Wondering how to open an addiction treatment center or drug rehab in the state of Florida? We take a deep dive into how to get it done as painlessly as possible.

Florida is a very popular state for opening an addiction treatment center.

The state’s weather and beaches make it a destination for many seeking treatment from out-of-state.

In-state, the need for addiction treatment is high. Recent studies show that 8% of Floridians use substances of abuse. The same study showed that roughly 410,000 Floridians are diagnosed with substance use disorder (SUD) every year.

Because Florida is such a popular state for the addiction treatment community, it is important to do your due diligence and conduct a needs assessment of your target area to analyze the existing competition and determine your best entry point into the market.

What type of treatment is under-represented in your target area? What types of treatments are over-represented?

After you’ve done a thorough analysis and decided on a specific location and a viable niche, it’s time to apply for your licensing and accreditation.

Read on for more details on the process of opening an addiction treatment center in Florida.

Opening an Addiction Treatment Center in Florida Starts With a Visit to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Program Office (SAMHPO)

Florida’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Program Office deals with all the paperwork and requirements you’ll need to tackle in order to open an addiction treatment center in Florida.

Your first stop in your journey to licensing is Florida’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Program Office (SAMHPO), which is governed by the Florida Department of Children and Families.

If your treatment facility has any of the components listed below, you’ll be working with SAMHPO to get your license to operate in the state:

Addictions receiving facilities
Detoxification
Intensive inpatient treatment
Residential treatment
Day or night treatment with host homes
Day or night treatment with community housing
Day or night treatment
Intensive outpatient treatment
Outpatient treatment
Continuing care
Intervention
Prevention
Medication-assisted treatment for opiate addiction

Let SAMHPO’s New Application Checklist be Your Guide to Opening an Addiction Treatment Center in Florida

SAMHPO makes it easy to keep track of all the tasks that go into opening and licensing an addiction treatment center in Florida by providing would-be operators like you a special checklist for new applications.

SAMHPO created a useful checklist to guide the process of applying for licensure in the state.

They likely did this because many people are overwhelmed by the length and complexity of the application process. Few states have as many extra requirements as Florida when it comes to opening an addiction treatment center.

SAMHPO’s checklist is broken down into 17 parts:

Agency information
Fire and safety compliance
Health and food inspections
Business tax receipt
Local zoning compliance
Client fee schedule
Comprehensive outline of services in 1000 words
CEO resume
Proof of Financial viability
Policy and procedure manual
Current insurance coverage
Current org chart
Level 2 background screen on owners, CEOs, CFOs and directors
Local law enforcement check on owners, CEOs, CFOs and directors
Affidavit of good moral character
Application fee
Licensing application

You’ll notice a strong emphasis on the moral character of the owners and operators of your addiction treatment center in the application process in Florida. The state requires two different types of background checks, a resume and an “affidavit of good moral character” before it will process your application.

Register for the PLADS System to Begin Your Licensing Application for Your Addiction Treatment Center in Florida

Unlike many states, Florida uses an online portal system to manage all applications submitted to SAMHPO.

In order to complete your application and submit all the required documents, you’ll need to create an account with the PLADS system. Once you’re all set up, you’ll collect all the required documents and forms within the PLADS system.

After you’ve completed your application in PLADS, SAMHPO has 30 days to respond.

Don’t Forget About the Fees You’ll Need to Pay to Open Your Addiction Treatment Center in Florida

There are some fees associated with opening an addiction treatment center in Florida, but they aren’t too hefty compared to the fees in other states.

Although Florida’s application process is more lengthy than most, the state’s fees for opening a center are relatively low (compared to, say, California’s fees). Most fees are $350 and under.

Even better? Florida offers bulk discounts on fees for addiction treatment centers depending on the number of centers you are opening or renewing. The bulk discounts top out at 25% off for those licensing or renewing twenty or more facilities in the state.

You can see Florida’s entire fee schedule for addiction treatment licensing here.

We’re Here to Help You Open an Addiction Treatment Center in Florida

Congratulations on beginning your journey to opening an addiction treatment center! Florida is an exciting choice.

At Behave Health, we specialize in helping addiction treatment centers run smoothly and efficiently from the beginning. Our all-in-one software system is designed especially for the addiction treatment community, with no customization or workarounds needed.

Our system can handle anything your center throws at it - EHR, drug testing, billing, property management, staff, community contacts - right out of the “box.”

And because Behave Health is cloud-based, you can access your information anytime, anywhere.

Get your free trial started today and see why more addiction treatment centers prefer Behave Health.