What CARF International does

CARF International (legally, the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) is an independent, nonprofit accreditor of health and human service providers, incorporated in Illinois in 1966 and now headquartered in Tucson, Arizona. Its core function is operating a consultative peer-review survey process that affirms conformance to internationally recognized consensus standards; accredited and certified providers span seven program areas — Aging Services, Behavioral Health, Child and Youth Services, Employment and Community Services, Medical Rehabilitation, Opioid Treatment Programs, and Vision Rehabilitation Services. As of 2026, CARF's footprint includes 9,600+ accredited providers, 68,300+ accredited programs and services at 31,900+ locations across five continents, serving approximately 12 million persons annually, with offices in Tucson (HQ), London (CARF Europe, incorporated 2008), and Toronto (CARF Canada, incorporated 2002).

The underlying technology stack consists of four proprietary digital platforms: Customer Connect (secure provider portal for application, surveys, and document transmittal), Payer Portal (regulator/payer verification of accreditation status and standards manuals), Surveyor Website (SharePoint-based tool for the 1,767 part-time peer surveyors), and the uSPEQ feedback tool (launched 2007) for stakeholder and consumer experience data collection. The ASPIRE to Excellence quality framework, introduced in 2004 and updated in 2016, underpins all standards. CARF also holds the exclusive license to deliver ASAM Level of Care certification for residential substance use disorder treatment under a partnership with the American Society of Addiction Medicine established in 2020.

CARF operates a recurring revenue model built on triennial accreditation surveys, ancillary certification fees (ASAM), and one-time sales of standards manuals and publications through its online store. It does not disclose financial results, has no equity investors or parent company, and is funded entirely through fees from accredited providers, publications, and educational services. Its customer base is entirely composed of health and human service provider organizations ranging from large academic medical centers to community-based nonprofits, with no apparent customer concentration in any single logo.

Name

CARF International

Legal name

Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities

Website

https://carf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Health and Human Services Accreditation

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

International/Transnational Accreditation & Recognition Bodies (EDADACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Standards, Metrology & Accreditation Bodies (BPAIAOAC), International Standards, Norms & Technical Regulatory Bodies (BPADAAAJ)

Keywords

• Health care accreditation
• Peer review surveys
• Quality standards
• Human services certification
• Behavioral health accreditation

Headquarters

HQ city

Tucson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Accreditation Services: CARF provides accreditation and certification services to health and human service providers through a consultative peer-review survey process. Organizations pay fees for accreditation surveys and maintain accreditation through triennial reviews.
2. ASAM Level of Care Certification: CARF is the only entity approved by the American Society of Addiction Medicine to certify residential substance use disorder treatment services. This certification generates revenue from certification fees.
3. Standards Manuals and Publications: CARF sells standards manuals, accreditation-related publications, and promotional items through its online store at carf.org/catalog. The organization publishes separate volumes of standards for Behavioral Health, Employment and Community Support, and Medical Rehabilitation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CARF International provides accreditation and certification services to health and human service providers worldwide through a consultative peer-review survey process that affirms conformance to evolving, international consensus standards. It also operates the only ASAM-approved Level of Care certification program for residential substance use disorder treatment and publishes standards manuals and supporting technology platforms (Customer Connect, Payer Portal, Surveyor Website, uSPEQ) used in the accreditation workflow.

Product overview

CARF International is an independent, nonprofit accreditor of health and human services offering a comprehensive portfolio of accreditation and certification programs. The core offerings include Accreditation Services (a consultative peer-review survey process) and ASAM Level of Care Certification (the only ASAM-approved certification for residential substance use disorder treatment). CARF accredits programs across seven major service areas: Aging Services, Behavioral Health, Child and Youth Services, Employment and Community Services, Medical Rehabilitation, Opioid Treatment Programs, and Vision Rehabilitation Services. Supporting these programs are technology platforms including Customer Connect (provider portal), Payer Portal (regulatory portal), Surveyor Website, and the uSPEQ feedback tool. The ASPIRE to Excellence quality framework underpins all standards. CARF also provides education, training, and standards manuals through its online store.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Accreditation Services Consultative peer-review survey process that affirms conformance to evolving, international consensus standards for health and human service providers. Organizations maintain accreditation through triennial reviews.
• ASAM Level of Care Certification Certification of residential substance use disorder treatment services. CARF is the only entity approved by ASAM to deliver this certification.
• Aging Services Accreditation Accreditation for providers offering continuing care retirement communities, aging services networks, adult day services, assisted living, and stroke specialty programs.
• Behavioral Health Accreditation Accreditation for behavioral health organizations providing mental health services, substance use disorder treatment, and related support services.
• Child and Youth Services Accreditation Accreditation for organizations serving children and youth, including adoption services, foster care, and family support programs.
• Employment and Community Services Accreditation Accreditation for vocational rehabilitation, employment services, workforce development, and community integration programs.
• Medical Rehabilitation Accreditation Accreditation for inpatient and outpatient medical rehabilitation programs, including brain injury, spinal cord injury, stroke, and pain management programs.
• Opioid Treatment Program Accreditation Accreditation for medication-assisted treatment programs and office-based opioid treatment services.
• Vision Rehabilitation Services Accreditation Accreditation for vision rehabilitation organizations providing services to individuals with vision loss.
• Customer Connect Portal Secure online portal for providers seeking accreditation or certification to maintain communications and transmit documents with CARF.
• Payer Portal Secure portal for payers and regulators to confirm accreditation status and access lists of providers and current standards manuals.
• Surveyor Website Secure website for surveyors to access information and documents needed to perform their role in the accreditation process.
• uSPEQ Feedback Tool Turnkey data collection and reporting system that gathers feedback from key stakeholders to support organizational well-being and performance improvement, including surveys on consumer experience and employee climate.
• CARF Online Store E-commerce platform for purchasing standards manuals, accreditation-related publications, and promotional items.
• ASPIRE to Excellence Standards Manual Quality framework providing business practice standards that guide organizations in aligning purpose, planning, and operations to achieve desired outcomes.
• CARF Education and Training Educational programming including webinars, eLearning, and an annual Continuing Education Conference that supports surveyors and accredited organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 68,300+ accredited programs and services at 31,900+ locations worldwide serving 12 million persons annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020CARF is the only entity approved by ASAM to certify residential substance use disorder treatment services through ASAM Level of Care certification. This partnership began in spring 2020, combining CARF's accreditation expertise with ASAM's clinical standards for addiction medicine.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC): Accredits home health, hospice, and behavioral health providers—directly overlapping with CARF's aging services and behavioral health program areas, with a strong focus on post-acute care markets.
• National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA): Accredits health plans, managed care organizations, and population health programs. Overlaps with CARF in behavioral health and integrated care accreditation, particularly for organizations seeking payer recognition.
• Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP): Competes with CARF in acute care hospital and behavioral health accreditation, now a division of the American Osteopathic Association's Bureau of Healthcare Facilities Accreditation.
• Council on Accreditation (COA): Nonprofit accreditor of behavioral health, child welfare, and community-based human services organizations. Closely competes with CARF across employment/community services, child and youth services, and behavioral health program areas.
• Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP): Specializes in home and community-based care accreditation, including home health, hospice, and behavioral health—competing with CARF in aging services and community-based program areas.
• The Joint Commission: The dominant U.S. healthcare accreditor, accrediting over 22,000 healthcare organizations. Directly competes with CARF in medical rehabilitation, behavioral health, and hospital accreditation, with substantially greater scale and brand recognition among acute care providers.

Broad incumbents

• URAC: Independent nonprofit accrediting organization focused on healthcare quality, including case management, health utilization, and integrated behavioral health. Overlaps with CARF in behavioral health program accreditation.

Others

• International Organization for Standardization (ISO): Develops international standards including ISO 9001 (quality management) and ISO 45001 (occupational health). ISO frameworks are sometimes used as alternatives to program-specific accreditation, particularly for administrative quality systems.
• CARF Canada (subsidiary): CARF's Canadian subsidiary is technically a peer entity rather than a competitor, included for completeness to reflect CARF's own multi-jurisdictional operating structure.

Emerging players

• DNV Healthcare: Norwegian-headquartered certification body that has expanded aggressively into U.S. hospital accreditation, using ISO integration as a differentiator. Represents a newer competitive threat in CARF's medical rehabilitation market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCd1Zqt7JA44_1whXHXyDEqQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/CARFinternational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CARF International