For many, seeking treatment in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center is the first step along their road to recovery. Whether you use the facility’s detox center, take advantage of their inpatient program, or enroll in their intensive outpatient program, you want to know that the staff at your addiction treatment center are trained professionals administering care with compassion and expertise.

In order to flourish in your recovery, you will need to feel safe and respected, and the staff at your rehabilitation center should work to foster that sense of safety and respect. But how can you tell which rehabs are reputable? One way to narrow the scope of your search, and to ensure that your rehab is legitimate is to only seek out accredited drug and alcohol centers.

What Does it Mean When a Drug and Alcohol Rehab Center is Accredited?

In order to operate, all rehabs must meet the standards set by their state to obtain licensure. These standards and the exact procedure for licensure will vary from state to state, but no matter where you are in the United States these are the minimum guidelines set to fulfill standards to ensure patient safety.

However, in addition to meeting these base-level state licensure standards, some rehabs may choose to go above and beyond and seek additional accreditation. Accredited drug and alcohol rehab programs are held to a higher standard of care and operation than their licensed counterparts.

Accrediting bodies conduct a thorough investigation into every aspect of the facility’s operations. Over the course of the accreditation process, all staff members’ credentials and backgrounds will be thoroughly vetted. Business plans will be examined, facilities will be toured, day-to-day operations will be reviewed, and the safety of the client in the therapeutic environment will be assessed.

This process is lengthy and requires a serious financial investment on the part of the facility. The choice to seek accreditation is a good sign that the addiction treatment center in question is committed to continuously raising the bar on their standard of patient care.

Who Grants Rehab Accreditation?

You might be wondering: who exactly conducts these investigations? There are two major accrediting bodies in the United States. First, there is the Commission on Accreditation for Rehab Facilities or CARF.

CARF has a presence in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Their evaluation is not limited to drug and addiction treatment facilities and they provide accreditation to programs that provide vision rehabilitation services, aging services, child and youth services, and behavioral health. They evaluate thousands of facilities annually and have been a nonprofit accreditor since 1996.

Additionally, there is The Joint Commission, previously known as The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Operations or JCAHO. The Joint Commission has been setting the standards of care, evaluating, and providing accreditation to healthcare facilities for the last 70 years, and for addiction treatment centers for the last 52 years.

It is the nation’s largest independent, not-for-profit accrediting body. The Joint Commission’s 21- member governing body is made up of a variety of healthcare professionals with the expertise to set and continuously raise the standards for the excellent patient care within the field.

Why Does Accreditation Matter?

An addiction treatment center that earns accreditation indicates its commitment to distinction and excellence in the field. An accrediting body seeks to continually raise the bar on the standard of care for the treatment facilities that they assess. This commitment to change and improvement will help to ensure that you are receiving the highest caliber of care available to you.

Benefits of seeking an accredited drug and alcohol rehab include:

• Insurance Reimbursement: Many third-party payers, like insurance companies or government bodies, will insist that in order to receive coverage for your rehab stay, you must seek out the care of an accredited rehabilitation center.
• Safe therapeutic environment: A sense of safety is paramount in order to begin recovery in a rehabilitation setting. All members of an accredited rehab have been thoroughly examined. Their therapeutic programs have also been evaluated and deemed to meet a continually improving standard of care.

Find An Accredited Drug And Alcohol Rehab Center Near You

If you are seeking treatment for your drug and alcohol addiction the options might seem overwhelming. You want to be certain that you are picking a safe and reputable program with the right resources to meet your unique needs as you start your recovery journey.

At Addiction Intervention, our team of trained substance abuse treatment specialists can help you to verify your insurance benefits, evaluate your needs and goals to develop a plan of action, and connect you with an accredited rehabilitation center that is right for you.

Set the tone for your recovery by getting the care you deserve from a reputable, accredited rehab near you. Don’t wait any longer to get the help you need. Call today for a low-risk, confidential call with a member of our team.