Regulatory compliance issues in behavioral health.

Abstract

Behavioral health as a discipline has grappled with regulatory compliance issues on its own, tending to be isolated from other specialties and to benefit little from the mistakes and solutions of the rest of medicine. The most common problems with behavioral health regulatory compliance have to do with documentation, billing and coding, treatment plans, and medical necessity. Regulatory compliance is inextricably linked to quality of care. Providers can assess their compliance efforts by asking themselves a series of questions and, most important, by assessing the quality of the care they provide. Sound research and outcomes-based practice are the best ways to improve outcomes in behavioral health treatment and will be the most effective methods for aligning practice with regulations.