Behavioral Health Benchmarks Guide

Why Benchmarks Fail Without Context

Industry averages hide payer mix, acuity, and state licensing differences. Benchmarking is useful when leadership compares against its own trailing performance and peer programs with similar economics.

Census & Admissions Benchmarks

Track conversion and speed alongside volume.

• Inquiry-to-admission conversion rate
• Average response time to new inquiries
• Referral mix concentration — top three sources as % of admissions
• Authorized vs. occupied census gap

Revenue Cycle Benchmarks

Weekly review prevents month-end surprises.

• Authorization rate at admission
• Denial rate by category
• Clean claim rate
• Net collections vs. authorized revenue

Staffing Benchmarks

Turnover is a leading indicator of clinical and survey risk.

• Annualized turnover by department
• Time-to-fill for licensed clinical roles
• Overtime and contract labor as % of labor spend