New CARF accreditation standards address shelter programs

CARF International has developed interdisciplinary, field-driven accreditation standards for Shelters, which will be released in January 2025. As more people across the lifespan are experiencing homelessness or other housing insecurity, the need for temporary shelter and related resources has increased. Just as each person who is unhoused, or at risk of becoming so, is unique in terms of individual circumstances, needs, and desires, so are the programs that support them.

To address the need for quality, coordinated, and safe service delivery, CARF convened an International Standards Advisory Committee (ISAC) to develop new standards for Shelter Programs. The final standards will be published in the 2025 standards manuals for Employment and Community Services and Child and Youth Services and accreditation surveys using the standards begin July 1, 2025.

“The scope and structure of Shelter Programs may vary from drop-in to overnight to longer lengths of stay. CARF accreditation, led by peer surveyors, will assure the public that these accredited programs are held to the highest standards of quality and performance improvement,” said, Chasity Chamberlin, CARF managing director of Employment and Community Services.

Shelter Programs provide or connect to services, supports, and resources to address the needs and desired outcomes of persons who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of becoming unhoused due to a multitude of circumstances. Using a trauma-informed approach, services are solution focused, inclusive, and uphold the dignity of persons served. The environment of the program is welcoming and promotes security and personal safety for persons served and personnel.

Key areas of the Shelter Program standards include:

• Services, supports, and resources to address the needs of each person served
• Engagement with community stakeholders to optimize resources/opportunities for persons served and reduce stigma
• Creating a welcoming environment
• Personnel are trained in trauma-informed approaches and in recognizing human trafficking, abuse, and exploitation
• Space that promotes security, personal safety, and privacy
• Policies and procedures for food safety

“Shelter programs strive to provide persons served with a path to sustainable housing so that they are empowered to lead safer, happier, and healthier lives,” says Theresa Lindberg, CARF managing director of Child and Youth Services. “Programs employ strategies to promote equitable access to services, and they engage with stakeholders to reduce stigma and optimize resources and opportunities for the persons served through community connections.”

CARF’s Shelter Program standards introduce an established, international mechanism to share and adopt best practices to improve outcomes. Organizations that achieve Shelter Program accreditation will be able to demonstrate to persons served, regulators, and payers that they offer a comprehensive array of services and supports.

CARF’s process for creating new standards includes convening an ISAC to develop the standards and then a review of the proposed standards by experts from the International Advisory Council before conducting a public field review. The Shelter Program ISAC and public field review involved 179 stakeholders, including individuals with lived experience of homelessness and their family members.