R3 Report Issue 49: New and Revised Emergency Management Standards for Behavioral Health and Human Services (BHC) Accreditation Program
Effective July 1, 2025, new and revised emergency management requirements will apply to all Joint Commission–accredited behavioral health and human services programs. The Joint Commission began conducting a critical analysis of its “Emergency Management” (EM) chapter in late 2019. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Joint Commission received numerous inquiries pertaining to emergency plans and response procedures. Based on the work already being performed on the EM chapter and the questions and issues that arose during the pandemic, the entire EM chapter has been restructured to provide a meaningful framework for a successful emergency management program. The changes in the EM chapter include a new numbering system, elimination of redundant requirements, and the addition of new requirements. This restructuring resulted in a reduction in the number of elements of performance by 31% in the EM chapter for the behavioral health and human services program.