CARF Quality & Compliance Consultant (PRN/Contract)

Organization: HCO Behavioral Health Services
Location: Remote (Preferred familiarity with Louisiana behavioral health regulations; Louisiana residency not required)
Position Type: Independent Contractor (1099) | PRN | Project-Based

About HCO Behavioral Health Services

HCO Behavioral Health Services is a growing outpatient behavioral health organization committed to delivering high-quality, person-centered mental health services while maintaining excellence in compliance, quality improvement, and clinical operations.

As we continue strengthening our systems and preparing for future CARF accreditation activities, we are seeking an experienced CARF Quality & Compliance Consultant to partner with our leadership team on a project-by-project basis.

This is an ideal opportunity for an experienced CARF professional who enjoys improving systems, strengthening organizations, mentoring leadership teams, and helping behavioral health organizations operate at the highest standards.

Position Overview

The CARF Quality & Compliance Consultant will provide strategic guidance, auditing, training, and consultation to help strengthen HCO's compliance with CARF standards and industry best practices.

This is not intended to be a full-time or ongoing position. Instead, the consultant will be engaged as needed for specific projects, quality improvement initiatives, mock surveys, documentation reviews, policy development, staff education, and operational consulting.

The ideal candidate possesses extensive knowledge of CARF standards applicable to outpatient behavioral health organizations and can provide practical recommendations that improve organizational performance while supporting continuous quality improvement.

Primary Responsibilities

Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

CARF Readiness & Accreditation

• Evaluate organizational readiness for CARF surveys
• Perform mock CARF surveys and readiness assessments
• Identify compliance gaps and recommend corrective actions
• Assist leadership in prioritizing accreditation initiatives
• Provide strategic guidance related to CARF standards and interpretation
• Assist with survey preparation and post-survey improvement efforts

Quality Assurance & Compliance

• Conduct quality assurance audits of clinical documentation
• Review assessments, treatment plans, progress notes, and clinical records for quality and compliance
• Evaluate organizational compliance with CARF standards and applicable regulatory requirements
• Review policies, procedures, forms, and workflows
• Identify opportunities to improve documentation quality, consistency, and regulatory compliance

Performance Improvement

• Recommend operational improvements that strengthen quality outcomes
• Assist in developing performance improvement plans
• Help establish sustainable quality assurance processes
• Support implementation of corrective action plans
• Develop tools, templates, and resources to improve organizational consistency

Training & Education

• Provide training to leadership, supervisors, clinicians, assessors, and administrative staff
• Educate staff regarding CARF standards and best practices
• Assist with competency development and compliance education
• Facilitate workshops related to documentation excellence, quality improvement, and accreditation readiness

Consultation

• Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership
• Provide guidance regarding clinical operations and quality initiatives
• Assist with special compliance or quality improvement projects
• Offer recommendations for strengthening organizational infrastructure

Preferred Qualifications

Applicants should possess:

• Extensive knowledge of CARF accreditation standards
• Experience preparing behavioral health organizations for CARF accreditation
• Experience participating in CARF surveys, mock surveys, or accreditation consulting
• Strong knowledge of outpatient behavioral health operations
• Experience conducting documentation audits and quality assurance reviews
• Experience developing policies, procedures, and quality improvement initiatives
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
• Ability to provide practical, actionable recommendations

Preferred Experience

Preference will be given to candidates with experience in one or more of the following:

• Outpatient behavioral health organizations
• Community mental health services
• Counseling and psychotherapy programs
• Clinical quality assurance
• Performance improvement
• Regulatory compliance
• Behavioral health accreditation consulting

Experience with Louisiana behavioral health regulations and licensing standards is preferred but not required.

Desired Characteristics

We're looking for someone who is:

• Collaborative
• Detail-oriented
• Solution-focused
• Organized
• Professional
• Able to balance compliance with operational practicality
• Comfortable working independently while partnering with leadership

Engagement Structure

This position is offered on a 1099 Independent Contractor basis and is intended to be project-based and PRN.

Projects may include:

• Documentation audits
• CARF readiness reviews
• Mock surveys
• Policy reviews
• Staff training
• Compliance consulting
• Quality improvement initiatives
• Leadership consultation
• Special projects as assigned

Workload will vary based on organizational needs and project scope.

Compensation

Compensation will be based on experience, qualifications, project scope, and agreed-upon deliverables. 

Why Join HCO?

At HCO, we believe accreditation is more than preparing for a survey—it is about creating systems that consistently improve the quality of care delivered to every client.

We are looking for a consultant who shares that philosophy and wants to help build sustainable systems that support excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement.

If you are passionate about helping behavioral health organizations achieve and maintain the highest standards of quality and compliance, we would love to hear from you.