Opening an Addiction Treatment Center in Massachusetts Doesn’t Have to Be Difficult

Massachusetts is struggling with a state-wide addiction problem, underscoring the demand for new addiction treatment providers in the state. In response to the rising levels of behavioral health problems, lawmakers in Massachusetts are considering expanding their civil commitment program to men in need of addiction treatment.

Meth use also continues to be a major public health concern in Massachusetts. 

98,944 people sought addiction treatment in Massachusetts in 2017, which is the last year that state-wide admissions data were made public. Experts believe those numbers have only risen in the face of the behavioral health crisis linked to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

So, given all this addiction activity in the state, how hard is it to open an addiction treatment center in Massachusetts? It should be easier than it is. Massachusetts makes it relatively difficult to successfully open a certified drug rehab. That said, there are some tricks to making the experience more enjoyable. Read on for more about how to make the addiction treatment center licensing process in Massachusetts easier and quicker.   

Yes, You’ll Have to Get a State License to Open an Addiction Treatment Center in Massachusetts

According to Massachusetts state law, all addiction treatment providers and centers must be licensed by the state: 

(B) No entity, except a general hospital or clinic licensed by the Department, or a department, agency or institution of the federal government or of the Commonwealth, or any subdivision of those listed above, shall operate a substance abuse treatment program without a substance abuse treatment license from the Department

In others words, licenses are required for all substance abuse treatment programs, even if they are run by the federal government or if they are associated with a pre-existing hospital. 

You’ll Work with Massachusetts’ BSAS to Get Your Addiction Treatment Center License

In Massachusetts, the same state organization responsible for administering individual licenses for drug and alcohol counselors (known as “LADCs” in Massachusetts) is also responsible for licensing all addiction treatment organizations, programs and businesses in the state. That state organization is a part of the Bureau of Public Health and is referred to by Massachusetts as the Division of the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS). 

While Other Forms Are Available on BSAS’ site, the Application Form for Addiction Treatment Center Licensing is Absent from Their Website

BSAS does offer a list of forms, resources and regulations for “Alcohol and Drug Treatment Programs” but the list is very limited. BSAS’ website hosts some forms such as the “Key Personnel Change Form,” and the “Regulatory and Contractual Waiver Request Form” but, critically, not the application for licensure or the form for license renewal. Most states make their application available online for public review. In Massachusetts, you have to contact the state directly to get an application packet.

You’ll Need to Directly Contact the BSAS Licensing Inspector to Get Started with Addiction Treatment Center Licensing in Massachusetts

BSAS encourages addiction treatment centers looking to open in Massachusetts to reach out directly to the “BSAS Licensing Inspector” closest to their location. You’ll find a list of licensing inspectors and their contact information here. Central, Western. Metro West, Northeast, Greater Boston and Southeast all have dedicated Licensing Inspectors. 

Licensing Fees in Massachusetts Are Relatively Low for Addiction Treatment Centers 

All new licensing applications are assessed a flat fee of $300. You’ll also need to budget an additional $75 if you wish to add a satellite office or medication unit. If you wish to add a service to your care options, you’ll also need to spring for an extra $75. Good news—these fees rank among some of the lowest licensing fees in the United States.

Even better? If you live in the commonwealth of Massachusetts, your fees are waived completely. That means that the licensing process is free for all in-state applicants. 

Need Help Opening an Addiction Treatment Center in Massachusetts?

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!

New! Pandemic Management Tools Designed Especially for Addiction Treatment Centers

As part of our Summer 2020 Update, the team at Behave Health is excited to announce the roll out of some thoughtful new tools for managing the pandemic at your addiction and mental health treatment center. 

2020 has thrown quite a lot at the addiction treatment community. The pandemic has tested us in ways we could never expect. We’ve had to try new approaches to connecting with our patients as well as new approaches to keeping our patients safe while in treatment. 

On this blog, we’ve written about how as many as 5% of addiction treatment centers may close by the time the pandemic is over. We’ve also covered the need for treatment centers to pivot to intensive outpatient programs where inpatient programs have been the norm, especially in the areas hit hardest by the pandemic. Many centers are facing business reorganizations spurred by the Small Business Reorganization Act, while others are changing protocols to allow for proper social distancing in their facilities. 

The common thread among all centers right now is CHANGE.

In order to help foster a productive and efficient environment amid all of the chaos, we’ve developed some simple tools to help your center deal with the pandemic and mitigate program risks associated with the Coronavirus. 

Read on to learn about the top three features we’ve added in the Summer 2020 Update that can help your center thrive during these difficult times.

We’ve Included COVID-19 Questions on the Addiction Treatment Application Form 

Now your organization can easily screen new admits for COVID-19 risk factors when they fill out our customizable online application. 

Accessible from any device at any time, our cloud-based application allows your new admits to initiate treatment without waiting. We know that it’s vitally important to be ready and available for patients in moments of willingness to change - and we know that those windows of opportunity can be fleeting. Our online application lets new admits complete their application from their phone at any time, day or night, removing one of the key barriers to treatment for every patient. 

Our new application forms’ COVID screen questions include: 

• Are you at risk for exposure to any communicable disease, or have you been in contact with someone who has? 

• Are you experiencing shortness of breath, coughing, fever, or other symptoms of Coronavirus and/or flu?

• Are you at risk for exposure to Coronavirus? 

• Have you traveled outside of the country in the last 30 days? 

Taking Temps to Screen for COVID at your Addiction Treatment Center? We’ve Got You Covered 

Our Summer 2020 Update makes it easy to include temperature information on the Vital Signs portion of every patient’s EHR. No more scattered sticky notes with temperature logs. Access all of your temperature information in one place, alongside all other vital signs where it belongs. 

We’ve Added COVID-19 Test Results to Our Communicable Disease Testing Roster 

Sometimes things that should be simple aren’t simple at all. A lot of EHR users complain that there’s nowhere to add COVID-19 test results in their EHR because the test is new. There’s just no “box” to put the information. What ends up happening is that clinicians add results in the “comments” or “notes” section of whatever program they were using to record health information. The result? Inconsistent records and a lot of aggravation. 

Our Summer 2020 Update is determined to get you to stop hiding COVID-19 test results in your EHR. We’ve added COVID-19 testing to our communicable disease test section. Simply add the date of the test and the result - positive or negative - and extra comments you may have about the test. There’s also room to add an attachment - like an official test result print out - to the COVID-19 test result record. 

Simple, clean, easy.

Behave Health: We’re Here to Help Your Addiction Treatment Center Succeed

As always, we at Behave Health take our lead from you - our users in the addiction treatment and behavioral health treatment community. 

Have we missed something? Got a suggestion? It’s our mission to make life easier for the addiction treatment community, so let us know how we can help! 

Not a Behave Health user yet? We’d love to show you how our all-in-one software solution can help save your addiction treatment center time and money. Claim your free trial today.