In 2019, an estimated 4,028 people died of unintentional drug overdose in Ohio, with an increase of about 7% over the previous year. For the African American community, in particular, the rates of opioid-related deaths have increased 38% between 2018 and 2019 in Ohio, and they continue to rise.
Ohio is reeling under the opioid crisis and is scrambling to respond to a surge in demand for addiction treatment as the nation faces a mental health crisis deepened by the COVID-19 pandemic. These numbers show that the demand is there. Nevertheless, access to treatment lags behind, particularly in diverse communities and particularly for culturally competent care.
Simply put: now is a great time to open an addiction treatment center in Ohio. Here’s how.
Yes, Ohio Requires State Licensure for Most Addiction Treatment Providers
According to revised state code 5119.35, most addiction treatment providers in Ohio have been required to obtain licensure since the code was updated in 2019.
Any entity that provides “residential, outpatient or withdrawal management services” is required to get certified by the state.
Exceptions include any individual who works in healthcare as part of a sole proprietorship, partnership or group practice or any individual who works in a hospital outpatient clinic that is, itself, already certified by the state.
This means that most traditional addiction treatment centers that aren’t “one doc shops” will need to get certified in the state of Ohio. Physicians and mental health practitioners can provide direct addiction treatment services to patients, but uncertified organizations can’t.
Addiction Treatment Providers Looking to Get Certified by the State are Referred to as “Community Behavioral Health Agencies” in Ohio’s Legalese
Ohio’s Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services oversees the Licensure and Certification Tracking System, the online portal through which Ohio processes all requests for addiction treatment certification.
It is important to note that when you are interacting with these systems that there are only three main categories of entity to which you can belong: “Community Behavioral Health Agencies,” “Residential Facilities” and “Inpatient Psychiatric Service Providers.” While it is tempting to assume that your addiction treatment center might fall under a “residential facilities” category - especially if it will include residential treatment - that would be an incorrect assumption. All SUD-related services, from residential to prevention, fall under the category of “Community Behavioral Health Agency.”
Other places on the state’s website refer to SUD-related services as “Community Support Services,” another very unclear term.
Don’t be confused - the state of Ohio’s website is just using very unclear language to refer to addiction treatment services here.
You’ll Need to Get Friendly With Ohio’s Licensure and Certification Tracking System to Complete Your Addiction Treatment Center’s Licensure and Certification Application
The Licensure and Certification Tracking System (LACTS) is the new online hub through which all applications for licensure are processed, including applications from “Community Behavioral Health Agencies” and “Opioid Treatment Program Providers.” Ohio ditched paper applications several years ago.
To use the system, you’ll need to create an OH|ID account. There are ways to do this with and without an Ohio State Driver’s License. Once you’ve created your account, you’ll sign into the OhioMHAS Portal, which is where you will register your organization with the state and begin the application process. After registering your organization, you’ll request access to LACTS. To do this, log into your OhioMHAS account and navigate to the iPortal Dashboard. From there, you’ll be able to select the LACTS (Organization Administrator) icon under “My Applications.”
You can read more about this process in the LACTS Organization Admin User Guide.
If You’re Opening an Addiction Treatment Center in Ohio, We Can Help
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