How to start a behavioral health clinic in Georgia
Georgia requires a Drug Abuse Treatment and Education Program license (including Outpatient Drug Treatment Programs, Rule 111-8-19-.23) from Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) — licensure (applications through the GAHLES portal) to operate a behavioral health clinic. Fee: A non-refundable application fee is required for new applications, changes of ownership or location, and renewals; the amount is not printed in the application packet. Processing time: Applications are reviewed in the order received; the initial review is completed within 30 business days of submission.
- License required
- YesDrug Abuse Treatment and Education Program license (including Outpatient Drug Treatment Programs, Rule 111-8-19-.23)
- Application fee
- See details
- Processing time
- —
- Mental health counseling
- $28.41per per unit
- Organizations in the state
- 3,581NPPES, Sep 13, 2026
On this page
Georgia behavioral health clinic license
Georgia requires a Drug Abuse Treatment and Education Program license (including Outpatient Drug Treatment Programs, Rule 111-8-19-.23) from Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) — licensure (applications through the GAHLES portal) to operate a behavioral health clinic. Fee: A non-refundable application fee is required for new applications, changes of ownership or location, and renewals; the amount is not printed in the application packet. Processing time: Applications are reviewed in the order received; the initial review is completed within 30 business days of submission.
- License required
- Yes
- License
- Drug Abuse Treatment and Education Program license (including Outpatient Drug Treatment Programs, Rule 111-8-19-.23)
- Fee
- A non-refundable application fee is required for new applications, changes of ownership or location, and renewals; the amount is not printed in the application packet.
- Processing time
- Applications are reviewed in the order received; the initial review is completed within 30 business days of submission.
- Regulation
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 111-8-19 (Drug Abuse Treatment and Education Programs)
Steps to get licensed in Georgia
In order, as the licensing agency describes the process.
- Read the Rules for Drug Abuse Treatment and Education Programs (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-19)
- Gather the required documents, including state fire marshal inspection (within 12 months), zoning approval and certificate of occupancy
- Apply online in the GAHLES portal and upload all documents
- Pay the non-refundable application fee
- Respond to any requests for more information from the Department (failure to respond or pay leads to denial)
- Complete licensure inspection and receive the license
What you need to submit
10 documents listed by the licensing agency.
Enrolling as a Georgia Medicaid provider
- Program
- Georgia Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids (Department of Community Health)
- Fiscal agent
- Gainwell Technologies (GAMMIS fiscal agent / third-party administrator; also handles CVO credentialing help)
- Application fee
- Georgia's Part I manual requires the fee from new, re-enrolling, revalidating and re-credentialing providers in the categories of service it lists, unless exempt, or a hardship waiver request instead. Applications without either are not processed, the fee is generally non-refundable, and an exempt provider pays once per service location even with several categories of service. Federal rule (42 CFR 455.460): the state must collect the CMS application fee from institutional providers that are newly enrolling or re-enrolling; individual physicians and non-physician practitioners are exempt, as are providers already enrolled in (or that already paid the fee to) Medicare or another state's Medicaid/CHIP. CMS set the fee at $750 for calendar year 2026.
- Fingerprinting
- Georgia's high categorical risk categories are community mental health centers, newly enrolling home health agencies, and newly enrolling DME/orthotic and prosthetic supplier facilities. Georgia defines a criminal background check as a state and/or national fingerprint-based check. Federal rule (42 CFR 455.434, 455.450(c)): providers the state places in the 'high' categorical risk level, and anyone owning 5% or more of such a provider, must submit fingerprints for a criminal background check.
- Site visit
- DCH may do pre- and post-enrollment, unscheduled and unannounced site visits. Moderate-risk categories include ambulance providers, hospices, independent clinical labs, physical therapists, and revalidating home health agencies and DME suppliers. Federal rule (42 CFR 455.432, 455.450(b)-(c)): the state must do site visits before and after enrollment for providers in the 'moderate' or 'high' risk levels, and any enrolled provider must allow unannounced on-site inspections.
- Revalidation
- DCH suspended providers that had not revalidated as of July 1, 2026; claims for dates of service from then on are not paid until the provider revalidates, and the new effective date is the revalidation submission date. Federal rule (42 CFR 455.414): every enrolled provider must be revalidated at least once every 5 years.
Does Georgia require a certificate of need?
- CON program
- Yes
- Program
- Certificate of Need
- Services covered
- hospitals (including destination cancer hospitals)
- special care units
- skilled nursing facilities
- intermediate care facilities
- personal care homes of 25 or more beds
- ambulatory surgical or obstetrical facilities
- freestanding emergency departments off a hospital's primary campus
- home health agencies
- health maintenance organizations
- certain diagnostic, treatment or rehabilitation centers
- bed capacity increases and new clinical services
Georgia wage floor
- State minimum wage
- $7.25 an hour
- Effective
- 2009-07-24
- Scheduled increases
- No scheduled change found in the official sources reviewed.
- HCBS 80/20 rule
- Federal baseline: 42 CFR 441.302(k) requires the state to show that each provider spends at least 80% of Medicaid payments for homemaker, home health aide and personal care services under 1915(c) waivers on direct care worker pay and benefits. Compliance starts 2030-07-09 (for managed care, the first rating period starting on or after that date); annual payment-adequacy reporting under 441.311(e) starts 2028-07-09. A state may set a lower share for state-defined small providers and exempt providers facing hardship, each only through a public notice-and-comment process. The eCFR text has not changed since 2024-07-09. No state-published 80/20 implementation step (small-provider criteria, hardship exemption or reporting guidance) was found for this state in the official sources reviewed.
Georgia market size
Counts from federal public files: NPPES (active organization NPIs), CMS Care Compare and CMS Medicaid enrollment.
- Community/behavioral health agencies and mental health clinics — active organization NPIs (NPPES)
- 3,581 (as of Sep 13, 2026)
- Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment (latest reported month)
- 1,817,766 (as of Jun 1, 2026)
What Georgia Medicaid pays
Behavioral health: published Georgia fee-for-service rates, each linked to its source.
| Service | Code | Georgia rate | Per hour | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mental health counselingLicensed mental health clinician | 96152 | $28.41per per unit | — | — |
| Outpatient psychotherapy and diagnostic evaluationLicensed mental health clinician | 90870 | $80.92 | — | 18 of 28 |
| Therapeutic behavioral servicesPhysician or licensed psychologist | H2019 | $22.34per 15 min | $89.36 | 13 of 28 |
Georgia HCBS waivers
Medicaid home and community-based services programs that may pay for this service.
- Comprehensive Supports Waiver Program (1915(c))
- Elderly and Disabled Waiver (1915(c))
- Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP) (1915(c))
- New Options Waiver (NOW) (1915(c))
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a license to start a behavioral health clinic in Georgia?
Georgia requires a Drug Abuse Treatment and Education Program license (including Outpatient Drug Treatment Programs, Rule 111-8-19-.23) from Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) — licensure (applications through the GAHLES portal) to operate a behavioral health clinic. Fee: A non-refundable application fee is required for new applications, changes of ownership or location, and renewals; the amount is not printed in the application packet. Processing time: Applications are reviewed in the order received; the initial review is completed within 30 business days of submission.
How much does a behavioral health clinic license cost in Georgia?
A non-refundable application fee is required for new applications, changes of ownership or location, and renewals; the amount is not printed in the application packet.
How long does it take to get licensed in Georgia?
Applications are reviewed in the order received; the initial review is completed within 30 business days of submission.
Does Georgia require a certificate of need for a behavioral health clinic?
Georgia has a certificate of need program covering: hospitals (including destination cancer hospitals), special care units, skilled nursing facilities, intermediate care facilities, personal care homes of 25 or more beds, ambulatory surgical or obstetrical facilities, freestanding emergency departments off a hospital's primary campus, home health agencies, health maintenance organizations, certain diagnostic, treatment or rehabilitation centers, bed capacity increases and new clinical services. Check whether your service is on that list.
How do you become a Medicaid provider in Georgia?
Enroll through Georgia Medicaid Management Information System (GAMMIS) — Enrollment Wizard (https://www.mmis.georgia.gov/portal/PubAccess.Enrollment/Enrollment%20Wizard/tabId/30/Default.aspx), run by Gainwell Technologies (GAMMIS fiscal agent / third-party administrator; also handles CVO credentialing help).
What does Georgia Medicaid pay a behavioral health clinic?
Georgia Medicaid pays $28.41 per per unit for mental health counseling, effective Jul 1, 2024.