Council on Accreditation of Peer Recovery Support Services LLC Established to Accredit Organizations and Programs Providing Peer Recovery Support Services
(Washington, DC, July 22, 2013) – Faces & Voices of Recovery has established the Council on Accreditation of Peer Recovery Support Services (CAPRSS) LLC, the next step in implementing a system to accredit recovery community organizations and programs as health care service providers.
“We are excited about this important step that will build on the successes of the growing network of recovery community organizations across the US,” said Faces & Voices Director of Programs Tom Hill. “Implementation of the Wellstone/Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and the Affordable Care Act, combined with a new focus on recovery and health management, have positioned these organizations and programs to step into new roles in their communities.”
Under CAPRSS, organizations seeking accreditation will be required to meet a set of standards, established criteria, and measured outcomes, organized according to four functional areas and accompanying domains. Applicants will be evaluated on the extent to which they can demonstrate their ability to meet the specific standards on a tiered continuum ranging from full accreditation to provisional and nonaccreditation status. Assistance for applicants will be available to help organizations and programs build capacity and meet accreditation requirements.
“CAPRSS is the first-ever accrediting body that is designed specifically for recovery community organizations and peer programs in allied organizations offering peer services. CAPRSS accreditation status will allow them to take on a level of accountability that can guarantee the highest level of quality in services, wherever they are delivered – in community or off-site service settings, such as criminal justice, clinical treament, or primary care,” said Hill.
A full set of standards and key indicator criteria have been developed Site visits in five
locations are underway, to be completed by the end of October, 2013. The site visits are
planned as pilots to further assess the standards, develop onsite protocols, and test
measurement metrics and final evaluations. After the site visits, the standards and
measures, site visit protocols and peer review manuals will be finalized, along with an
online application and learning platform. The CAPRSS web site (www.caprss.com)
provides additional information and a place to register for updates and requests to
participate in the accreditation process.
Faces & Voices of Recovery has been developing CAPRSS since January 2011. A 25-
member Advisory Council representing public and private sector payers, researchers, and
peer recovery support service providers has guided its effort. Two consultants, Elizabeth
Burden and Thomas Zastowny, PhD., have brought organizational, design, and technical
expertise and Tom Hill, Faces & Voices Director of Programs, has managed the overall
project. CAPRSS development has been supported by the Health Foundation of Greater
Cincinnati, the federal government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA) and Faces & Voices of Recovery members.
About Faces & Voices of Recovery
Faces & Voices of Recovery is a national nonprofit organization working to mobilize,
organize and rally the 23 million Americans in long-term recovery from addiction to
alcohol and other drugs, their families, friends and allies in a campaign to end
discrimination; broaden social understanding; and achieve a just response to addiction as
a public health crisis. For more information, please visit: facesandvoicesofrecovery.org.