Next up for JCAHO: behavioral network accreditation. (Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations)(Cover Story)

Although an accreditor's "seal of approval" has become an all-important key to provider survival and growth in the tumultuous managed care marketplace, the behavioral field has lagged behind others in gaining access to it. That is, until this year. Recent months have seen a flurry of activity by the National Committee on Quality Assurance, the American Managed Behavioral Healthcare Association and the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations in developing accreditation standards, performance measures and report cards tailored specifically for behavioral care. And it looks as though next year will be the year for behavioral network accreditation. NCQA is busily preparing its long-awaited HEDIS 3.0, and JCAHO--having already accredited two behavioral networks--is refining its standards for an all-out push. Recently, two of JCAHO's network experts were asked by Behavioral Health Management Editorial Director Richard L. Peck to update their activities and, perhaps along the way, shed further light on what "networks" in this field really …