NATSAP, an organization of therapeutic centers and programs, has announced that it will be requiring all of its members to be accredited. 

So, what does this mean for you? What is accreditation, and how can you obtain it? We’ve prepared a short guide explaining the change and how you can stay one step ahead of the curve. 

NATSAP’s New Decision

The National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs, or NATSAP, was created in 1999 as a resource available throughout the United States for programs and centers helping young people with behavioral and emotional burdens. 

Currently, NATSAP serves only as a resource and not as an organization that checks for compliance. Therefore, in order to improve the quality of the programs that boast NATSAP membership, the board voted in October to make all members follow accreditation procedures.

Fortunately, your center has three years to obtain accreditation: the deadline is January 1st, 2023. Furthermore, NATSAP has committed to helping organizations gain the accreditation they need. They have samples of policies that satisfy accreditation criteria and mentoring programs to help newer organizations navigate accreditation. Of course, you have to be a member of NATSAP to obtain these resources. 

According to NATSAP, accreditation can be obtained by any of the following groups:

Here at Alleva, we have recommended CARF and the Joint Commission for accreditation purposes. Both are excellent choices for your accreditation needs, but their requirements are somewhat different. Our advice is to learn about both in order to pick the one that works best for you. 

Accreditation & Why It Matters

Why is NATSAP suddenly requiring accreditation? The truth is, this has been in the works for some time. As an organization devoted to therapeutic programs and centers, best practices often require rigorous enforcing of evidence-based procedures. If you’re accredited, it means that your program or center has been deemed satisfactory to provide the treatments you offer. 

For this reason, accreditation often cultivates safety and efficacy. By making all members accredited, NATSAP gains more credibility and authority when it comes to advocating for centers and programs like yours. 

However, you may find yourself wondering: is accreditation worth it?

Accreditation does take some work, but the end result is powerful. Not only does it force you to take a look at how your organization is running, but it puts you in the shoes of your patients. By doing so, you are taking a personal approach to your treatments, and you are getting first-hand experience of what your patients are going through so you can provide the best quality service you are able to offer. 

Promoting your accreditation status also has benefits outside of the treatment you offer. It immediately strengthens confidence in your center and your programs because they have been vetted by trusted organizations, and it also provides a boost in your marketing since you can boast accreditation that another facility may not have. 

Smaller benefits include improving risk management, a reduction in liability insurance, continued support from your accreditation organization, and improved recruitment efforts, since employees always want to work at more respected organizations and accreditation is one way of gaining respect in the industry. 

"Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives."

WILLIAM A. FOSTER

Before applying, our advice is to do as much research as you can on the process and which accreditation body you would prefer to work with. 

Once you have reviewed the requirements for accreditation, analyze your center and programs yourself in order to discover the areas where you may need improvement. Go through the process internally and involve your staff, making sure everyone is aware of the caliber of service you need to offer to obtain accreditation. 

Once you have discovered some potential areas for improvement, make a plan or systematized effort to implement changes, and decide when these need to be completed by. The survey by the accreditation body can take up to one year to be scheduled, so you may have some extra time, but ideally, you would start diagnosing your program as soon as possible. 

One of the benefits of working with an accreditation body is that they provide feedback from a perspective of experience and guidance. They want to help, and you can collaborate with them to designate areas for improvement and implementation suggestions. 

How Alleva Helps With Accreditation

Alleva can help with accreditation in numerous ways. To start, Alleva can help you digitize forms, which leads to less lost paperwork and prepares you for compliance checks. 

By digitizing your practice, you gain our expertise and digital tools that will grow and change with your program in an industry that is constantly evolving. Not to mention—we have extensive experience helping clients through the accreditation process. Everything, including accreditation, is easier when it’s digitized and organized.

 If you want to learn more about Alleva, request a demo today and see what we can do to help.

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