TJC & CMS News Blog Information
for Hospitals and Behavioral Healthcare
To read articles written prior to January 2015, please view our Newsletter Archive.
Behavioral Healthcare Facility Construction
Is a new or remodeled building in your future? Before you embark on a behavioral healthcare facility construction plan, there is one step you should take that's as essential as the architectural drawings - an accreditation and regulatory compliance review! Behavioral...
Get Ready: Major Joint Commission Standards Updates Coming July 1, 2025
The pace of change from The Joint Commission has accelerated markedly this year. With a wave of new and revised standards introduced in quick succession, These revisions signal a significant transformation in how behavioral health organizations and psychiatric...
The Hidden Toll of Layoffs: How Behavioral Health Providers Can Support Mental Wellness After Job Loss
Job loss is more than a financial disruption—it’s a psychological event that can unravel one’s identity, security, and sense of purpose. As layoffs continue to affect industries nationwide, mental wellness after job loss, and the impact on individuals is often...
Cost-Saving Strategies for Psychiatric Hospitals and Community Behavioral Health Care Providers
With rising operational costs driven by inflation, labor shortages, and global volatile tariffs on healthcare supplies and equipment, psychiatric hospitals and community behavioral health providers are under increasing pressure to control spending without compromising...
Gen Z in Behavioral Health: Recruitment and Retention Strategies that Align with Accreditation & Regulatory, Compliance, and Better Outcomes
Amid persistent workforce shortages and changing demographics in behavioral healthcare, psychiatric hospitals and community-based behavioral health, organizations are reimagining recruitment and retention strategies — targeting and attracting Gen Z talent. Generation...
Sentinel Events in Behavioral Health and Psychiatric Hospitals Settings — and How Accreditation and Regulatory Standards Help Prevent Them
In psychiatric hospitals and community behavioral health organizations, the stakes for patient safety are uniquely high. Patients/Clients often present with acute psychological distress, suicidal ideation, or co-occurring medical conditions — all within environments...
The Backbone of Medical Staff Governance: What You Need to Know About Joint Commission Standards for Medical Staff Bylaws
When it comes to governing a psychiatric hospital's medical staff, structure, clarity, and accountability are not just important—they’re required. The Joint Commission (TJC) Standard MS.01.01.01 outlines critical expectations for Medical Staff Bylaws, ensuring that...
Creating Safe Spaces: How to Conduct an Environmental Risk Assessment for Outpatient Behavioral Health Settings
Increasingly, care delivery occurs in outpatient environments—Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOPs), Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHPs), and office-based therapy settings—where clients may be acutely ill, at elevated risk of harm to self or others, and navigating...
Beyond the Wait: Compassionate and Compliant ED Boarding of Psychiatric Patients
Emergency departments are often the first—and sometimes only—point of access for individuals in psychiatric crises. But when inpatient psychiatric beds, crisis services, or outpatient programs are unavailable, patients may wait in the emergency department (ED) for...
Do this before approving your building plans to prevent this common budget overage
Building a new healthcare facility or remodeling an existing one—especially in specialized areas like psychiatric hospitals and community behavioral health organizations—is an exciting yet complex endeavor. One of the most frequently overlooked aspects is...