Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities


The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities is an international, non-profit organization founded in 1966 with the assistance of Mary E. Switzer, then U.S. Social and Rehabilitation Services commissioner. For some institutions, it represents an alternative to Joint Commission certification. Revenue sources include contributions from the International Advisory Council, which comprises entities being accredited.
CARF's mission is to provide accreditation standards and surveyors for organizations working in the human-services field worldwide with a base in traditional facilities and institutional settings. Among the many areas of practice represented in the CARF standards are aging services; behavioral health, which replaces institutional behavior management; psychosocial rehabilitation; child and youth services ; durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies ; employment and community services; medical rehabilitation; and opioid treatment programs.
CARF International is based in Tucson, Arizona, in the United States, with offices in Washington, D.C., and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
It is considered a system of rehabilitation facilities that monitor and accredit themselves, in order to maintain standards and state certifications.
Brian J. Boon, Ph.D., is president/CEO.

Controversies

In 2012, Narconon Arrowhead was under investigation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Pittsburg County Sheriff's Office, the Oklahoma State Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, for the four deaths related to the facility since 2009. Narconon is recognized by the state because of CARF accreditation since 1992.