Pennsylvania Behavioral Health & Substance Use Licensing Guide

Drug & alcohol licensing

Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP)Licenses per owner, location and activity

Mental health licensing

DHS Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS)Certificate of Compliance; regional field offices

Rules

28 Pa. Code Part V (DDAP); 55 Pa. Code (OMHSAS)

License term

One yearAnnual on-site inspection to renew (DDAP)

Accreditation

No DDAP deemed status todayJoint Commission required for for-profit partial hospitalization (OMHSAS)

Who licenses behavioral health programs in Pennsylvania?

Drug and alcohol treatment is licensed by the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP).¹ Any entity providing drug and alcohol treatment needs a license, issued for a specific owner, location and activity. DDAP’s named settings include inpatient, outpatient, partial hospitalization, residential (halfway house), narcotic treatment and telehealth-only.²

Mental health programs are licensed by the Department of Human Services’ Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), with regional field offices handling review and surveys.³

Providers doing both hold a license from each agency. Since July 14, 2025, dual-licensed outpatient, partial hospitalization and residential facilities can opt into a coordinated annual inspection by both departments.⁴ Chapter 711 covers drug and alcohol activities that are part of a health care facility, which is also subject to the Health Care Facilities Act.⁵

License types and activities

DDAP’s Chapter 709 standards are organized by activity:⁶

• Intake, evaluation and referral
• Inpatient nonhospital: residential treatment and rehabilitation
• Inpatient nonhospital: short-term detoxification
• Inpatient nonhospital: transitional living facilities
• Partial hospitalization
• Outpatient
• Inpatient hospital drug and alcohol activities in freestanding psychiatric hospitals

An opioid treatment program needs a drug and alcohol license plus a separate approval under Chapter 715.⁷ Intensive outpatient is not a separate Chapter 709 heading, so confirm with DDAP how your IOP and ASAM levels of care map to its activities.

OMHSAS licenses outpatient psychiatric clinics (Chapter 5200), partial hospitalization (5210), psychiatric rehabilitation (5230), intensive behavioral health services (5240), private psychiatric hospitals (5300), community residential rehabilitation (5310) and long-term structured residences (5320), among others.⁸

How to apply

DDAP (drug and alcohol)

1. Request the application packetSubmit DDAP’s Request for Licensing Application Packet, selecting each activity you plan to provide.²
2. Complete the applicationDDAP sends the forms, application and checklist.²
3. Pass the on-site inspectionAn inspection comes before full licensure. A provisional license of up to six months is possible, with a correction plan due within 15 working days.⁹
4. Renew every yearLicenses run one year and renew after an annual on-site inspection. DDAP notifies the county Single County Authority.⁹

OMHSAS (mental health)

1. Identify the serviceConfirm the license type that fits your program.
2. Get county supportObtain a letter of support from the county mental health office.
3. Assemble the packageFollow OMHSAS’s instructions (March 26, 2026), including entity, fictitious-name and registration documents, and any occupancy and fire or Uniform Construction Code approvals.
4. Complete reviewA completeness review, field-office review of your service description, a document review and a site visit.
5. Renew annuallyReapplication and inspection each year.

Neither DDAP’s application page nor DHS’s publishes behavioral health licensing fees or processing times, so ask the agencies directly.^{3, 10}

How accreditation counts in Pennsylvania

• No DDAP deemed status today. Every DDAP licensee receives an annual on-site inspection.⁹
• Joint Commission for for-profit partial hospitalization. Under 55 Pa. Code § 5210.7(a), for-profit partial hospitalization facilities must also hold Joint Commission accreditation; CARF is not named.¹¹ A similar requirement for for-profit outpatient clinics was removed in 2019.¹²
• Pending: SB 1352. The bill would create a two-year DDAP license for providers in good standing with current multiyear national accreditation, with one inspection every two years. It passed the Senate 45 to 5 on June 22, 2026 and sits in the House Human Services Committee. It is not law.^{13, 14}

Other approvals you may need

• Medicaid: contact the behavioral health managed care organization, then enroll in PROMISe with your Certificate of Compliance. High-risk providers and owners of 5% or more need FBI and State Police checks.^{3, 15}
• Opioid treatment programs: DEA and SAMHSA approvals alongside state approval; the state inspects at least annually.⁷
• Occupancy and fire: an occupancy permit and Uniform Construction Code approval where required.¹⁰
• Business entity: registration with the Pennsylvania Department of State.³

Recent and pending changes

• July 14, 2025: coordinated DDAP and DHS inspections launched for dual-licensed facilities, on a voluntary basis.⁴
• Mental health procedures (Chapter 5100): proposed December 6, 2025; the Independent Regulatory Review Commission approved the final-form regulation on October 15, 2026. Final publication and an effective date were not yet posted.¹⁶
• Crisis intervention licensing (Chapter 5250): proposed October 18, 2025, with comments closed November 17, 2025. It remains a proposal.¹⁷
• SB 1352: two-year licenses for accredited providers, pending in the House.¹³

Confirm these with the agency

• DDAP licenses are site- and activity-specific. Changes in activity, ownership, name, location, maximum occupancy or closure must be reported within 90 days, or the license expires automatically.¹⁸
• How DDAP maps intensive outpatient and ASAM levels to its activities.
• Whether OMHSAS enforces § 5210.7(a) for your for-profit partial hospitalization program.
• Chapter 715 bars OTP medication units, so confirm mobile-unit and take-home rules with DDAP.⁷
• Fees, timelines and clearance rules, in writing from DDAP and your OMHSAS field office.

Sources

1. DDAP, Licensing. pa.gov
2. DDAP, Apply for a license to operate a drug and alcohol treatment facility. pa.gov
3. DHS OMHSAS, Mental health licensing for new providers. pa.gov
4. DDAP, Streamlined joint inspection launch. pa.gov
5. 28 Pa. Code Chapter 711. pacodeandbulletin.gov
6. 28 Pa. Code Chapter 709. pacodeandbulletin.gov
7. 28 Pa. Code Chapter 715. pacodeandbulletin.gov
8. DHS OMHSAS, Mental health licensing regulations and standards. pa.gov
9. 28 Pa. Code § 709.11. pacodeandbulletin.gov
10. DHS, Apply to be a licensed provider. pa.gov
11. 55 Pa. Code § 5210.7. pacodeandbulletin.gov
12. 49 Pa.B. 5943 (October 12, 2019). pacodeandbulletin.gov
13. Pennsylvania General Assembly, SB 1352 (2025-2026). palegis.us
14. SB 1352, Printer’s No. 1771. palegis.us
15. DHS, PROMISe provider enrollment. pa.gov
16. IRRC, Regulation 14-558. irrc.state.pa.us
17. IRRC, Regulation 14-557. irrc.state.pa.us
18. DDAP, Report a licensed drug and alcohol treatment facility change. pa.gov

This guide summarizes Pennsylvania regulations, legislation and agency pages as of the date above. It is general information, not legal advice. Requirements change; confirm with DDAP and OMHSAS before you apply.