Understanding the CARF Accreditation Cost for Behavioral Health Businesses

Accreditations in the behavioral healthcare industry occupy a seminal role. Obtaining CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) accreditation is considered a significant milestone. It means conformance to evolving, international consensus standards for the behavioral health community and the public. It is marketable as well. However, business owners often face difficulties with the cost of CARF accreditation. This blog will comprehensively break it down for you, including the factors influencing it and how you can effectively budget it.

Do you need to get your business accredited by CARF and find costs related to it the main hurdle? You can consult Strategique Partners here. 

What is CARF Accreditation?

CARF stands for Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. It is an accreditation body recognized internationally and founded in 1966 with the assistance of Mary E. Switzer, then U.S. Social and Rehabilitation Services commissioner. CARF accreditation. CARF accreditation is voluntarily sought by behavioral health businesses as a mark of its commitment to internationally recognized standards in the following fields:

1. Staff Training
2. Administrative Practices
3. Service Delivery
4. Program Standards

 

 

Why Do Behavioral Health Businesses Need to Be Credited With Carf?

There are several benefits of CARF accreditation for behavioral health businesses. Owing to its widespread renown in the behavioral health market of the USA, it has almost become a business necessity. However, the main reasons that you should consider getting accredited by CARF are as follows:

1. Shows that your organization is providing patient-centered, high-quality care and operating efficiently
2. Builds credibility for your business
3. Aligns with regulatory and licensing requirements
4. Helps you identify gaps and lapses in your programs

Furthermore, many reasons besides these make it an absolute need for behavioral health businesses to seek accreditation. The only complication is the cost pertaining to CARF accreditation, which is what we explain next.

Explaining the CARF Accreditation Cost

CARF accreditation fee is an aspect to be reckoned with when planning to go for it. There are expenses in various forms and under various names. Notwithstanding that, there are several factors that the CARF accreditation cost depends on. Therefore, it is most important to understand these expenses, which we have provided you in the following lines:

1. Application Fee

First and foremost comes the application fee, which typically is for the review of your organization’s readiness for the accreditation process. The application fee is currently $995 and it is non-refundable.

2. CARF Accreditation Survey Fee

Next comes the survey fee which covers the cost of an on-site visit by CARF surveyors. According to the official website, the CARF accreditation survey fee is decided based on the following two things:

1. Number of Surveyors
2. Days Needed to Complete the Survey

The review fee is $ 300 for a summary and $ 5000 for a full review. 

3. Annual CARF Certification Fee

Beyond the initial costs, you will regularly need to pay an annual fee to maintain your CARF accreditation status. It is used to cover the costs of ongoing, yearly evaluations and improvement reports.

4. Preparation Cost

Finally, the cost that often is ignored by most of the businesses is the expenses that you will do to get prepared for CARF accreditation. This is of the highest importance because if you do not invest in preparations, you are at risk of getting rejected and losing a hefty sum you spent on the above-mentioned fees. Usually, it is better to take a behavioral health business financial expert who can provide you with expert financial services and save you a lot of expenses. 

What Does CARF Accreditation Cost Depend on?

We earlier mentioned that CARF accreditation cost varies based on various details about your behavioral health facility. If it is a bigger one, it is going to entail higher costs. Similarly, if you offer limited programs, you will have to pay less. Therefore, we need to understand how these factors impact your accreditation cost:

1. Size of the Facility

The size of the behavioral health facility decides what amount of money you have to pay in the form of survey fees. Larger facilities are complex and typically require more time and surveyors, which is why survey fees for them would be higher. So, it is of utmost importance that you have a healthcare business consultant on board, which can guide you about the company startup and the cost of opening a facility. 

2. Programs and Service Areas

In addition to the size of the facility, the programs and services are another factor that influences the accreditation cost. A facility that offers several programs will cost much more in inspections and evaluations than a facility that offers a single program like a detox center. You should consult with program development experts to understand this phenomenon better and what your programs can cost you in terms of  CARF accreditation.

3. Location

The survey fee for CARF accreditation is decided based on the location of the facility. The more remote your facility is located, the higher the survey fee will be. Therefore, the real estate aspect of your behavioral health business is a point of discussion as well in CARF accreditation cost. 

Key Considerations While Budgeting for Accreditation Costs

Budgeting, financing, and planning for accreditation costs are critical to the success of your behavioral health businesses like drug rehab facilities. The key considerations while considering CARF accreditation and its costs are summed up in the following lines.

1. Planning and Budget Allocation

It must be clear from our discussion above that the costs of getting accredited by CARF are high, so you need to plan for it. You need to allocate funds accordingly and invest in preparations to stay out of danger of being denied accreditation. The budget allocation should be for the following core areas:

1. Cumulative fee for the accreditation of your facility
2. Financial requirements for the preparations for surveys and inspection by CARF surveyors

Additionally, behavioral health businesses also receive financing opportunities from various sources. In case you have limited resources, you can find financing opportunities for CARF accreditation costs. 

2. Understand Your Facility’s Accreditation Needs

You can choose specific programs to be accredited for. It is not necessary to get a certification for all the programs. This means that you will need to analyze the unique accreditation needs of your facility. This expert examination will help you save the needless cost of accrediting non-core programs. However, this needs analysis can be done accurately by those who are experts in behavioral health business accreditations, which is what we take up next.

Consider Consulting a Behavioral Health Business Accreditation Expert, Strategique Partners

Strategique Partners has been specifically serving behavioral health businesses, covering comprehensively accreditations and financial needs of them. Your business needs and ambition to get CARF accreditation are taken care of holistically by our experts. These are the aspects that Strategique Partners can help you with:

1. Your CARF Accreditation Needs
2. Accurate Estimate of Your Unique CARF Accreditation Costs
3. Planning and Budgeting
4. Company Development Suitable for CARF Requirements

These aspects can help you make your preparation for accreditation flawless.

Get expert consultation on CARF accreditations with Strategique Partners today!

FAQs Regarding CARF Accreditation Cost

To develop a holistic understanding of the CARF accreditation costs, we have collected the common help queries and answered them here:

1.  Are there additional costs associated with CARF accreditation beyond application and survey fees?

This is a common misconception that CARF accreditation costs only include application and survey fees. It is not so. There are additional costs beyond them. You should consider the following expenses as well while budgeting for CARF accreditation:

1. Facility Improvements to Meet CARF Standards
2. Policy and Procedure Updates
3. Staff Training
4. Hiring an Accreditation Consultant
5. Annual Accreditation Fee

2. Is There Financial Assistance Available to Help Cover CARF Accreditation Costs?

Yes, you can find financial assistance for CARF accreditation. Although CARF itself does not offer financial assistance, you can seek help from grants from such financing sources:

1. Private Foundations
2. Governmental Agencies,
3. Behavioral Health Network Partners

3. Can CARF Accreditation Costs Be Considered a Strategic Investment Rather Than an Operational Expense?

Yes, it is a strategic investment rather than an operational expense because it helps you with the following aspects:

1. Enhances your Organization’s Efficiency 
2. Improves Patient Outcomes
3. Enhances Marketability to Referral Sources and Payers