CARF International, founded as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, announced that START Treatment & Recovery Centers has earned the maximum three-year accreditation.
The accreditation if for its seven Medication-Assisted Treatment Programs (MATPs) in Brooklyn and Manhattan.
This is the eighth consecutive, three-year accreditation that START has received from the nonprofit, independent accrediting organization.
START, a non-profit, is New York’s largest independent drug treatment agency, and has treated more than a half million New Yorkers since it was founded 52-years ago.
START, a non-profit, is New York’s largest independent drug treatment agency, and has treated more than a half million New Yorkers since it was founded 52-years ago.
“We are proud to receive our eighth consecutive, three-year CARF accreditation,” said Lawrence S. Brown, Jr., MD, MPH, FACP, DFASAM, START’s CEO. “This accreditation reflects the high quality of START’s Medication Assisted Treatment Programs, and the dedication and expertise of our physicians, nurses, counselors, social workers and staff. As we emerge from the COVID pandemic, treatment for people with substance use issues is more critical than ever.”
The three-year designation is CARF’s highest level of accreditation and shows START’s substantial conformance to CARF’s meticulous standards.
According to CARF, an organization receiving a three-year accreditation has put itself through a rigorous peer review process.
It has demonstrated to a team of surveyors its commitment to offering programs and services that are measurable, accountable, and of the highest quality.
START offers seven outpatient MATPs for people addicted to opioids. Medication-Assisted Treatment—the most effective, evidence-based treatment for opioid addiction—uses medications called opiate agonists to relieve physical cravings without producing the drug’s euphoria or high.
Patients also receive individual, group, and family counseling from Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselors and/or licensed social workers, a critical element of recovery that helps people learn to change their habits.
All patients are screened for substance use and addiction, hypertension, diabetes, hepatitis, asthma, HIV infections, and another communicable disease.
START provides comprehensive primary care and management of ongoing medical issues, and referrals to specialists when necessary.
It provides primary medical treatment, evaluations, case management, counseling, education, and testing services for all HIV-positive patients, funded in part through grants from the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute and the New York State Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS). Hepatitis C treatment is provided through referral to a specialist or via telemedicine.
START’s MATPs are licensed by OASAS and certified by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
The New York State Department of Health (DOH) licenses START to provide primary care services and serve as a limited-service laboratory, and it is registered with the Drug Enforcement Agency to store and dispense controlled substances.
Patients with other substance-use disorders, including addiction to cocaine or alcohol, are eligible to receive outpatient treatment at START’s REACH clinic, which provides individual, group, family and intensive counseling, and evaluation by a psychiatrist.
It is possible for patients to enroll in both the MATPs and the REACH program.
CARF is an independent, nonprofit accrediting body whose mission is to promote the quality, value, and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process and continuous improvement services that center on enhancing the lives of the persons served.
Founded in 1966 as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and now known as CARF International, the accrediting body establishes consumer-focused standards to help organizations measure and improve the quality of their programs and services.
For more information about the accreditation process, visit www.carf.org.
START has treated over 500,000 New Yorkers throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan since it was founded in 1969.
START has treated over 500,000 New Yorkers throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan since it was founded in 1969.
Its goal is to provide the highest quality of compassionate, comprehensive, evidence-based healthcare and social services; education of the public concerning the maintenance of healthy lifestyles; and cutting-edge behavioral, biomedical, and healthcare services research.
Its community-based treatment programs for adults and adolescents use individual and group counseling with medical and behavioral health professionals to treat patients; some of its clinics offer short-term, outpatient detoxification and a drug-free chemical dependency program for other non-opiate addictions.
Its outpatient services and programs for people seeking quality treatment for drug addiction and rehabilitation include comprehensive medical care and specialized HIV services; behavioral health and vocational services; and medical case management.
For more information, visit www.startny.org.
Photo credit: Start NY.
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