May 10, 2023
The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) International announced that Koinonia, a leader in services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), has been accredited for a period of three years for the following programs and services:
- Community Employment Services: Employment Supports
- Community Employment Services: Job Development
- Community Integration
- Community Integration: Integrated IDD/Mental Health (Autism Spectrum Disorder – Adults)
- Outpatient Treatment Integrated: IDD/Mental Health (Autism Spectrum Disorder – Adults)
The accreditation affirms Koinonia’s commitment to a Whole-Person Integrated Care service model rolled out last year. This model includes all actions needed to keep the person safe and healthy, including health care, nutrition, safety, and personal support. This includes not only mental and behavioral health care, but also an understanding of social and environmental issues that need to be considered when treating people with IDD.
This accreditation decision represents the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an organization and shows Koinonia’s substantial conformance to the CARF standards. An organization receiving a three-year accreditation has put itself through a rigorous peer review process and has demonstrated to a team of surveyors during an on-site visit that its programs and services are of the highest quality, measurable, and accountable.
CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) is an international, nonprofit accreditor of health and human services, covering aging services, behavioral health, medical rehabilitation, employment and community services, and more. Much like The Joint Commission (TJC) that accredits hospitals, CARF certification requires a service provider to commit to quality improvement, focusing on the unique needs of each person the provider serves, and monitor the results of those services.
The accreditation process takes a thorough and comprehensive look at all aspects of a community and the care it provides, with over 1,500 standards that the provider needs to meet. The process includes internal and external audits, as well as onsite surveys conducted by a team of expert practitioners selected by CARF to determine if the provider meets a series of rigorous and internationally recognized standards.
This voluntary process means that a service provider, like Koinonia, must take the extra steps to earn accreditation. More rigorous than state licensure, earning accreditation means the provider has the industry-specific seal of approval, the standard set by the very best providers.
