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Behavioral Health Home Certification Fact Sheet

Behavioral Health Home Certification is an optional certification program available to organizations under the Behavioral Health Care Accreditation program. The program recognizes organizations and agencies that act as behavioral health homes for the individuals they serve.

Behavioral health homes are responsible for the integration and coordination of the individual’s health care (behavioral health care, as well as physical health services). Health home providers do not need to provide all the services themselves, but they must ensure the full array of mental health, substance use, primary health and prevention/wellness promotion services are available, integrated and coordinated. The optional certification goes above and beyond what is required for accreditation and provides additional recognition for these services.

Benefits

  • Provides a framework that helps an organization become a behavioral health home, which will better meet the needs of the individuals it serves.
  • Ensures that certification requirements for care/services integration and coordination are being met and that a high level of quality is being attained.
  • Organizations that achieve this certification are recognized as leaders in the integration of behavioral and physical health care.
  • Helps organizations establish referral relationships with primary physical health care providers who are already Joint Commission accredited and are familiar with Joint Commission requirements.

Standards and survey process

The standards are based on key concepts of person-centered, comprehensive, coordinated care/services that support recovery and resilience philosophies. This includes an evaluation of how primary physical health care and other health care services are provided, accessed and coordinated, as well as how data is used to analyze and improve outcomes for those served. Use of health information technology or electronic health records is also addressed. For most organizations, certification will require an additional survey day. Like accreditation, Behavioral Health Home Certification has a three-year cycle.

State recognition

Joint Commission certification can help behavioral health care organizations demonstrate to state Medicaid authorities that the organization is functioning as a health home. Currently, Iowa, Maryland, Missouri and Ohio recognize Joint Commission certification of behavioral health homes to meet Medicaid health home provider qualifications. For more information, email

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