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North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, Inc.
Appreciating the power of the horse to change lives Ô

 

 


 


 

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 The NARHA Premier Accredited Center program

  

Benefits
Quality assurance Recognition
Promotion
Education

Steps to accreditation
Training
Applying
 Site visit
Notification

 

Site visitors

 


 


Benefits of Accreditation
Just as other professions use accreditation and licensing systems to improve the well-being of their industries, professionals in the field of equine assisted activities have a distinction of their own through the Premier Accredited Center Program.  The Premier Accredited Center (PAC) Program, give centers the chance to demonstrate their excellence in providing quality equine assisted activities.

This voluntary process recognizes NARHA centers that have met established industry standards. The accreditation process is a peer review system in which trained volunteers visit and review centers in accordance with NARHA standards. A center that meets the accreditation requirements based on the administrative, facility, program and applicable special interest standards becomes a Premier Accredited Center (PAC) for a period of five years.

 

Quality assurance

  • Prospective donors, volunteers and riders are more willing to establish relationships with organizations that have attained this respected bench-mark. Likewise, staff and volunteers can take pride in knowing that they represent a center that meets the national standards.
  • Accreditation provides an advantage when raising funds — especially when approaching funding and state      organizations that require proof that a center meets industry standards before distributing funds.
     
  • When directors or other key staff members change at a PAC, riders can be assured that they will continue to receive therapeutically valid services that meet safety standards.

 

Recognition

  • Premier Accredited Centers are listed separately and prominently from member centers in all published listings. This includes the NARHA Membership Directory, state lists that are mailed to hundreds of prospective donors, riders and others requesting information, as well as the NARHA website that is accessible to millions of people daily.
     
  • Industry recognition of PACs is demonstrated through announcements at the NARHA Annual Meeting & Conference.
     
  • Only PACs are referred to print and broadcast reporters who call NARHA. These centers are known to have met safety standards and will make good sources for news stories.

 

Promotion

  • Only PACs have the right to use the NARHA logo and “Premier Accredited Center” tagline on printed materials.
     
  • PACs receive template press releases to customize and send to local media.

 

Education
 

  • Through the NARHA Standards & Accreditation Manual, personnel have a thorough resource to evaluate their centers.
     
  • To keep the standards current, the NARHA Board of Directors and Accreditation Committee routinely research and review the legality of the accreditation process.
 

Steps to Accreditation

NARHA centers become eligible to apply for accreditation when they have been a member in good standing for at least one full year. Center Accreditation Training courses are offered and applications are accepted year-round.  Note: This process also applies to those centers that wish to maintain accreditation status.

Step One - The Training
A designated center representative (must be a NARHA individual member) will need to complete a Center Accreditation Training (CAT) Course. This course is mandatory to apply for accreditation and is designed to review the NARHA standards to ensure that all centers applying for accreditation fully understand those standards and are secure in the knowledge that their center is in compliance with them. This course also ensures that each center is comfortable with the accreditation process before applying.

Step Two - Applying
An application for accreditation (received upon completion of the CAT course) is submitted to the NARHA office within 90 days of completion of the CAT course. Application is submitted with all supporting documentation, a $100 application fee and a Self-Study form. 

Step Three - The Visit
The assigned Lead Visitor will contact the center to set up a mutually agreeable date for the site visit to take place. The site visit takes place and all score forms are forwarded to the NARHA office. 

Step Four - Notification
The NARHA Accreditation Committee reviews the site visit score and file. Official results notification is sent from the NARHA office. Results are generally sent out on a quarterly basis following review by the Accreditation Committee.

For more detailed information on the site-visit process, see section B of the NARHA Standards & Accreditation Manual.

rev 12/20/2007

Site Visitors

NARHA individual members can get involved with the accreditation process by becoming site visitors. This experience offers networking opportunities, travel to other NARHA programs, excellent educational opportunities and first-hand participation in the growth and professionalization of our industry.

Individual members with a minimum of three years experience in the day-to-day operations of a NARHA Premier Accredited Center will need to complete a CAT course and an Associate Visitor Training Course to become a visitor. Contact the NARHA office for course information.