The Joint Commission has been active in behavioral health care accreditation since 1969 when it began accrediting organizations providing services for persons with developmental disabilities. In 1972, the Joint Commission began evaluating and accrediting organizations providing mental health and chemical dependency services. Today, the Joint Commission accredits more than 1,800 behavioral health care organizations. Accreditation is available for the following behavioral health care services:
- Addictions
- Case management
- Corrections
- Crisis stabilization (24-hour acute care setting)
- Family preservation and wraparound services
- Forensics
- Foster care and therapeutic foster care
- In-home family counseling
- Opioid treatment programs
- Outdoor/wilderness behavioral services
- Outpatient treatment
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- Partial hospitalization, day treatment, adult day care, and intensive outpatient services
- Residential/group homes
- Shelters
- Special populations, including children and youth, and persons with addictions or developmental disabilities
- Technology-based therapy
- Therapeutic schools (both day and 24-hour)
- Transitional, supervised supportive living
- Vocational rehabilitation
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Benefits of accreditation
Accreditation helps to inform and protect clients and consumers, educate providers, and support improvement in the quality of the behavioral health care organization overall. Behavioral health care organizations seek Joint Commission accreditation primarily as a means to enhance organization performance. In many states, accreditation also may be used to meet licensure requirements. It also is a condition of reimbursement for certain insurers and other payers. Joint Commission accreditation requirements provide a data-driven management structure that supports the delivery of safe, quality services. This external review process also assists board members in fulfilling their fiduciary responsibilities.
Standards
The Joint Commission’s behavioral health care standards address important functions relating to the care of clients and the management of behavioral health care organizations. The standards are framed as performance objectives that are unlikely to change substantially over time. The Joint Commission develops all its standards in consultation with behavioral health care experts, providers, measurement experts, clients and their families. The standards-based performance areas for all behavioral health care organizations are:
- Management of the Environment of Care (EC)
- Management of Human Resources (HR)
- Surveillance, Prevention and Control of Infection (IC)
- Management of Information (IM)
- Leadership (LD)
- Life Safety (LS)
- Medication Management (MM)
- National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG)
- Provision of Care, Treatment and Services (PC)
- Improving Organization Performance (PI)
- Ethics, Rights and Responsibilities (RI)
There are also additional standards specific to the unique needs of Opioid Treatment Programs and Foster Care Programs. Some standards cover services that support a recovery-oriented philosophy and approach to care, treatment and services. These standards apply only to behavioral health care organizations offering case management/care coordination, community integration, employment services, family support, peer support, or vocational rehabilitation services.
Survey process
The Joint Commission’s accreditation process concentrates on operational systems critical to the safety and quality of client care. To earn and maintain accreditation, a behavioral health care organization must undergo an on-site survey by a Joint Commission survey team at least every three years. The objective of the survey is not only to evaluate the organization, but to provide education and guidance that will help staff continue to improve the behavioral health care organization’s performance. The survey process evaluates actual care, treatment or services provided by tracing clients and analyzing key operational systems that directly impact the quality and safety of client care.
Surveys are conducted by experienced behavioral health care professionals including psychologists, social workers, behavioral health care nurses and administrators. The majority of the Joint Commission surveyors are actively working in a range of behavioral health care settings. Surveyors must also pass a certification examination.
Performance measurement requirements
Accredited behavioral health care organizations are expected to meet standards-based requirements for performance measurement, and to present relevant performance data and actions taken in response to these data during the on-site survey.
Cost of accreditation
The 2009 annual fee begins at $1,689 for a small behavioral health care organization and is adjusted based on the number of clients served and the types of services and programs provided. An organization’s on-site survey fees are based on the type of services provided, volume, and the sites to be included in the organization’s accreditation beginning at $2,835.
Behavioral health care information available to the public
Information about the safety and quality of accredited behavioral health care organizations is available to the public at Quality Check®, www.qualitycheck.org. This comprehensive listing includes detailed information about a behavioral health care organization’s performance and how it compares to similar organizations.
For more information, call (630) 792-5411.