APPROVED: New Requirements for Residential and Outpatient Eating Disorders Programs. Effective July 1, 2016, for Behavioral Health Care Accreditation Program.

The Joint Commission added several new requirements applicable to accredited behavioral health care organizations that provide care for individuals with eating disorders. The requirements will appear in the “Care, Treatment, and Services” (CTS), “Leadership” (LD), “Performance Improvement” (PI), and “Rights and Responsibilities” (RI) chapters in the Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Behavioral Health Care Organizations (CAMBHC) and are effective July 1, 2016. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any behavioral health disorder, making it very important that these programs provide the safest and highest-quality care possible. While several existing standards in the manual could apply to eating disorders programs, there are currently only two that apply specifically to organizations providing care to individuals with eating disorders: Standards CTS.02.03.09 and CTS.04.02.17 (shown in the blue box at right). The field expressed concern to The Joint Commission that organizations purporting to offer eating disorders programs may not be adhering to the level of rigor necessary to successfully provide these services. Based on these conversations with the field as well as its own research, The Joint Commission identified a need for additional requirements that address eating disorders programs. The new standards, which are applicable only for organizations that provide eating disorders care, treatment, or services, address the following aspects of eating disorders programs: