Field Visitation Policy

  1. All centers must undergo a field visit when first applying for accreditation. Four (4) years after initial accreditation, all centers must be field visited as part of their first re-accreditation process. Any center successfully re-accredited after the first re-accreditation process will then enter an eight (8) year field visit cycle.
  2. The eight (8) year re-accreditation field visit cycle will require that centers submit re-accreditation paperwork in the 4th year of the cycle and will be invoiced for the re-evaluation fee. The appropriate Accrediting Board will review the material and if satisfactory, the center will be granted re-accreditation without a field visit. The Accrediting Board can however request that a field visit be conducted if they feel it is warranted based on the paperwork submitted. If this occurs, the center under review will be notified and sent an invoice for the field visit fee.
  3. An Accrediting Board can request that a re-accreditation review with mandatory field visit be conducted if they feel it is warranted based on any paperwork submitted during the 8 year cycle.
  4. On the 8th year of the cycle, each center will complete re-accreditation paperwork, undergo a mandatory field visit; be invoiced for the re-evaluation fee and also be invoiced separately for the field visit fee which is based on the FTE* staff size.
  5. Centers are placed into the re-accreditation process  based on the date of the last accreditation decision letter they received. IACS has three (3) evaluation cycles: Winter; Spring/Summer; and Fall.  For example, If a center was re-accredited January 15, 1998, their next evaluation date would be January 2002.  This would place them in the  "Winter Cycle".  The center would be sent re-accreditation materials  February, 2001 which would be due no later than September 1, 2001.  If an on-site visit is required, the center must scedule that visit to take place between January 1, 2002 and March 31, 2002.
  6. The re-accreditation field visit fee is based on a per visitor amount. The current field visit fee is $500.00 per visitor. The number of visitors required to review a center will be determined as follows:
      7. 1 visitor for less than 7 FTE  professional staff members
      2 visitors for 7 or more FTE professional staff members

      * The definition of an FTE staff member adopted by the IACS Board of Directors is one (1) full time clinical/administrative position, excluding clerical and trainee staff.

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