How to apply for IACS Accreditation

You are notified when you're approved for a site visit and we begin scheduling the visit. A site visit team will be identified (different peers who did not participate in the initial Application Review) and a date scheduled for the 2-day visit. Smaller centers may be able to complete the visit in less than two full days.

Once the visit takes place, the site visitors have one month to submit their findings in a report to IACS. The director of the counseling center then has an opportunity to read and comment on the report, sending a written response to IACS within 30 days. Once your response is received, a final accreditation/re-accreditation decision is made.

Once your counseling center appears to meet the IACS Standards, then you are notified via email that scheduling an on-site review has been approved. Your information is passed on to the Coordinator of the IACS Field Visitation Program. When the field visitor team has been established, the IACS Executive Director will notify you. You are responsible for contacting the field visitor(s) to set up a mutually agreeable date for the visit. 

An on-site review is at least one full day in length. Once the visit takes place, the Field Visitors have one month to submit the report to the Chair of the Accrediting Board, who in turn sends the report to you as the center director and requests a written response within 30 days. Once your written response is received, the Chair will then approve the center for what is called the Final Board Review.

If there are outstanding issues after the site visit, there may be up to three additional peer-reviews (two more Application Reviewers and the IACS Vice President). The additional Reviewers will be peers who have not seen your application materials before, which include the application and supplemental materials you orginally submitted, the two initial Application Reviews, the Site Visit Report, and your written response to the Site Visit Report. If, after two additional peer reviews, a clear accreditation determination cannot be made, a final peer review is conducted by the IACS Vice President of the Board of Directors.

Each year, accredited centers are assessed an annual Accreditation Fee. This fee must be paid annually to remain in good standing.

Additionally, accredited centers are required to submit an Annual Report each year to self-attest to continued compliance with IACS Standards. There is no fee associated with the Annual Report.

Centers are required to undergo re-accreditation every eight years, including a submitting full application packet, site visit, and the peer-reviews.

The IACS Board of Directors can request a re-evaluation review with a mandatory field visit, prior to eight years, if they feel it is warranted based on any Annual Reports submitted during this timeframe.

Additional re-accreditation details are here.