After suffering the ravages of the opioid crisis and continuing to see a significant rise in drug overdoses over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Oklahoma is on the offensive. The state has a five-year strategic plan designed to address mental and behavioral health in Oklahoma, with goals such as increasing urgent recovery centers by 50%, expanding emergency addiction crisis lines, creating effective friends-and-family warmlines and broadening preventative and educational programs designed to stop addiction before it starts. 

With all of the state government’s focus on expanding services in the state, now is a great time to make your move and finally open your addiction treatment center in Oklahoma. 

This blog post will cover what it takes to open a rehab program in the state, as well as what goes into Oklahoma’s state licensing process for addiction treatment providers. Read on for tips and tricks on how to get started and how to avoid a few key pitfalls along the way. 

Yes, Oklahoma Requires Most Addiction Treatment Centers to Get Certified (and Renew Certification Every One or Two Years)

According to the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS), all addiction treatment providers, be they private rehabs, community mental health centers, gambling addiction centers, MAT programs, or even residential programs focused on the treatment of eating disorders, must seek certification with the state before they begin to provide services in the state. 

The laws that govern this certification mandate for addiction treatment providers are covered in Oklahoma Statute, Title 43A. 

In Oklahoma, only the following private practice individuals are exempt from mandatory certification: 

• Licensed physicians 

• Licensed psychologists

• Social workers 

• Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselors 

• Individual clergy members 

Getting Your Addiction Treatment Center Certified in Oklahoma is a Six Step Process 

On their handy New Program Overview page, ODMHSAS covers the certification process for addiction treatment centers that are new to Oklahoma. 

The steps, in brief, are: 

1. Reach out to the Provider Certification (PC) division to request an application and submit that application along with the fee. 

2. Your assigned PC will then ensure your application is complete. A self-survey and site review protocol is completed along with the submissions of your policy and procedure manual.

3. The PC will follow up with any issues with the existing application and work with you to get them addressed so that you may move on to the next step. 

4. When all requirements are satisfied, a six month Permit for Temporary Operation (or PTO) is issued. You may treat patients at this point but you may not collect state funding with a PTO, so all patients must be private pay at this point.

5. A “Quality Clinical” review is scheduled and completed.

6. Upon satisfying the Quality Clinical, a one or two year certification will be issued. The expiration of your initial certification depends on the number of your clinical records available for state review and the degree of clinical standards compliance you’re able to demonstrate. 

The Initial Application for Addiction Treatment Center Certification in Oklahoma is Available Online 

Oklahoma makes it easy to access the materials you will need to complete your addiction treatment certification. The Initial Application for Permit for Temporary Operation of an Alcohol and Drug Treatment Center is a straight-forward application with only a few slightly unusual features you’ll want to be aware of. 

Like many states, Oklahoma requires that your application include: 

• Current approved fire inspection 

• Org chart 

• List of board members 

• Oklahoma State Department of Health inspection for food services 

• Relevant zoning approvals 

• Written treatment schedule 

• Staff credentials 

Unlike many states, Oklahoma also requires: 

• A signed attestation form giving number of hours clinical director will be on-site 

• A signed “statement of understanding” 

• Photographs of reception area as well as photos of the outside of the building

Despite some of the slightly unusual features to Oklahoma’s addiction treatment center certification process, overall the state’s approach is measured and reasonable compared to other, even more highly regulated states’ application processes.

Is Oklahoma in Your Addiction Treatment Center Business’ Future? We Can Help. 

Behave Health is committed to making it easier - and more profitable - to operate evidence-based, results-focused addiction treatment centers. 

Our all-in-one app puts clinical, administration, staff, admissions, alumni, residents, treatment plans, billing, insurance authorizations and more - all at your fingertips.

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

Need help with certification? Behave Health can also help direct you to the right resources for help with Licensing or Accreditation by either The Joint Commission or CARF. Mention to your product specialist that you’re interested in this service after you start your free trial!