How to check if a California rehab is licensed

Before you start: get three things from the program

1. The exact legal name of the program. Marketing names often differ from licensed names.
2. The street address where you'd actually receive care. Licenses are issued per location, so a license at one site doesn't cover another.
3. The license or certification number. A legitimate program will give it to you without hesitation.

If a program won't give you these, you can stop here.

Step 1: Find the license or certification on the DHCS list

DHCS publishes every licensed and certified substance use disorder program in the state. Search by name, city, or license number on the CHHS Open Data facility list.

Check:

• The name and address match what the program told you.
• The license is current, not expired.
• The services match what you're being sold. A program licensed only for outpatient care can't run a residential program.

What should be licensed:

• Residential treatment and residential detox. A program that provides 24-hour residential services with detox, individual or group sessions, educational sessions, or recovery and treatment planning needs a DHCS license. Adult residential programs also need a DHCS level-of-care designation. Ask to see it.
• Detox with medical support in a residential setting. The program should also have DHCS approval for incidental medical services.
• Outpatient, IOP, and PHP. State certification is voluntary, but many programs hold it. Programs that bill Medi-Cal must be Drug Medi-Cal certified.
• Methadone clinics (narcotic treatment programs) are licensed by DHCS.
• Hospital detox and chemical dependency recovery hospitals are licensed by the California Department of Public Health, not DHCS.

Step 2: Check for probation, suspension, or revocation

DHCS publishes a list of programs on probation, suspended, revoked, or issued a notice of violation. Check it on DHCS's enforcement page.

A program on probation can legally operate, but ask what happened and what it changed.

Step 3: Check the clinicians

• Doctors, nurses, therapists, and psychologists. Look up each name on the Department of Consumer Affairs License Search. It covers physicians, registered nurses, marriage and family therapists (LMFT), clinical social workers (LCSW), professional clinical counselors (LPCC), and psychologists. Check for discipline.
• Addiction counselors. California requires counselors in licensed or certified programs to be registered or certified through one of three DHCS-recognized organizations: CCAPP, CADTP, or CAADE. A "registered" counselor is still working toward certification and must finish within five years. Ask the program which organization certifies its counselors, then verify with that organization.

Step 4: Check accreditation (optional, but a good sign)

Accreditation is voluntary. Two common accreditors have public lookups:

• The Joint Commission: search on Quality Check.
• CARF International: search on carf.org.

Accreditation isn't a license. A program can be accredited and still need to fix state licensing problems.

Step 5: Ask the questions a license can't answer

• What level of care do you recommend for me, and why? (Programs should use ASAM criteria.)
• What does a typical day look like? How many hours of clinical care a week?
• Who's my therapist, and what's their license?
• Do you offer or allow medications for addiction treatment (MAT)?
• What's the plan for when I step down or discharge? Where will I live?
• What will I owe after insurance? Get it in writing.
• Do you pay anyone for referrals, or offer travel, housing, or anything else for free? (The right answer is no.)

Red flags

• The name or address doesn't match the DHCS listing.
• The program won't give you a license number.
• Free flights, free rent, or cash or gift cards for enrolling.
• A "hotline" that won't say which program it is.
• Pressure to commit on the first call, before anyone asks clinical questions.
• Most of the questions are about your insurance.

More on this in rehab scams and patient brokering.

Sober living is different

DHCS doesn't license sober living homes. They may need local permits, and they can choose voluntary certification through CCAPP Recovery Residences (California's affiliate of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences) or the Sober Living Network. A sober living home that provides treatment services (detox, counseling sessions, or treatment planning) without a DHCS license is operating illegally. See how to choose a sober living home.

How to report a problem

• DHCS complaints: email [email protected] or call (877) 685-8333. That includes complaints about unlicensed programs that provide treatment.
• Clinician complaints: file with the licensing board shown in the DCA License Search result.
• Emergencies: call 911.

How The District fits

The District is sober living, not a treatment program. If you're choosing a program near one of our Orange County homes, our admissions team can walk you through these checks. Call 24/7. We don't take payment from any program, so the choice is yours.