ACHC launches behavioral health accreditation standards

The Accreditation Commission for Health Care, Inc. (ACHC) will release the first five services for the Behavioral Health Accreditation Program on Feb. 14. ACHC continues to beta test an additional 14 service standards, but providers will be able to download free standards to begin the accreditation process for the following services:

• Case Management (CMGT)
• Community Support (CS)
• Day Treatment (DTX)
• Outpatient Treatment (OTX)
• Psychosocial Rehabilitation (PSR)

Behavioral Health accreditation covers an array of services offered to persons challenged with mental health, intellectual/developmental disabilities, and/or substance abuse issues. ACHC standards address critical components including rights, governance, operations, fiscal accountability, services and documentation, performance improvement and risk management.

“My colleagues and I are very excited about the release these five services,” stated Britt Welch, Behavioral Health Clinical Manager at ACHC. “We develop all of our accreditation standards through a rigorous process of research, review by experts in the field, and beta testing with providers. This allows us to receive critical feedback from the providers who deliver the services daily. Behavioral Health accreditation offers these organizations the opportunity to meet higher levels of performance across their organizations, leading to better management of costs and improved services and outcomes for service recipients.”