Note: Effective January 1, 2006, The Joint Commission discontinued its Network Accreditation Program for Managed Behavioral Health Organizations. However, The Joint Commission will continue to provide a full array of support services and oversight to organizations accredited under this program through the end of each organization’s respective accreditation award period.
The Joint Commission began offering specialized accreditation services to behavioral health plans and integrated delivery systems in 1994. The Joint Commission has been active in behavioral health care accreditation since 1972, when it began accrediting psychiatric hospitals. Currently, The Joint Commission accredits more than 1,600 behavioral health care organizations, including behavioral health plans/integrated delivery systems. Behavioral health plans or integrated systems accredited by The Joint Commission have the following characteristics:
- Provide for health care services to a defined population of individuals.
- Offer comprehensive and/or specialty services.
- Have both a centralized integrating structure and contract with, or manage, actual care delivery sites, which include practitioner offices and/or components that deliver care.
Standards
Behavioral health plan or integrated system standards, published in the 2005-2006 Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Managed Care Organizations or 2005-2006 Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Integrated Delivery Systems, are designed to accommodate the range of organizational structures that make up the behavioral health plan or integrated system field. The CAMMCO manual applies to managed behavioral health care plans and systems, while the CAMIDS manual applies to provider-sponsored integrated systems focused on behavioral health services. A comprehensive advisory structure, including the Network Professional and Technical Advisory Committee, provider associations, professional associations, and consumers and their families, provide ongoing advice to The Joint Commission regarding standards development. Both CAMMCO and CAMIDS standards focus on:
- Rights, Responsibilities and Ethics
- Continuum of Care
- Education and Communication
- Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
- Improving Performance
- Leadership
- Management of Human Resources (including Credentialing)
- Management of Information
- Performance Improvement
In addition, CAMMCO standards cover Utilization Management.
The survey process
The survey of a behavioral health plans’ or integrated system’s performance includes:
- Evaluation of the principal administrative location that manages the behavioral health plan or integrated system.
- Interviewing leadership, staff and other stakeholders.
- Reviewing documents.
- Offering insight to help the behavioral health plan or integrated system improve its compliance with the standards.
For information on integrated survey options, or other information, call (630) 792-5291 or visit www.jointcommission.org.
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