IAFA · Instituto sobre Alcoholismo y Farmacodependencia
Costa Rica's national institute for alcohol and drug dependence. Full accreditation.
Accreditation and Licensing · Costa Rica Treatment Center
Fully licensed and accredited by Costa Rica's national health authorities
Deciding on the right treatment center is one of the most important decisions a family will make. Accreditation and licensing are a baseline of trust. They tell you that a program has been reviewed by an official authority and meets the required standards for safe, professional operation.
CRTC is fully licensed and accredited by the two primary regulatory bodies governing addiction treatment in Costa Rica.
Our accreditations
The two bodies that regulate us
Ministry of Health of Costa Rica
Full licensing and regulatory compliance under Costa Rica's national health authorities.
Why accreditation matters
What accreditation actually means for your loved one
Trust should be earned, not assumed. Ours is backed by Costa Rica's two national health authorities.
Accreditation means that an independent authority has reviewed the program and confirmed that it meets defined standards.
For families choosing a treatment center outside their home country, accreditation from the host country's regulatory authorities is the most relevant indicator of legitimate, professional operation.
IAFA (Instituto sobre Alcoholismo y Farmacodependencia) is the Costa Rican Institute on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, the primary national regulatory body for addiction treatment programs in Costa Rica. CRTC holds full accreditation from IAFA. IAFA establishes and enforces the standards for residential addiction treatment including clinical staffing, facility conditions, patient rights, treatment protocols and reporting requirements.
CRTC is also licensed by the Ministerio de Salud (Ministry of Health of Costa Rica), the national government body responsible for regulating healthcare facilities across the country. This license confirms that CRTC operates in compliance with Costa Rican healthcare regulations.
CRTC has held these accreditations since the formal launch of the treatment program in 2018. Both IAFA and the Ministry of Health require ongoing compliance. This is not a one-time certification.
History
Operating in Costa Rica since 2016
Nearly a decade in operation, more than 600 people treated, and a founder who built it from his own recovery
CRTC began in 2016 as a sober living and recovery support environment. The formal comprehensive treatment program launched in 2018.
The program has been operating continuously since then, treating over 600 patients across both centers. CRTC was founded by Gernot Holtz, who built it from personal experience with addiction and recovery. That lived perspective shapes both the clinical philosophy and the commitment to accreditation, transparency and accountability.
More about CRTC
Everything about who we are
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Our story
How CRTC began and what we set out to build.
Read our story -
Our founder
The personal experience behind the program.
Meet the founder -
Clinical team
The doctors, therapists and staff who run treatment.
Meet the team -
FAQ
The questions families and clients ask most, answered directly.
Read the FAQ
Take the first step
The first conversation costs nothing
You do not have to have everything figured out. You just have to be ready to start talking. We are here. Day or night.
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