Joint Commission seeks input on behavioral health home certification

Joint Commission-accredited behavioral healthcare organizations that are establishing behavioral health homes will soon have a certification option. Beginning in January 2014, The Joint Commission will begin offering Behavioral Health Home Certification. The certification program will provide a framework to better meet the needs of individuals served by emphasizing care coordination and quality, according to a Joint Commission press release. Behavioral health homes integrate physical healthcare services with behavioral healthcare to provide treatment that addresses the needs of the whole person. Health home providers need not provide all services themselves, but must ensure that the full array of primary and behavioral healthcare services is available and coordinated.

Proposed standards are posted on The Joint Commission website through May 24 for comment from the behavioral healthcare field, and prepublication standards are expected to be available online this summer.