License, accreditation, and certification are different
A state license, an accreditation, and a special certificate answer different questions.
This guide compares them by issuer, purpose, and limits. It does not rank facilities.
| Status | What it can show | What it cannot show |
|---|---|---|
| State license | The state has allowed a service to operate | That every service or address is covered |
| Accreditation | An outside group reviewed named services | That the state license is current |
| Special certificate | A program met extra rules for a named service | That every program at the site has it |
Start with the state license
Start with the agency that licenses treatment programs in the state.
For opioid treatment programs, SAMHSA requires state licensure, federal certification, accreditation, and DEA registration. SAMHSA: OTP requirements.
That rule is specific to OTPs. Other services can have different state rules.
Ask for the license number, issuing agency, covered service, address, and expiration date.
Accreditation is a separate review
Accreditation is not the same as a state license. It is an outside review against set standards. CARF: behavioral health program list.
CARF says its review is not a license, certification, or site inspection. CARF: what accreditation covers.
The Joint Commission lists accredited substance use providers in its own locator. The Joint Commission provider locator.
Match the status to the exact service
A facility may offer detox, residential care, and outpatient care at one address.
One license or accreditation record may not cover every service there.
Ask which status covers the service you are considering. Ask whether it covers this address.
Also ask whether the record belongs to the facility name you were given.
Check a license in five steps
- 1. Write down the facility's legal name and street address.
- 2. Ask which state agency issued its treatment license.
- 3. Search that agency's public license lookup.
- 4. Match the license number, service, address, and expiration date.
- 5. Call the agency if the record is missing or unclear.
Use the state agency's record, not only a badge on a facility website.
Check accreditation in the accreditor's directory
Search the accreditor's own directory. Match the legal name, address, program, and current status.
The Joint Commission says its experts review listed providers at least every three years. The Joint Commission review details.
A facility's website may show an old seal. The accreditor's record is the better check.
Use FindTreatment.gov as a starting point
SAMHSA describes FindTreatment.gov as a confidential and anonymous treatment locator. SAMHSA FindTreatment.gov.
SAMHSA says facility information is updated each year from survey responses. Some changes are made weekly. FindTreatment.gov update details.
Treat a locator listing as a starting point. Confirm the current license with the state agency.
What our directory can and cannot tell you
Our directory helps you find facilities and compare the care levels they report.
This count is read from our directory when the page loads. The read did not come back this time, so the table is not shown. Nothing is substituted for it. Reload in a moment, or search the directory directly.
Source: the aSoberBed asb_facility_stats_public view, read when this page loads.
The table is not a state license record. It does not replace your own license check.
Questions to ask before admission
- What is your legal facility name?
- What state agency licenses this service?
- What is the license number and expiration date?
- Does the license cover this address?
- Which accreditor reviewed this program?
- Does that review cover the service I need?
- Who can confirm these details before I arrive?
Write down the answers. Compare them with the state and accreditor records.
If a record does not match
Pause before sharing personal details or paying a bill.
Ask the facility to explain the difference in writing.
Then call the licensing agency or accreditor using its public phone number.
If the facility cannot explain the mismatch, ask another program for an assessment.
How this site is paid for
Facilities pay a flat listing fee to be listed here.
The fee does not change what you see, or the order you see it in.
Nobody pays us for a referral, and nobody pays us when a person is admitted.
That is a legal line, not a preference. We do not sell placement in treatment.