CARF accreditation is an excellent reminder to the community that your facility has made a commitment to serve them well. Going through the accreditation process can be tedious though, with many steps to accomplish before a surveyor comes in and conducts a survey to see that the organization is following through with all types of quality standards.
Hiring a CARF consultant as soon as you have decided to undergo the process will assist your organization immensely in reaching one or three year accreditation. If you are going through accreditation for the first time, it may take nine to twelve months to set up processes, assemble the data, and do a mock survey beforehand.
Six months worth of records are required for the site review, with the request to survey submitted three months in advance of the actual date. This may seem overwhelming to an organization undergoing a CARF accreditation for the first time, or even one that has been accredited before. That is where a CARF consultant can help ease your mind and improve your probability of a longer accreditation period.
A consultant knows the standards
If you have done your research and have hired a consultant with CARF survey experience, he or she will recognize what is important and what can be eliminated. Various policies are required or at least very important in the survey, while others will not be checked as thoroughly.
A consultant will be able to save your organization time and effort if you assume that a policy must be written, yet it is not necessary. An organization can work on other endeavors that will be more critical to accreditation.
A consultant can assist in the creativity and modification of policies that will fit into your organization. Certain cuts to policies will receive a recommendation, which is not desired with CARF accreditation.
The qualified consultant will know what is in the standards manual and be able to prepare you for the survey. He or she can tell you if you will be called out for a standards violation and help you to include all that is
necessary.
The cost of a CARF consultant
As is noted in many other business cases and not just with rehabilitation facilities, time is money. The sooner you call a CARF consultant when you know that you would like to become CARF accredited, the more you will benefit and the lower the cost.
The consultant can assign tasks to you and your team along the way, and make sure that efforts aren’t wasted writing unnecessary policies. CARF accreditation and hiring a consultant are an investment in the future of an organization that can only benefit the company financially in the future. Consultants will have varying rates depending on their level of expertise and service offered.
Intent to Survey (application for accreditation)
Applying for CARF accreditation requires the completion of a rather onerous form with many hidden areas that must be accomplished. Asking the assistance of a CARF consultant is a good idea for successful submission.
It is an online process to request the survey, but it can be printed and filled out in advance. This step will assist your organization in getting off on the right foot for a well-done survey.
The processes that a CARF consultant will go through may vary, but a primary task will be to conduct a mock survey with a gap analysis. This may include an orientation to review what an agency has now regarding policies, plans and standards and then adapting them to be CARF accreditation ready.
Calling a CARF consultant as soon as you decide to apply for accreditation will be your best tool for success.
PowderHorn Consulting is staffed by professionals who have served as providers, executives on treatment organizations and have an extensive history as CARF surveyors and can assist and answer any questions you may have in the CARF accreditation process.