For the public, accreditation protects the welfare of society by ensuring competent mental health professionals.
For students and their parents, it provides assurance that the quality of the program has been evaluated and has met accepted standards established by the profession.
For employers, accreditation indicates that the curriculum covers essential skills and knowledge needed for today’s mental health jobs.
For graduates, accreditation ensures relevancy of the curriculum and training and enhances licensure and employment opportunities.
For the profession, it advances the field by promoting standards of practice and advocating rigorous preparation.
For faculty and administrators, accreditation ensures ongoing self-evaluation and continuous improvement and provides an effective system for accountability.
For the school or program, accreditation shows that the program is serious about maintaining high standards of education and training.
Accreditation ensures quality, bolsters employer confidence in its graduates, enhances a program’s reputation, and represents peer recognition.
Degree mills and accreditation mills pose harm to students and the public by offering degrees or granting accreditation without clear quality standards. Such a degree or accreditation defeats the purpose and benefits of acquiring an education or accreditation. For more information about the danger of degree and accreditation mills, please visit https://www.chea.org/combating-degree-mills