Lutheran Services of Georgia is excited to announce that the Lutheran Behavioral Health Services program (LBHS) recently received a three-year accreditation from CARF International, the maximum length of accreditation that CARF offers to health and human service providers.

LBHS offers an array of outpatient mental health and substance abuse counseling services to children, adolescents, adults, and seniors in the Metropolitan Atlanta area. LBHS utilizes a person-centered treatment plan to assist clients with reaching their personal goals to improve their lives and promotes mental health through service, advocacy, and education.

Since the launch of LBHS in August, 2013, LSG has sought accreditation from CARF International to support this crucial program. CARF International is an accreditation body that assists service providers in improving service quality, demonstrating value, and meeting internationally recognized organizational and program standards. Organizations like LSG must undergo a comprehensive review of policies and procedures to ensure that they meet CARF standards.

Dr. Lucy Cannon, LBHS Program Director, and Ms. Joy Jones, LSG’s Senior Manager of Quality and Improvement led LSG staff through this process. Together, LSG staff and stakeholders developed a plan that allowed LBHS to succeed. As an accredited program, LBHS can now take steps towards becoming a certified Medicaid provider in Georgia and is eligible for federal, state, and local funding sources. LSG will further develop and implement survey and outcome measurement tools to improve its mental health and substance abuse services for clients and families.

LSG thanks Dr. Cannon, Ms. Jones, LSG staff, CARF Surveyor Ms. Lesley Levin, LCSW, clients, and other stakeholders who successfully assisted LSG through this process.

For more information about LBHS or to make a referral, visit the LBHS webpage.