The Men’s Treatment Centre at the Nelson Bascome Substance Abuse Centre has received international accreditation.

The centre, which is under the auspices of the Department for National Drug Control, has been given a one-year International Accreditation award from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities International.

According to a press release from the Ministry of National Security, it is the first attempt at obtaining CARF Accreditation by the Men’s Treatment Programme, and “gives a clear indication of the programme’s dedication and commitment to improving the quality of the lives” of men suffering from addiction.

This Accreditation award will extend through August next year, and the Men’s Treatment programme will be listed internationally as a CARF Accredited organisation.

The Ministry of National Security, through the DNDC, has financially and technically supported the accreditation initiative since 2008; in 2009, the Women’s Treatment Centre was the first facility in Bermuda to meet the standards of CARF for its residential treatment as well as community housing programmes.

Meanwhile the Turning Point Substance Abuse Treatment Programme gaining CARF accreditation for three of its programmes in 2011.

Michael Dunkley stated: “Gaining international CARF accreditation illustrates the high standard of care provided by our local substance abuse treatment services and demonstrates that Bermuda’s substance abuse treatment services rank highly in comparison to services provided in other parts of the world.

“Our community can be confident in the fact that the services we provide are of the highest quality and that our client’s welfare is our top priority.”

The Premier and Minister of National Security continued: “We are very pleased with this most recent accreditation survey of the men’s programme. We take great pride in what we do for the people of this community and this achievement further acknowledges our dedication to those we serve.

“This achievement also meets the legislative requirement of the NDC Act 2013, in that facilities operated by the Department for National Drug Control are subject to accreditation.

“There is still much to do as we must continue to maintain accreditation and strive for the highest level through ongoing quality improvement processes.

“The Ministry of National Security and the DNDC thank and congratulate the staff and management of the Men’s Treatment programme for their dedication, commitment and hard work. Without them this achievements could not be possible.”

CARF, which has its headquarters in the United States, was selected as the accrediting body for having the highest standards for substance abuse treatment programmes and facilities.

CARF’s mission is to promote the quality, value and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process that centres on enhancing the lives of the persons served.

CARF assesses treatment programming, the physical environment, governance, leadership, strategic planning and outcome evaluation systems.

A service provider earns accreditation by demonstrating conformance to CARF’s standards through documented policies and procedures as well as by providing proof of processes via a rigorous on-site survey which includes interviews with persons served and external partners.

CARF grants accreditation in the States, Canada and Europe, at the request of programmes or facilities.