Accreditation benefits

CARF accreditation can help your organization meet the challenges it faces in achieving quality outcomes for the persons you serve. Specific benefits that CARF accreditation affords a provider include:

• Assurance to persons seeking services that a provider has demonstrated conformance to internationally accepted standards.
• Improved communication with persons served.
• Person-focused standards that emphasize an integrated and individualized approach to services and outcomes.
• Accountability to funding sources, referral agencies, and the community.
• Management techniques that are efficient, cost-effective, and based on outcomes and consumer satisfaction.
• Evidence to federal, state, provincial, and local governments of commitment to quality of programs and services that receive government funding.
• Guidance for responsible management and professional growth of personnel.
• A tool for marketing programs and services to consumers, referral sources, and third-party funders.
• Support from CARF through consultation, publications, conferences, training opportunities, and newsletters.

A recent study found the following average changes to CARF-accredited programs from before their first survey as compared to their latest survey:

• 26 percent increase in persons served annually.
• 37 percent increase in conformance to quality standards.
• 37 percent increase in annual budget dollars.