We are beginning our one year “countdown” to our CARF accreditation visit. Our visit will occur sometime in the spring of 2012. Today Tracey Hauser shares her thoughts about accreditation and what accreditation brings to SCSI.Be Well!
Gail
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) states that,
“If there were no standards, we would soon notice.”
How true that is. With regard to behavioral healthcare, SCSI follows numerous business and healthcare standards designed to guide the services we deliver. As a DMHAS funded agency, we provide recovery-focused services. As a Department of Public Health licensed provider, we comply with licensing requirements in our outpatient clinics and respite program. And as a CARF accredited provider, (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) we conform to CARF’s comprehensive behavioral healthcare standards.
“With the rapid changes and advances in rehabilitation for mental health as well as alcohol and other addiction and substance abuse treatments, CARF's behavioral health standards reflect leadership in the field internationally.” – www.carf.org
CARF Standards address not only direct service programming, but general program oversight and administrative functions within organizations. CARF, like SCSI, believes that persons served have the right to be treated with dignity and respect and should be empowered to exercise informed choice. CARF uses a consultative approach to accreditation – promoting quality services and recovery outcomes.
Accreditation is a process in which certification of competency, authority, or credibility is presented. Sound Community Services proudly boasts 14 years as a CARF accredited behavioral healthcare provider. As we enter our 15th year, we approach our next CARF Accreditation Survey. SCSI has successfully achieved a three-year accreditation following each of our previous surveys. In the spring of 2012, SCSI will once again have the opportunity to renew our accreditation standing with CARF.
CARF employs professionals in the behavioral health care field as surveyors. A CARF surveyor’s mission is to establish an agency’s conformance with the most current CARF behavioral health standards. In the past, SCSI has been assigned three surveyors per survey visit. CARF survey visits here at SCSI last for three days. The first two days, surveyors are on-site all day, meeting with staff, talking with persons served and viewing program locations. The third day, the surveyors finalize any remaining questions regarding conformance and hold an exit conference to share general findings. The final CARF accreditation decision is made by CARF International, based on the survey team’s recommendations, and sent to the agency within 6 weeks. Through CARF’s consultative approach to survey accreditation, SCSI has always fared well and learned much through the survey process. To learn more about CARF, the survey process, and which SCSI programs are accredited, please visits the Quality Care site from the SCSI Start Page.
Tracy Hauser, LCSW
