New and Revised “Emergency Management” (EM) Requirements for Assisted Living Communities and Behavioral Health Care and Human Services
Effective July 1, 2025, The Joint Commission has approved new and revised “Emergency Management” (EM) requirements for all Joint Commission–accredited assisted living communities and behavioral health care and human services organizations.
The Joint Commission undertook a thorough analysis and rewrite of the EM chapter.
This resulted in the following:
- Reorganized requirements
- Renumbered standards
- Reduction of elements of performance (EPs) by over 28% for assisted living communities and 31% for behavioral health care and human services organizations.
The goal of the EM chapter rewrite was to aid organizations in developing a more comprehensive approach to emergency management. The new and revised requirements help them be better prepared to meet the health, safety, and security needs of their facilities, staff, patients, and individuals served during emergencies or disaster incidents (such as the COVID-19 pandemic). In alignment with the other accreditation program EM chapter rewrites, the requirements provide more clarity with greater emphasis on the following:
- Assessment, applicability, and incorporation of the hazard vulnerability analysis throughout the EM chapter
- Leadership involvement and oversight in all aspects of emergency management
- Staff education and training with specific guidance for initial and ongoing training in emergency management
The project’s program-specific R³ Report provides rationales for the requirements. It also provides references to the research articles and reports used to develop the requirements. In addition to a literature review, the new and revised requirements were developed based on feedback from customers, public field review, expert guidance, and an internal EM workgroup.
The new and revised standards for are posted on the Prepublication Standards page of The Joint Commission website and will be published online in the spring 2025 E-dition® update to the Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Assisted Living Communities (CAMALC) and the Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Behavioral Health Care and Human Services (CAMBHC).
For more information, please contact The Joint Commission’s Standards and Survey Methods.
Publication Standards: