Barrins Bulletin

Greetings to Our Colleagues in Behavioral Health!

Dear Readers,

​As we begin a new year, behavioral health leaders find themselves navigating a landscape defined by growth, evolving survey expectations, and a more operationally focused approach to accreditation. In January’s newsletter, we explore how these forces are converging—and what that means for organizations preparing for 2026 and beyond.

First, we address what Accreditation 360 now fully means for psychiatric hospitals. With the transition complete, survey success is no longer driven by documentation alone, but by how consistently safe care is delivered and overseen every day. We outline where survey risk is most concentrated, how tracer methodology is applied in behavioral health settings, and what readiness looks like under the Survey Process Guide framework.

Next, we turn to what many Community Behavioral Health leaders are asking right now: Do surveys feel different heading into 2026? While standards may look familiar, survey experiences increasingly emphasize leadership understanding, real-time oversight, and how performance information is used to drive decisions. This article highlights how survey conversations are evolving—particularly around suicide prevention, documentation, workplace violence prevention, and quality improvement—and what leaders should be prepared to explain during surveys

Finally, we open with a look at behavioral health growth strategies and why early alignment with accreditation and regulatory requirements plays a critical role in supporting safe, scalable care. As organizations expand through new programs, geographic growth, acquisitions, or virtual care models, accreditation increasingly serves as a shared operational framework—helping leaders maintain consistency, reduce rework, and protect patient safety during periods of change.

Collectively, these articles reflect a common theme: accreditation is no longer a periodic exercise—it is an ongoing expression of how organizations operate, lead, and learn.

Our goal at Barrins & Associates remains to help teams translate evolving expectations into practical, defensible daily practice that supports staff confidence and patient safety.

We hope this month’s insights are helpful as you set priorities for the year ahead. As always, we value the opportunity to support your work and look forward to partnering with you in 2026.

Warm Regards,

Yvonne Rockwood
MBA, MHA, CPHQ
Senior Vice President

Translating Growth, Surveys, and Accreditation into Confident Daily Practice

A Trusted Resource, When It Matters Most

As the accreditation landscape continues to evolve, some organizations may notice changes in how readiness and advisory support is provided. During periods of transition, having access to experienced, independent perspectives can be helpful.

Barrins & Associates remains focused on practical, standards-based support and is always available as a resource when questions arise. We appreciate the continued trust and partnerships we’ve built over the years.

When questions arise, our team is here to help — contact us to connect.

From Reporting to Readiness: How Psychiatric Hospital Boards Should Govern For Readiness in 2026

Psychiatric hospital boards are entering a governance environment where how oversight happens matters as much as what is reviewed. In 2026, accreditation risk is no longer confined to policies, audits, or frontline performance. Instead, it increasingly resides at the…

Continue reading >

Behavioral Health Accreditation ROI: Designing Readiness That Supports Performance

In 2026, the most resilient Behavioral Health Centers have moved beyond the cycle of preparing for survey and into the era of “operational insurance.” In an environment defined by staffing constraints and tightening margins, accreditation readiness is no longer a…

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Governing from the Middle: A Behavioral Health Leadership Shift

Accreditation outcomes in 2026 are being shaped less by formal reporting structures and more by how leadership systems function in real time.Whether governance sits with a board, an owner, a founder, or a senior leadership group supported by clinical advisors, one…

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ACCREDITOR INSIGHTS & UPDATES

Joint Commission (JC)

Webinars & Learning Events

• The Joint Commission offers live and on-demand webinars on accreditation, certification, patient safety, quality measurement, and performance improvement topics year-round. You can browse and register via their Knowledge Library → Webinars page.
• They also provide a Quality Measurement Webinars & Videos series, including deep dives into eCQM updates, accelerate performance improvement, and Accreditation 360 content tied to revised standards.
• Joint Commission publishes weekly newsletters (Joint Commission Online) with key news and reminders (e.g., deadlines for Accreditation 360 on-demand webinars).

Learn More >

CARF

• CARF Canada 101 event (Mar 3-4, 2026) for Accreditation in multiple service areas.
• Training & Education Formats
  • CARF offers live, in-person, blended, and on-demand training options on standards implementation, outcomes measurement, and survey preparation.
• Future Sessions
  • CARF 101 in-person sessions for additional programs are being organized later in 2026 (e.g., Employment & Community Services)

Learn More >

CIHQ

Webinar Calendar & Topics

• CIHQ, often via Accreditation Resource Services (ARS), has a robust webinar lineup through early 2026:
• Construction Projects — Surveyor Perspective — Mar 20, 2026
• Future webinars scheduled into May 2026 (topic TBD).

News & Conferences

• CIHQ’s Accreditation & Regulatory Summit is scheduled for October 6-8, 2026 with continuing education opportunities.
• They also list the HACP Preparatory Course & National Exam on Oct 5, 2026.

Learn More >

COA

Free & Recurring Webinars

• COA (within Social Current) hosts a recurring “Introduction to COA Accreditation” webinar throughout 2026 — typically monthly on Wednesdays (e.g., Apr 1, Jun 3, Aug 5, Oct 7, Dec 2, 2026). These are ~30-minute sessions covering accreditation basics.

Accreditation Trainings

• Intensive Accreditation Training (IAT)
• Performance & Quality Improvement (PQI) sessions.
• Dates include Feb 9, Apr 6, Oct 5, and Dec 1, 2026

Learn More >

DNV

DNV’s Healthcare University (in-person course series)

• Nashville, TN: April 21–23, 2026
• Denver, CO: July 21–23, 2026

These multi-day, expert-led courses cover DNV accreditation fundamentals, patient safety, risk management, ISO 9001 concepts, internal auditing, sterile processing, infection prevention, and more.

Learn More >

TIP OF THE MONTH

Focus on “Daily Defensibility,” Not Just Documentation

Survey readiness in 2026 is about showing how safety and quality are managed in real time. This month, have leaders and managers routinely ask:

• Can we show how this process protects patient safety today?
• Does our practice match our policy?
• Are we using data to guide decisions?

Barrins & Associates provides regulatory and accreditation consulting services for the Behavioral Healthcare industry, including psychiatric hospitals and freestanding BH organizations. We specialize in providing survey preparation and continuous survey readiness services to help you provide safe and compliant care.

Founded in 1999 by Anne Barrins, former Joint Commission (JC) surveyor and succeeded by Julia Finken, former JC surveyor, 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 and Yvonne Rockwood, former Regional Associate Director for the Eastern Business Development Division at the JC for Community Behavioral Health Care Services.