Note: Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) many institutions have moved courses online. The ABAI Accreditation Board voted to permit virtual site visits. Please contact us to obtain more information about planning a virtual site visit as part of the accreditation application process.
Accreditation Process
- The program administrator contacts the ABAI Accreditation Board to request a preliminary review of eligibility to apply for accreditation.
- The Accreditation Board receives a self-study and application fee(s) from the eligible training program(s).
- The Accreditation Board identifies and invites at least two site visitors.
- The Accreditation Board submits the names of the proposed site visitors and a site visit quote to the program administrator.
- Once all site visit fees are paid, the Accreditation Board puts the program administrator and site visitors in contact with one another to schedule the site visit.
- Site visitors review the guidelines for site visits, identify points in the self-study requiring clarification, and formulate questions/tasks for addressing these points during the site visit.
- During the site visit, the site visitors verify the representations in the self-study; collect data by interviewing, observing, and reviewing documentation; and begin drafting the site visit report.
- After the site visit, the site visitors reach consensus and submit a site visit report to the Accreditation Board within 30 days.
- The Accreditation Board sends the site visit report to the program administrator within 30 days of the visit.
- The program administrator acknowledges receipt of the report and sends back a written response within 30 days.
- The Accreditation Board shares the site visit report and the program administrator’s response with the Board members and assigns primary and secondary readers responsible for presenting the report at the next Board meeting.
- At the next meeting, ABAI Accreditation Board members make an accreditation decision based on the site visit report and the program administrator’s report.
- The Accreditation Board notifies the program administrator and the site visitors of the Board's decision.
- If the program is approved for accreditation or re-accreditation, the Accreditation Board sends the program administrator the accredited program annual report form in preparation for the following year, image files of all applicable accreditation seals, and the ABAI Accreditation Board's policy on public disclosure of accreditation status.