January 9, 2001
Contacts:
Shiyoko Cothren, (313) 577-7917, scothren@med.wayne.edu
Andrea Gresko, (313) 577-1872, agresko@med.wayne.edu

University Psychiatric Centers Achieve CARF Accreditation

Administrators for University Psychiatric Centers (UPC) were recently informed by CARF, The Rehabilitation Accreditation Commission, that their organization was awarded a three-year accreditation for all of its outpatient mental health and substance abuse treatment programs.

This award, which represents the highest possible level of accreditation, is given to organizations that show substantial fulfillment of the standards established by CARF. UPC was found to show outstanding achievement in the areas of clinical care and business operations.

“This achievement is an indication of your organizations dedication and commitment to improving the quality of the lives of the people receiving services,” said Barbara Altman, vice president of Accreditation and Management of CARF.

This latest action marks the second consecutive three-year accreditation awarded to UPC by CARF, an international accreditation body.

According to Donald E. Galvin, Ph.D., president and CEO of CARF, “UPC has put itself through a rigid peer review process and has demonstrated that its programs and services are of the highest quality, measurable and accountable.”

UPC is a non-profit organization affiliated with the Wayne State University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences. It has been providing mental health and substance abuse treatment services throughout the Detroit metropolitan area since 1994.

Dr. Thomas Uhde, UPC president and CEO and Chairman for the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at Wayne State University noted that the UPC clinics offer a major advantage to the people of Michigan -- easy access to mental health providers who are truly premier thinkers and scientists in the study of brain disorders and the development of new treatments for mood, anxiety, addiction, and sleep disorders. The CARF reviewers substantiated this perception and wrote, "The quality of the professionals providing services appears second to none…In the geographic area of service, the organization is recognized as the premier behavioral health provider, and its symbiotic relationship with Wayne State University gives the organization a decided edge over other providers in the region."

CARF, a private, non-profit, Tucson, AZ based accreditation body established in 1966, is committed to promoting the quality, value and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process that centers on enhancing the lives of the persons served.