Citizen Advocates and St. Joseph’s Earn National Accreditation for Behavioral Health Care

In 2025, Citizen Advocates earned a three-year accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) for its Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC)—a first in the agency’s history—while partner agency St. Joseph’s Addiction Treatment & Recovery Centers renewed its longstanding CARF accreditation for inpatient and outpatient addiction services, first earned in 2002.

Citizen Advocates is now one of only three agencies in New York State—and the only provider in Upstate New York—to receive CARF accreditation for CCBHC services. CARF also recognized Fieldstone Foundation’s Backpack Program and Meals with Meaning fundraiser as organizational strengths, while Citizen Advocates’ disabilities programs remain separately accredited by The Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL).

Together, these accreditations affirm the network’s shared commitment to compassionate, high-quality care that puts individuals first, whether in recovery, seeking mental health support or living the life of their choosing. Patients can trust they are receiving care that is convenient, easy to navigate and meets the highest clinical standards—while safeguarding dignity, safety and overall well-being.