Effective October 1, 2023, all Mental Health Rehabilitation Services (MHRS) providers in DC must obtain and maintain accreditation in good standing from CARF, COA, or The Joint Commission, following a phased timeline beginning with application submission by December 15, 2022. Accreditation does not waive compliance with any departmental standards, and the DC Department of Behavioral Health retains full monitoring and enforcement authority. Clubhouse providers may satisfy this requirement through Clubhouse International accreditation instead.
View official source3433 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ACCREDITATION 3433.1 Effective October 1, 2023, all MHRS providers shall obtain and maintain in good standing behavioral health accreditation with at least one (1) of the following organizations: the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), the Council on Accreditation (COA), or The Joint Commission (TJC). 3433.2 The timeline for MHRS providers to obtain accreditation in accordance with § 3433.1 shall be as follows: By December 15, 2022, all MHRS providers must submit an accreditation application to CARF, COA, or TJC and provide proof of the submission to the Department; By April 30, 2023, all MHRS providers must obtain a letter of good standing from CARF, COA, or TJC and submit a copy to the Department; and By October 1, 2023, all MHRS providers must be fully accredited with CARF, COA, or TJC and submit proof of accreditation to the Department. 3433.3 Accreditation through CARF, COA, or TJC shall not provide a waiver to MHRS providers for any of the standards delineated in this chapter. The Department shall retain authority to monitor for and enforce compliance with all standards established in this chapter. 3433.4 In lieu of the requirement in 3433.1, all Clubhouse providers shall obtain and maintain in good standing Clubhouse International accreditation as set forth in Title 22-A DCMR § 3901.2. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 70 DCR 003050 (March 10, 2023); as corrected by Errata Notice published at 71 DCR 004474 (April 19, 2024); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 72 DCR 008497 (August 1, 2025). District of Columbia Municipal Regulations Mental Health 22-A DCMR § 3433