Accreditation
Walk into your survey already knowing you'll pass.
Accreditation isn't a binder. It's whether your everyday operations match what your manuals say. We close that gap before a surveyor ever arrives.
What it is
TJC, CARF, CHAP, ACHC — passed the first time.
The Joint Commission, CARF, CHAP, and ACHC each read your organization differently. Picking the wrong one — or preparing for it generically — costs months. We match you to the body that fits your payers and model, build your program to its standards, and pressure-test it with a full mock survey.
What's included
Everything the file needs — assembled, not outlined.
No generic binder. Each piece is built to your model and cross-checked against the others, so a reviewer never finds the seam.
Body selection
We match you to TJC, CARF, CHAP, or ACHC based on your vertical, payer mix, and growth plan — not on which one we happen to know best.
Standards build-out
Your program, clinical protocols, and documentation built directly against the chapters and elements of performance you'll be measured on.
Mock survey
A full dress rehearsal — tracers, record review, staff interviews, environment of care — scored the way the real surveyor scores it.
Evidence of compliance
We help you build and maintain the evidence file so you're ready for unannounced visits, not just the initial.
The GTR process
Four steps, carried by us — not handed back to you.
We confirm the path before a dollar is spent, build the file, shepherd it through review, and stand with you on survey day.
Match the body
We confirm which accreditor your payers require and which best fits your model, then map its standards to your operation.
Build to standard
Program description, protocols, and records aligned to every applicable element of performance.
Mock survey
We run the survey before the surveyor does, and hand you a prioritized findings list with fixes.
Survey day
We prep your staff on what to say and how tracers work, and support you through the on-site survey.
What California requires
The standards the state and accreditors actually measure you against.
DHCS, CDPH, and the accrediting bodies don't grade effort — they grade completeness and consistency. Here's what has to be true on paper.
Standards manual ownership
Each body publishes a standards manual that is revised regularly. Your program has to track the current edition — last year's binder fails this year's survey.
Demonstrated time in operation
Most accreditors want to see a period of live operation and real records before the initial survey. We sequence licensing, opening, and accreditation so this doesn't trap you.
Performance improvement (QAPI)
A functioning, documented performance-improvement program with real data is non-negotiable across all four bodies.
The mock survey caught six things the real surveyor would have written us up for. We fixed all of them. Survey day was almost boring.
Continue the arc
FAQ
Questions founders ask us
Which accreditation do I actually need?
It's usually driven by your payers. Commercial insurers and many Medi-Cal contracts require a specific accreditor for your service line. We start from who you intend to bill, then choose the body — not the other way around.
TJC or CARF for a behavioral-health program?
Both are respected; the right answer depends on your payer contracts and how your services are structured. We'll lay out the trade-offs for your specific case rather than push a default.
What happens if we fail an element?
Most findings come with a window to submit evidence of correction. The goal of our mock survey is to make sure you never see a finding for the first time on survey day.
Book a consultation
Tell us what you're building. We'll tell you how to open it.
A free, specific conversation about your model, your timeline, and the exact path to licensed and accredited in California.