Joint Commission Behavioral Health Update
April 2016
In This Issue:

Greetings to Our Colleagues in Behavioral Healthcare!
This month marks the seven year anniversary of our newsletter! It's gratifying when we get feedback about how helpful the newsletter is to folks out there in the field. So, keep your questions and comments coming, and we'll continue to bring you information and resources that support your survey readiness efforts. Also, remember that you can access previous editions of our newsletter via the Newsletter Archive on our website. 
 
This month, our first article provides an update on the important recent changes to the TJC survey process for psychiatric hospitals. Our second article is a reminder about the requirements for your sentinel event policy.

In addition, we are pleased to announce our new esteemed associate Dr. Kevin Huckshorn. She has already become a very valuable member of our team!

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

Regards,
Anne Barrins
President/CEO
Prepared for Your Next TJC Deemed Status Survey?

If you're a psychiatric hospital using TJC for deemed status, be prepared for a strong CMS focus on your next survey. Contact us now to schedule a consultation on this important topic!

1-877-546-7206
Tip of the Month
Looking for guidance on the top rated safety products for your inpatient psychiatric setting?
 
Check out the recently updated guideline from the New York State Office of Mental Health on patient safety features and products. It provides environmental safety strategies and rates the various products on the market - a great resource for your Safety Committee!
Why Choose
Barrins & Associates?
"Our Barrins & Associates nurse consultant Colleen Sawyer was an excellent teacher and coach! She communicated not only the details of the standards but the bigger picture as well. That helped us see how we could improve both compliance and clinical practice - a great bonus for us!"

David Fletcher-Janzen
CEO
Sycamore Springs Hospital
Lafayette, Indiana
TJC Survey Process
Update for Psychiatric Hospitals
As reported in our March newsletter, significant changes are occurring to the TJC accreditation process for psychiatric hospitals. TJC recently sent an email to all psychiatric hospitals that use accreditation for deemed status. It outlined the changes to survey reports, scoring, and the post-survey response process effective June 6, 2016. In addition, there have been some changes to the TJC survey process for psychiatric hospitals. Specifically, surveyors are now focusing much more closely on the two Special Conditions of Participation (B Tags) that apply to psychiatric hospitals using TJC accreditation for deemed status. These CoPs are Medical Records and Staffing and two key areas.
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Sentinel Event
Is Your Policy Up To Date?
During some recent consultations, we've noticed that some organizations haven't updated their sentinel event policy to include all the current TJC requirements. In 2013, TJC expanded its Sentinel Event Policy to include certain harmful events involving staff, visitors, or vendors that occur while these individuals are on the premises of the healthcare organization. Since these specific types of incidents are now categorized as "reviewable sentinel events," organizations are required to conduct a root cause analysis (RCA) if such an event occurs. In addition, it's important to be aware of some other key points related to TJC's Sentinel Event Policy.
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Kevin Huckshorn Joins Barrins & Associates Team
Barrins & Associates is very pleased to welcome Dr. Kevin Huckshorn as a new member of our consulting team!  Dr. Huckshorn's experience includes her six-year tenure as Director of the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health for the state of Delaware. She is recognized as an international expert on restraint/seclusion reduction and trauma informed care. She is a licensed mental health nurse and internationally certified substance abuse clinician with 35 years' clinical experience as well as extensive experience in inpatient and outpatient program development. 
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NEW CLIENTS!
Barrins & Associates is pleased to welcome three new clients:
Bancroft Rehabilitation Services in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, El Paso Behavioral Health System in El Paso, Texas, and Clearview Treatment Programs in Venice, California. We are pleased to be working with these organizations on Joint Commission readiness!
Barrins & Associates provides Joint Commission and CMS consulting services for the Behavioral Healthcare industry. Our clients include psychiatric hospitals and freestanding Behavioral Healthcare organizations. We specialize in providing Survey Preparation and Continuous Survey Readiness services for the Behavioral Healthcare industry. Barrins & Associates was founded by Anne Barrins who was a Joint Commission surveyor for 13 years.

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