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Futures of Recovery Healthcare specializes in treating adults 30 years and older suffering from substance use, mental health disorders, and co-occurring disorde...
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Learn / Rehab Center Accreditation: Does It Matter?
Rehab Center Accreditation: Does It Matter?
By
| Published May 22nd, 2019| Professionally Reviewed By
Reviewed by Olivia Mueller on May 22, 2019
If you visit the website of a rehab center in the United States, more often than not you’ll find a section dedicated to accreditations from a variety of organizations. For example, Bayside Marin in Northern California has the CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) accreditation and the BBB (Better Business Bureau) accreditation.
Interestingly, the CARF accreditation comes from an independent non-profit organization, one that has no affiliation with regulatory or governmental bodies. Consequently, accreditation like this can be confusing.
We must ask, then: Does a rehab center accreditation matter?
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Vail Valley, Colorado, United States
All Points North Lodge is a comprehensive wellness and personal development campus specializing in addiction, trauma, and mental health.
$49,000-$200,000
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Malibu & Los Angeles, California
Oro House provides compassionate treatment focused on connection and a full continuum of services. Voted California's Best Addiction Treatment Center of 2021 by...
$30,000-90,000/month
Ad
Canton, Massachusetts, United States
Located on 6 acres of greenery, Bedrock Recovery Center is a hotel-style rehab providing trauma-informed and evidence-based treatment plans for adults.
Ad
San Clemente, California, United States
Located in sunny Southern California, Chapters Capistrano provides holistic, evidence-based treatment for substance abuse and addiction.
$39,500 (Insurance Accepted)
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Los Angeles, California, United States
Nestled in the private hills of Los Angeles, Hollywood Hills Recovery is a boutique substance abuse treatment center offering holistic care.
$30,000+/month (Insurance Accepted)
Ad
Houston, Texas, United States
J. Flowers Health Institute provides personalized, concierge care, for busy professionals, adolescents and young adults, and highly complex individuals.
$49,500 - $129,000
Ad
Raymond, Illinois, United States
Located in the countryside, Lincoln Recovery takes an evidence-based approach to treatment, offering onsite detox, individualized programming and luxurious priv...
$25,000 - $35,000
Ad
Dana Point, California, United States
Monarch Shores offers luxury housing with beautiful ocean views and individualized addiction treatment in Southern California.
$34,500
Ad
Malibu, California, United States
A 5-star Yelp-rated Luxury Treatment Center in Malibu, offering a majestic ocean view, 1-1 doctorate-level therapy sessions, and private ensuite rooms.
$90,000 (Insurance Accepted)
Ad
Tucson, Arizona, United States
Using an innovative treatment program called The Sierra Model, Sierra Tucson has been rated one of the region’s top-ranking hospitals by U.S. News.
$20,000-$45,000
Ad
Newport Beach, California, United States
With multiple facilities strategically located on magnificent Newport Beach, Sierra by the Sea provides gender-specific, primary and long-term treatment.
$16,500-$33,000
Ad
Ashby, Massachusetts, United States
A 70-acre secluded retreat offering tailored treatment plans, evidence-based therapies, and a family-like atmosphere in the Massachusetts woodlands.
$22,000 - $31,000 (Insurance Accepted)
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Florida, USA
Tikvah Lake Recovery is an extremely personalized executive treatment center for those who seek the ultimate in treatment, privacy, and luxurious comfort.
$60,000–$85,000 per month
Ad
Hollywood, Florida, United States
A multi-structured program that offers gender-specific residential housing and personal treatment plans.
$30,000-$60,000 (Insurance Accepted)
A Look at Accrediting Bodies
There’s a smorgasbord of accrediting bodies that exist in the world of rehab centers. The most common are CARF and the Joint Commission. There are other accrediting bodies as well. For example, (WAATME) is an online service that aims to accredit non-pharma-funded rehab centers. The Council on Accreditation (COA), on the other hand, is a non-profit accrediting body that outlines the different standards rehab centers need to meet based on their audience. There’s also the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), who do exactly what their name implies.
In the United States, almost all rehab centres are licensed, certified or accredited in some form.
According to the 2017 National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services, SAMHSA (the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)1 reports the following percentages by accreditation body:
| Accreditation organization | |
| CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehab Facilities) | 29 percent |
| Joint Commission | 20 percent |
| NCQA (National Committee for Quality Assurance) | 3 percent |
| COA (Council on Accreditation) | 5 percent |
With so many different accrediting bodies, however, it’s difficult to understand the rigor of each one. WAATME, for example, is a service that requires a rehab center to complete “three easy steps” to become accredited. First, the center must sign a declaration confirming they aren’t funded or influenced by pharmaceutical companies, then the center must meet an ethical management evaluation (which is a short online course) and finally, they must pay an annual fee of $999 to remain accredited.
For a rehab center, an accreditation like this will add validity to their center, which in turn will drive business. But for $999 per year, is it worth paying for?
Quality Assurance Matters
According to American Addiction Centers,2 accredited treatment can keep centers accountable to have the following:
- Person-centered approach
- Treatment options based on research
- Coordinated plans of care
- Safe practices
- Protective environments
- Qualified staff
- Policy and procedure standards
- Emergency plan that meets health and safety standards
- Documentation, critical incident reports, and emergency drills
- Commitment to continuous quality improvement
And they’re not wrong. Despite the “three easy steps” of the WAATME process, most accrediting bodies put rehab centers through their paces and demand a high level of excellence, an excellence that is transferred to the people that matter most: the patients.
Accreditations require rehab centers to train staff to a high level and operate to the best of their ability every day, and oftentimes, they encourage rehab centers to improve upon weak areas within their operations and continue to deliver a service that exceeds the average standard.
Do Accreditations Matter?
In short: yes, accreditations do matter.
CARF, for example, requires a review of service quality as well as analysis of patient outcomes to ensure effectiveness. The Joint Commission, on the other hand, asks programs to collect data and monitor opportunities for improving performance. Both include periodic on-site evaluations.
Joint Commission or CARF, Does That Matter?
Between these two accreditation bodies, rehab centers can achieve a high level of quality assurance throughout their facility. While accreditations cannot fully guarantee quality care, a center who is accredited or actively pursing accreditation by either the Joint Commission or CARF typically demonstrates a commitment to quality and a desire to improve, learn and grow.
For a patient, it’s this level of self-awareness to do and be better that is important. It’s an assurance than can be translated into trust and when all is said and done, isn’t it trust that matters most in recovery?
To learn more, check out our carefully selected luxury treatment centers here.
- National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS): 2017. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2017, https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/cbhsq-reports/2017_NSSATS.pdf [↩]
- “Rehab Accreditation and Addiction Treatment.” Https://Americanaddictioncenters.Org/, American Addiction Centers, 28 May 2021,https://americanaddictioncenters.org/rehab-guide/accreditation [↩]
Return to Blog Home
By
| Published May 22nd, 2019| Professionally Reviewed ByReviewed by Olivia Mueller on May 22, 2019
By
| Published May 22nd, 2019Professionally Reviewed By
Reviewed by Olivia Mueller on May 22, 2019
If you visit the website of a rehab center in the United States, more often than not you’ll find a section dedicated to accreditations from a variety of organizations. For example, Bayside Marin in Northern California has the CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) accreditation and the BBB (Better Business Bureau) accreditation.
Interestingly, the CARF accreditation comes from an independent non-profit organization, one that has no affiliation with regulatory or governmental bodies. Consequently, accreditation like this can be confusing.
We must ask, then: Does a rehab center accreditation matter?
Ad
Tequesta, Florida, United States
Futures of Recovery Healthcare specializes in treating adults 30 years and older suffering from substance use, mental health disorders, and co-occurring disorde...
$29,500 - $82,500
Ad
Vail Valley, Colorado, United States
All Points North Lodge is a comprehensive wellness and personal development campus specializing in addiction, trauma, and mental health.
$49,000-$200,000
Ad
Malibu & Los Angeles, California
Oro House provides compassionate treatment focused on connection and a full continuum of services. Voted California's Best Addiction Treatment Center of 2021 by...
$30,000-90,000/month
Ad
Canton, Massachusetts, United States
Located on 6 acres of greenery, Bedrock Recovery Center is a hotel-style rehab providing trauma-informed and evidence-based treatment plans for adults.
Ad
San Clemente, California, United States
Located in sunny Southern California, Chapters Capistrano provides holistic, evidence-based treatment for substance abuse and addiction.
$39,500 (Insurance Accepted)
Ad
Los Angeles, California, United States
Nestled in the private hills of Los Angeles, Hollywood Hills Recovery is a boutique substance abuse treatment center offering holistic care.
$30,000+/month (Insurance Accepted)
Ad
Houston, Texas, United States
J. Flowers Health Institute provides personalized, concierge care, for busy professionals, adolescents and young adults, and highly complex individuals.
$49,500 - $129,000
Ad
Raymond, Illinois, United States
Located in the countryside, Lincoln Recovery takes an evidence-based approach to treatment, offering onsite detox, individualized programming and luxurious priv...
$25,000 - $35,000
Ad
Dana Point, California, United States
Monarch Shores offers luxury housing with beautiful ocean views and individualized addiction treatment in Southern California.
$34,500
Ad
Malibu, California, United States
A 5-star Yelp-rated Luxury Treatment Center in Malibu, offering a majestic ocean view, 1-1 doctorate-level therapy sessions, and private ensuite rooms.
$90,000 (Insurance Accepted)
Ad
Tucson, Arizona, United States
Using an innovative treatment program called The Sierra Model, Sierra Tucson has been rated one of the region’s top-ranking hospitals by U.S. News.
$20,000-$45,000
Ad
Newport Beach, California, United States
With multiple facilities strategically located on magnificent Newport Beach, Sierra by the Sea provides gender-specific, primary and long-term treatment.
$16,500-$33,000
Ad
Ashby, Massachusetts, United States
A 70-acre secluded retreat offering tailored treatment plans, evidence-based therapies, and a family-like atmosphere in the Massachusetts woodlands.
$22,000 - $31,000 (Insurance Accepted)
Ad
Florida, USA
Tikvah Lake Recovery is an extremely personalized executive treatment center for those who seek the ultimate in treatment, privacy, and luxurious comfort.
$60,000–$85,000 per month
Ad
Hollywood, Florida, United States
A multi-structured program that offers gender-specific residential housing and personal treatment plans.
$30,000-$60,000 (Insurance Accepted)
A Look at Accrediting Bodies
There’s a smorgasbord of accrediting bodies that exist in the world of rehab centers. The most common are CARF and the Joint Commission. There are other accrediting bodies as well. For example, (WAATME) is an online service that aims to accredit non-pharma-funded rehab centers. The Council on Accreditation (COA), on the other hand, is a non-profit accrediting body that outlines the different standards rehab centers need to meet based on their audience. There’s also the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), who do exactly what their name implies.
In the United States, almost all rehab centres are licensed, certified or accredited in some form.
According to the 2017 National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services, SAMHSA (the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)1 reports the following percentages by accreditation body:
| Accreditation organization | |
| CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehab Facilities) | 29 percent |
| Joint Commission | 20 percent |
| NCQA (National Committee for Quality Assurance) | 3 percent |
| COA (Council on Accreditation) | 5 percent |
With so many different accrediting bodies, however, it’s difficult to understand the rigor of each one. WAATME, for example, is a service that requires a rehab center to complete “three easy steps” to become accredited. First, the center must sign a declaration confirming they aren’t funded or influenced by pharmaceutical companies, then the center must meet an ethical management evaluation (which is a short online course) and finally, they must pay an annual fee of $999 to remain accredited.
For a rehab center, an accreditation like this will add validity to their center, which in turn will drive business. But for $999 per year, is it worth paying for?
Quality Assurance Matters
According to American Addiction Centers,2 accredited treatment can keep centers accountable to have the following:
- Person-centered approach
- Treatment options based on research
- Coordinated plans of care
- Safe practices
- Protective environments
- Qualified staff
- Policy and procedure standards
- Emergency plan that meets health and safety standards
- Documentation, critical incident reports, and emergency drills
- Commitment to continuous quality improvement
And they’re not wrong. Despite the “three easy steps” of the WAATME process, most accrediting bodies put rehab centers through their paces and demand a high level of excellence, an excellence that is transferred to the people that matter most: the patients.
Accreditations require rehab centers to train staff to a high level and operate to the best of their ability every day, and oftentimes, they encourage rehab centers to improve upon weak areas within their operations and continue to deliver a service that exceeds the average standard.
Do Accreditations Matter?
In short: yes, accreditations do matter.
CARF, for example, requires a review of service quality as well as analysis of patient outcomes to ensure effectiveness. The Joint Commission, on the other hand, asks programs to collect data and monitor opportunities for improving performance. Both include periodic on-site evaluations.
Joint Commission or CARF, Does That Matter?
Between these two accreditation bodies, rehab centers can achieve a high level of quality assurance throughout their facility. While accreditations cannot fully guarantee quality care, a center who is accredited or actively pursing accreditation by either the Joint Commission or CARF typically demonstrates a commitment to quality and a desire to improve, learn and grow.
For a patient, it’s this level of self-awareness to do and be better that is important. It’s an assurance than can be translated into trust and when all is said and done, isn’t it trust that matters most in recovery?
To learn more, check out our carefully selected luxury treatment centers here.
- National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS): 2017. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2017, https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/cbhsq-reports/2017_NSSATS.pdf [↩]
- “Rehab Accreditation and Addiction Treatment.” Https://Americanaddictioncenters.Org/, American Addiction Centers, 28 May 2021,https://americanaddictioncenters.org/rehab-guide/accreditation [↩]
Return to Blog Home
By
| Published May 22nd, 2019Professionally Reviewed By
Reviewed by Olivia Mueller on May 22, 2019
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