How to start a behavioral health clinic in Oklahoma

Oklahoma requires a ODMHSAS certification (e.g., Alcohol and Drug Treatment, Outpatient Mental Health Treatment, Community Mental Health Center, Comprehensive Community Addiction Recovery Center); CCBHC certification from Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) — Provider Certification to operate a behavioral health clinic. Fee: A certification fee is required with the application (ODMHSAS verifies receipt); the amount is set in OAC 450:1-9 and was not captured here. Processing time: After the application, ODMHSAS sends a self-survey and site review protocol; providers have five business days to correct cited findings. A Permit for Temporary Operation (PTO) is then considered at an ODMHSAS Board meeting, followed by a records review before the PTO expires (mental health providers cannot bill OHCA during the six-month PTO period).

License required

Yes

License

ODMHSAS certification (e.g., Alcohol and Drug Treatment, Outpatient Mental Health Treatment, Community Mental Health Center, Comprehensive Community Addiction Recovery Center); CCBHC certification

Issuing agency

Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) — Provider Certification

Fee

A certification fee is required with the application (ODMHSAS verifies receipt); the amount is set in OAC 450:1-9 and was not captured here.

Processing time

After the application, ODMHSAS sends a self-survey and site review protocol; providers have five business days to correct cited findings. A Permit for Temporary Operation (PTO) is then considered at an ODMHSAS Board meeting, followed by a records review before the PTO expires (mental health providers cannot bill OHCA during the six-month PTO period).

Accreditation

Outpatient mental health programs may hold national accreditation instead of ODMHSAS certification for SoonerCare/ODMHSAS reimbursement. Alcohol and drug treatment certification is required by 43A O.S. 3-415(A)(1) regardless of funding source; residential SUD and opioid treatment also need national accreditation. CCBHC certification requires a current ODMHSAS contract in good standing for CCBHC services.

Survey and inspection

Site review before the temporary permit and a records review before full certification.

Regulation

Title 43A O.S. (incl. 3-415); OAC 450:1-9 (certification); program chapters of OAC Title 450 (e.g., 450:17, 450:18)

1. Request a Certification Application Packet from ODMHSAS Provider Certification (ProviderCert@odmhsas.org)
2. Submit the application with required materials (e.g., actual certificate of incorporation/LLC, program description describing each service, fire inspection, zoning for A/D applicants, full accreditation documents if accredited) and the fee
3. Complete the certification self-survey and site review; correct any findings within five business days
4. Receive a Permit for Temporary Operation approved by the ODMHSAS Board of Directors
5. Pass a follow-up review of at least five active records and discharge records before the PTO expires to obtain full certification

Program

SoonerCare (Oklahoma Health Care Authority, OHCA), including SoonerSelect managed care

Enrollment portal

OHCA Provider Portal (ohcaprovider.com) — online provider contracting

Application fee

OAC 317:30-3-19.4 sets the fee at the CMS amount, adjusted for inflation, for provider types listed in OHCA's appendix. Individual physicians and non-physician practitioners are exempt, as are providers who already paid the fee to Medicare or another state's Medicaid/CHIP program. The fee is not refunded if screening leads to denial. Under the federal rule (42 CFR 455.460), institutional providers pay the CMS application fee when they first enroll, re-enroll or revalidate. The fee is $750 for calendar year 2026. Individual physicians and non-physician practitioners do not pay it. A fee already paid to Medicare or to another state's Medicaid program counts.

Fingerprinting

Under OAC 317:30-3-19.4, high-risk screening adds a fingerprint-based criminal background check of the provider and of anyone owning 5% or more. OHCA's enrollment sheet lists DME and home health as high-risk provider types and says providers enrolled with Medicare may be exempt. Limited- or moderate-risk providers move to high risk after a fraud-based payment suspension, an overpayment, or an exclusion.

Site visit

Moderate-risk screening includes pre- and post-enrollment site visits by OHCA Provider Enrollment staff. OHCA lists these moderate-risk types: ambulance services, behavioral health agencies and groups, individual behavioral health providers, hospice, independent diagnostic testing facilities, laboratories, and physical therapy groups and physical therapists. High-risk types also get site visits.

Revalidation

OHCA screens and enrolls providers and revalidates them periodically, as federal rules require. Existing providers handle this through 'renewal contracts' in the OHCA provider portal. Federal rule (42 CFR 455.414) requires the state to revalidate every enrolled provider at least once every 5 years.

Full Oklahoma Medicaid enrollment guide →

CON program

Yes

Program

Certificate of Need (Long-term Care CON Act; Psychiatric and Chemical Dependency Facility CON Act)

Agency

Oklahoma State Department of Health, Health Facility Systems

Services covered

• long-term care facilities as defined in 63 O.S. §1-851.1 (licensed nursing facility beds)
• ICF/IID beds
• psychiatric or chemical dependency facilities, services or units in hospitals or related institutions
• acquisitions of covered health care facilities

Oklahoma certificate of need details →

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.

Community/behavioral health agencies and mental health clinics — active organization NPIs (NPPES)

1,902 (as of Sep 13, 2026)

Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment (latest reported month)

992,735 (as of Jun 1, 2026)

All Oklahoma Behavioral health Medicaid rates, ranked →

• OK Advantage Waiver (1915(c))
• OK Community Waiver (1915(c))
• OK Homeward Bound Waiver (1915(c))
• OK In-Home Supports Waiver for Adults (1915(c))
• OK In-Home Supports Waiver for Children (1915(c))
• OK Medically Fragile Waiver (1915(c))

Oklahoma waivers and waiting lists →