New JCR book: Treatment planning in behavioral health care and human services organizations

A new book from Joint Commission Resources (JCR) takes a close look at The Joint Commission’s standards and elements of performance (EPs) related to treatment planning in behavioral health care and human services (BHC) organizations.

The book specifically examines the Care, Treatment, and Services (CTS) chapter of the Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Behavioral Health Care and Human Services (CAMBHC) and explores the processes and activities that go into effective treatment planning within BHC programs and settings.

To help accredited BHC organizations identify and improve compliance in areas related to treatment planning, “Treatment Planning in Behavioral Health Care and Human Services” highlights requirements that many organizations find challenging (as seen by Joint Commission surveyors) and offers solutions and strategies for improvement.

Recent data from The Joint Commission show that on surveys conducted in BHC settings in 2020, the rate of noncompliance with standard CTS.03.01.03 was 61.69%. This requirement states, “The organization has a plan for care, treatment, or services that reflects the assessed needs, strengths, preferences, and goals of the individual served.”

Joint Commission surveyors reported the following common problems:

• Care, treatment, or service goals did not reflect the individual’s own words.
• Care, treatment, or service goals were not reviewed at specific time frames as required.
• Care, treatment, or service goals were not measurable and did not or could not show progress toward meeting identified goals.
• The treatment plan did not address all the needs and problems identified during screening and assessment.
• The treatment plan was not individualized.
• Goals and objectives in multiple plans for multiple individuals were the same, selected from scripted language found in the electronic medical record.
• Individuals were not involved in decision making for treatment planning.
• Organizations failed to follow the written plan for care, treatment, or services.

The book looks at these compliance challenges and identifies and explains ways that organizations can improve in areas such as:

• Entry to care, treatment, or services.
• Screening, assessment, and reassessment.
• Planning and development of care, treatment, or services.
• Delivery of individualized care, treatment, or services.
• Monitoring outcomes of care, treatment, or services to achieve individualized goals.
• Continuity of care, treatment, or services.
• Discharge planning.
• Prevention and wellness promotion services, when applicable.

Purchase the book.