WHO WE ARE
The Behavioral Health Standards Organization was founded through collaboration with healthcare providers, subject matter experts, consumer advocates, lawyers, and government agencies. Our mission is to elevate quality, safety, and accountability across behavioral health services. Every standard we establish must directly advance patient safety, improve health outcomes, exceed existing laws and regulations, and be easily measured for compliance.
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New standards are developed through a comprehensive, transparent process. Emerging quality and safety issues are identified by reviewing scientific literature and consulting with advisory groups, accredited organizations, professional associations, consumer groups, and other key stakeholders within the behavioral health community. Draft standards are shaped through collaboration with technical advisory boards, expert focus groups, and industry leaders.
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All proposed standards are distributed to all states for review and public comment, and can be viewed on the Standards Review page of the Behavioral Health Standards Organization website. After stakeholder feedback is incorporated, BHSO executive leadership and our Board of Advisors review and approve final standards.
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Before any standard is fully adopted, pilot testing is conducted to validate that it can be effectively implemented in the field. Surveyors are trained extensively to assess conformance to new requirements, ensuring consistency, fairness, and reliability during accreditation reviews.
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Standards are never static. Once adopted, they are continuously refined based on field experience, stakeholder input, and evolving best practices — ensuring that BHSO remains a living model of excellence, innovation, and integrity in behavioral health.
STANDARDS?
Who are we? Where did we come from? Why are we here?
WHO ARE WE?
We are an isolated few in the Behavioral Health Community a little concerned about quality of care, and ethics. Many of us have well over 30+ years experience in the substance abuse / mental illness industry.
WHERE DID WE COME FROM?
We are providers and practitioners. Some of us are advocates; others are attorneys, judges, district attorneys, and law enforcement professionals. Together, we formed this organization to establish higher standards in an industry where, historically, formal licensure, advanced education, or certification has not always been required. In many cases, the only qualification has been personal recovery experience — an important foundation, but not the full measure of professional competency. We believe the individuals and families seeking help deserve more.
WHY ARE WE HERE?
We are here because of the lack of cohesion and standardization in the behavioral health field. When providers and practitioners operate under a unified code of ethics and consistent standards, every patient — regardless of where they seek help — receives the same level of care and protection. Our mission is not to define the minimum acceptable standard of care, but to set the highest possible standard, raising the expectations for what recovery and behavioral health services should truly represent.
WHAT WE DO
We set high standards.
Organizations like The Joint Commission, College of American Pathologists, Global Clinic Rating, American Association For Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities,Inc. and CARF focus on healthcare facilities of all types, whereas we focus solely on behavioral health facilities, programs and professionals.
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We have adopted practices and methods from ISOâ„¢ International Standards Organization to develop an accreditation model that surpasses "the gold standard", by raising the bar.