Human Resources Management Joint Commission Requirements

The main areas of the Human Resources Management (HRM) section of The Joint Commission standards manual focus on:

• Job Descriptions
• The function of staff within the organization
• Staff qualifications
• Competency Assessment, and
• Performance Evaluation

The Joint Commission asks that job descriptions are developed for all employees working at the organization, and that they include the qualifications and competency required for the job role, as well as the specific duties and responsibilities of the position.  Staff should be well qualified for the job they are performing, and in areas where it is determined competency needs to be increased in order to fill the role, additional training should be provided before the employee delivers care, treatment and services to patients.

The Joint Commission requires that all organizations assess the competency of staff delivering care, treatment and services to clients.  

Competency should be assessed by someone with similar or higher skills and credentials than the person being assessed.  This can be done using staff that are employed by your organization.  In certain circumstances with smaller organizations or when the staff hires a specialist in a field, outside peer review of the new employee's skills and knowledge may be necessary.

When staff take a different job or switch roles within the company, competency needs to be assessed for the new duties they will be performing.

Organizations are expected to verify the credentials and education of staff.  Sometimes this involves querying a licensing board for a specific staff member's license, and in other circumstances this means communicating with schools and previous employers where your staff received education and experience.

Part of staff having an understanding of their job descriptions is the level of transparency when it is time to evaluate staff performance.  Performance evaluations need to assess how well an employee performs the duties in their job description, but can also focus on broader topics such as communication and teamwork.

We have developed and modified job descriptions, competency assessment forms, and performance evaluation forms for every position within the behavioral health care field.  While these items typically require a level of customization, we work with agencies to identify specific areas within the organization that need to be addressed in our templates so we can provide you with documentation that matches perfectly with your needs as a company and satisfies all Joint Commission requirements.

If your organization needs assistance in developing Human Resources within your company or achieving accreditation through The Joint Commission, click the link below to contact us through our web submission form, or call us anytime at (866) 444-7272.