or your loved one that you’re entering a quality facility that has been examined according to rigorous quality-assurance standards, such as cleanliness, staff quality, and patient experience. No matter what type of rehab you’re looking for, check and see if it’s accredited by CARF.
What is Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities?
Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities is a n independent non-profit accreditor of health and human services.
How to get CARF accreditation?
Brace yourself for a process that could take a year or more. The first step is to contact a CARF resource specialist to chat about the process. CARF also has online classes to help you prepare. Next, you conduct a self-evaluation, paying special attention to your patient outcomes, and submit a survey application and pay your survey fee. Finally, CARF will select a survey team and conduct a survey of your program and facility. Only after this entire process is complete will CARF render their decision about accreditation.
What is CARF and The Joint Commission?
CARF is an international nonprofit organization and the largest accrediting organization in the U.S. Established in 1966, CARF has since provided its nearly 8,000 members with 60,000 accredited programs and services across 27,000 locations worldwide. Each year, over 12 million people are served by CARF-accredited service providers, including behavioral health centers, medical rehabilitation clinics, addiction rehabilitation centers, and child and youth services.
How many addiction treatment centers are accredited?
The National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services reported that of the 13,000 addiction treatment centers surveyed, only 22% were accredited by CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) and just 19% held Joint Commission accreditation.
What does accreditation mean for addiction treatment?
As an on-going process, accreditation proves to patients that your center is dedicated to continuously improving addiction treatment services. Accredited addiction treatment centers must reach certain benchmarks around cultural competence for minority and special populations, research-based interventions, a person-centered approach to care, and compliance with policy and procedure standards.
How long does it take to get a Joint Commission certification?
Joint Commission certification also takes about a year to complete. The first step is reviewing the requirements. When you feel ready to apply, email [email protected] to begin the process.
Is a treatment center accredited?
That means that nearly 57% of the treatment centers surveyed were not accredited at all. Without accreditation, your program may struggle to prove that you use research-based techniques, have qualified staff, and provide excellent service to patients.
Is CARF accreditation expensive?
Gaining Accreditation by both CARF and the Joint Commission is a time consuming and costly process. So, why have so many health and human service organizations undergone the daunting task of becoming accredited?
