TJC and CMS News for Behavioral Healthcare

April 2023

Greetings to our Colleagues in Behavioral Health!

April is a month of transition and renewal. It is a time to look forward with hope and optimism at all the possibilities that lie ahead in the months to come!
In the spirit of spring, The Joint Commission is continuing to develop new products and to simplify standards. To support those efforts, we’re covering two important topics this month.

Our first topic covers the launch of the new Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic standards under the Behavioral Health Care & Human Services manual.
Our second article is about the interim February release of the updated Joint Commission Hospital standards. You will be happy to learn that the Joint Commission has continued to delete “above-and-beyond” standards.

We value your feedback on the newsletter. Please send us your comments and tell us what topics you’d like to see in future issues. We look forward to hearing from you! Also, feel free to forward this newsletter to your colleagues.

Julia Finken
Senior Vice President

Joint Commission Standard:
Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics

Take note of these important new standards! The Joint Commission will launch the new Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) standards on July 1, 2023. It’s important to know that both Hospitals and Behavioral Health Care organizations have Certified…

Medication Administration Based On Patient Preference

Joint Commission February 2023 Standards Update:
What’s New

Spring has arrived! Did you know the Joint Commission has published a February update to the 2023 standards? It is time to take note of these changes.

This interim release was effective February 19, 2023, or as stated in the What’s New document posted in the E-dition on your Joint Commission Connect site. Good news! Joint Commission has continued to delete “above-and-beyond” standards.

Take the following key standards and more off your watchlist……

Pregnant,Support,Group,Meetup,In,A,House.,Supporting,Patient.,Psychologist

Barrins & Associates provides Joint Commission and CMS consulting services for the Behavioral Healthcare industry. Our clients include psychiatric hospitals and freestanding Behavioral Healthcare organizations and we specialize in providing Survey Preparation and Continuous Survey Readiness services for the Behavioral Healthcare industry.

Barrins & Associates was founded by Anne Barrins, a Joint Commission surveyor for 13 years and is succeeded by Julia Finken with a 17 year tenure from The Joint Commission as a surveyor, the Associate Director of Business Development for the Home Care Program, and Executive Director of Business Development for the Behavioral Health Care and Psychiatric Hospital Programs.

In this Issue

New Joint Commission Standards: Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics
Joint Commission February 2023 Standards Updates: What’s New
Tip of the Month

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Plan for your Next TJC Survey Now

CMS announced that the Public Health Emergency ends May 11, 2023. The 1135 waivers expire May, 11th but the Vaccine CoP requirements and the Telehealth and Hospital at Home flexibility remain in place. CMS plans to resume the traditional validation survey process in October 2023.

Make sure you are in compliance with the TJC standards and CMS requirements applicable beginning May 11, 2023.

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TIP OF THE MONTH

A 5-minute safety briefing occurs during the preliminary planning session prior to the opening conference. It includes what the surveyor should do if there is:

Fire, smoke, weather or other emergencies
Workplace violence (inclusive of active shooter scenarios)
Any contemporary issues the surveyors may experience (i.e., civil unrest, labor action, other)

Remember the organization should update the surveyors if there are any changes during the course of the survey. Be sure to prepare for the safety briefing as part of your survey preparation.

Why Choose Barrins & Associates

“The expert guidance we got from Barrins & Associates was instrumental to our achieving TJC accreditation. Their knowledge and expertise helped make the path to accreditation clear and achievable. I highly recommend them to any BH organization seeking top notch TJC consultants.”

James W. Fay, IV, LPC
Senior Clinical Director
GenPsych
Bridgewater, New Jersey