With over 14,000 addiction treatment facilities in the United States, how can you ensure that your center stands out among the competition? 

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. 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. 

Today, let’s discover how to get your treatment center certified by two of the major accrediting bodies, CARF and The Joint Commission.

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. 

The Joint Commission is the second-largest organization for addiction rehabilitation centers and the largest for medical facilities and hospitals. Formerly known as JCAHO, the Joint Commission is responsible for accrediting over 20,000 healthcare providers and programs, including mental health treatment facilities, hospitals, nursing facilities, and physician practices. 

Is Accreditation Worth it for your Addiction Treatment Center? 

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? 

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. 

Your patients (and prospective patients) will appreciate the effort you have gone through to seek accreditation and reward you with better admissions numbers and a lower cost per admission. A recent survey found that, after becoming CARF-accredited, treatment facilities experienced a 26% increase in the number of patients served each year, a 37% increase in annual budget dollars, and a 37% increase in compliance with quality standards. 

CARF-certified facilities reported that patients were not the only population to benefit from the accreditation process, but that employees experienced positive effects as well. The accreditation process brings your staff together to work from a common sense of purpose. 

Another great perk of accreditation is that once your program is certified, you are considered “lower risk” by some insurance companies, which reduces your insurance premiums. 

If accreditation is associated with clinical excellence, community trust, busy admissions departments, robust revenue cycles, improved staff morale and lower insurance costs, why would you NOT seek accreditation?

How to Get Your Addiction Treatment Center Accredited Through CARF

Accreditation is definitely worth it, but 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. 

Once your organization is accredited, your treatment center must report any additional improvements you make to the Commission on a yearly basis. 

How to get your Addiction Treatment Center Accredited with The Joint Commission 

Like CARF, the Joint Commission certification process also takes about a year to complete.

The first step is reviewing the requirements. When you feel ready to apply, email BHC@jointcommission.org to begin the process. 

Like CARF, the Joint Commission asks that you take about eight months to evaluate your programs and brush up on any areas that don’t meet requirements. Unlike CARF, the Joint Commission places special emphasis on ensuring that its facilities integrate trauma-informed practices and services into their programs, so you’ll want to pay extra attention to highlighting those aspects of your program during the process. 

The Joint Commission application period lasts 12 months, which is ample time to prepare for the surveyor’s site visit. Next comes a survey date. This involves a physical plant inspection where the Joint Commission staff evaluate every aspect of your program, not unlike the survey you complete with CARF. Finally, you are served an accreditation decision. If you’re granted certification, it’s good for three years. 

Accreditation is a Worthwhile Investment for your Addiction Treatment Center

Getting accredited is a tough process, but it’s worth it. The increase in referrals and intakes alone usually makes the process worthwhile for most behavioral health organizations.                                                  

Need help getting organized ahead of an accreditation survey?

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Let Behave Health’s all-in-one software tame the chaos at your organization. Start your free trial today and see why so many addiction treatment centers trust Behave Health to handle admissions, electronic health records, billing, and property management concerns.