Joint Commission vs CARF: what accreditation means
What the two main accreditors look at, how they differ, and how to confirm a Florida center’s status in a few minutes.
Calls are answered by a partner at-home treatment provider, not by this guide.
- Type Voluntary outside review
- Main accreditors Joint Commission, CARF
- Also recognized by DCF COA, Green Apple
- How to check Each accreditor’s directory
License vs accreditation
These two words get mixed up, and they mean different things. A license is permission from the state to operate. In Florida, the Department of Children and Families (DCF) issues it, and it sets the minimum. Our DCF license guide shows how to check one.
Accreditation is a voluntary review by an independent organization. Surveyors visit, look at policies, records and safety practices, and compare them to a published set of standards. A center chooses to go through it, and has to keep meeting the standards to stay accredited.
DCF’s licensing page lists four accrediting agencies it recognizes: CARF, the Council on Accreditation (COA), Green Apple Accreditation Commission of Social Services, and The Joint Commission. For private and luxury rehab, the two you will see far more often are The Joint Commission and CARF.
The two accreditors, side by side
The Joint Commission
Widely known for accrediting hospitals, it also runs a Behavioral Health Care and Human Services program for addiction and mental health providers. Its public directory, Quality Check, lets you search by name, city and state, ZIP code or Joint Commission ID, and shows the accreditation decision and a Quality Report, a summary of how the organization met the standards.
CARF International
CARF describes itself as an independent, nonprofit accreditor of health and human services. It focuses on community and rehabilitation services, including behavioral health and opioid treatment programs. Its Find a Provider search starts with a location and lets you filter by area of accreditation, program focus such as addiction or mental health, and age group.
Neither one is “better” for your loved one. Both are recognized by Florida DCF. What matters is that the accreditation is current and covers the program and the location you are considering.
How to verify a center’s accreditation
- Ask which accreditor, and for which programs. Get the legal name and the address of the site your loved one would attend.
- For The Joint Commission, search Quality Check by the organization’s name or by city and state. Open the record and read the accreditation decision and the programs listed.
- For CARF, open Find a Provider, enter the city, choose a search radius, then filter to Behavioral Health and a program focus such as Addiction.
- Match the details. The name, the address and the type of program should all line up with what the center told you.
What accreditation doesn’t tell you
Accreditation shows a center met a set of standards when it was reviewed. It doesn’t tell you who your loved one’s therapist will be, how often they will see a psychiatrist, or whether the program suits their needs. A large company may also hold accreditation for one program and not another. Treat it as one of six checks, not the whole answer. The rest are on our Clinical-First Checklist.
You may also see a term like “ASAM Level 3.7”. ASAM is the American Society of Addiction Medicine, and its levels describe how intensive a program is. CARF’s search lets you filter by ASAM level certification for some residential levels. Ask a center which level it provides, and why that level fits your loved one. For residential care with detox, see our medical detox guide.
Accreditation questions
Is Joint Commission or CARF better for rehab?
Neither is better in general. They use different standards and survey methods, and both are widely used by addiction treatment programs. Confirm the accreditation is current and covers the specific program, then move on to the other checks.
Can a center be licensed but not accredited?
Yes. A license comes from the state. Accreditation is a voluntary extra review. A small program may be licensed without being accredited, so ask the center to explain how it measures and improves the quality of its care.
A website shows an accreditation seal. Is that enough?
No. Anyone can put a logo on a website. Look the center up in the accreditor’s own directory, and check that the name and address match.
Does insurance care about accreditation?
Coverage rules vary by plan. Ask your insurer whether it requires a program to be licensed, accredited or both before it will pay. Our insurance guide lists the questions to ask.
For treatment centers
Licensed Florida centers can apply for the one featured spot on this guide.