BHCOE introduces key updates to Accreditation and 2022 Standards to better meet ABA community need

LOS ANGELES (June 7, 2022) —  BHCOE is launching new standards for applied behavior analysis (ABA) and introducing changes to its accreditation process. It has updated its standards to improve understandability and has brought greater focus to clinical practices on the path to quality ABA services. It has standardized its accreditation designation to two-years with an annual conformance. It has also eliminated the tiered one-, two-, three-year as well as provisional accreditations. BHCOE’s 2022 Standards and its new accreditation process will become effective July 1. 

In developing the new standards and making changes to its accreditation process, BHCOE listened carefully to the ABA community and relied on its growing body of knowledge including seven years and more than 100,000 data points about the practices that result in quality ABA services. 

“We have been able to distinguish the types of data that define quality organizations, and as a result, we’ve been able to adjust our standards and accreditation to focus on these areas, making the process not only more robust but more efficient for providers who are dedicated to quality improvement and seeking BHCOE accreditation toward that goal,” said Dr. Ellie Kazemi, BHCOE’s Chief Science Officer. 

ABA providers can expect to find some of the following changes in BHCOE’s 2022 Standards and new Accreditation Process:

• A newly designed digital gateway to guide providers step-by-step 
• Immediate feedback to redirect providers to resources that help them meet a standard
• No reloading documents for accreditation renewals unless they have changed
• More focused, fewer survey questions
• Fewer required documents 
• Even more transparency of the scoring criteria
• Greater focus on the quality of therapy sessions and the quality of services 
• Scalability for organizations with fewer than 25 patients
• Additional clinic-specific data visibility for larger organization

“Providers who apply for accreditation should know that BHCOE has looked across best practice documentation and put together a set of standards that allow us to speak about the quality of services that an organization provides with a focus on patient-centered care,” says Ellie Kazemi, BHCOE’s Chief Science Officer. “They should also know that going through this robust evaluation process is very educational. Organizations report to us that the learnings about their own employees and process helps them redefine and identify their real strengths.”

BHCOE has an inclusive process for setting standards. It engages multiple stakeholders across the ABA community to make sure that the voices of those being impacted by standards are heard, including providers, parent and families, payors, and other patient advocates. ABA is evolving rapidly and BHCOE recognizes that quality standards must keep pace. Moving to a two-year accreditation with annual conformation will help providers stay ahead of changes to ensure that they best meet their patients’ needs.  Efficiencies in the new standards and evaluation process will make accreditation more accessible and attainable to more providers. For more information about BHCOE Accreditation, see our Introductory Guide.

About BHCOE

Behavioral Health Center of Excellence® (BHCOE®) is an organization within the autism field that is dedicated to leading evidence-based quality improvement of equitable Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) through its creation of performance-based standards for providers and learning and improvement resources for all stakeholders and as the only international accreditor for the field. To learn more about BHCOE, visit www.bhcoe.org.

Contact:

Anshula Ahluwalia
news@bhcoe.org
847-372-9091