How to Check a Texas Rehab License and File a Complaint

How to Check a Texas Rehab License (and File a Complaint)texasrehabs.net

Texas chemical dependency treatment facilities are licensed by the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC). You can check a license through HHSC's Online Licensing System or download HHSC's directory of licensed facilities, and HHSC keeps a separate list of registered faith-based programs. If something goes wrong, file a complaint with HHSC Complaint and Incident Intake.

A license check takes a few minutes and is one of the most useful things a family can do before admission. Here is how to do it and what the results mean.

Why the license matters

Texas law says a person or program may not offer or purport to offer chemical dependency treatment without a license, unless an exemption applies. A licensed facility must follow HHSC's rules on staffing, services, client rights, medication, the physical building, inspections and enforcement. Those rules now live in Title 26 of the Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 564.

The rules are not just paperwork. They set minimum treatment hours for residential programs, require a physician medical director for detox, cap group sizes and protect people who take prescribed medication from being turned away. See what residential treatment is for the specifics.

Step 1: Search HHSC's licensing tools

HHSC's Chemical Dependency Treatment Facilities page links to two tools:

The Online Licensing System, a searchable database of licensed facilities.
The CDTF directory, a downloadable spreadsheet of licensed chemical dependency treatment facilities.

Search by the facility's name and city. If you can't find it, try the name of the company that owns it, since the license may be issued under a corporate name.

Step 2: Read the result carefully

Name and address. A Texas license is issued only to the named licensee. Make sure the address matches the building where your loved one will actually stay, not just an office.
Expiration. Licenses expire two years after they are issued. An expired license is a reason to ask questions.
Services. Check that the services you need, such as detox or residential treatment, are covered.

Also note what a state license is not. HHSC points out that a Texas chemical dependency facility license does not by itself certify a facility for Medicare.

Step 3: Know the faith-based exemption

Texas exempts some faith-based programs from licensing. To qualify, a program must be run by a religious organization, be exclusively religious, spiritual or ecclesiastical in nature, not treat minors, and register with the state. HHSC publishes a separate list of these registered programs.

Registered faith-based programs:

May not provide medical care, medical detox or medical withdrawal services.
Must state clearly in their advertising and literature that their services are exclusively religious, are not subject to state licensing, and use only nonmedical methods such as prayer, moral guidance, spiritual counseling and scriptural study.
Must have each person sign a declaration saying the same thing before admission, and give them a copy.

If a program calls itself faith-based but offers detox or medication management, check whether it holds a full license. Our guide to faith-based and Christian rehab in Texas explains the difference in more depth.

Not sure what to do next?

Talk with a treatment specialist about options, openings and insurance. Free and confidential, 24/7.

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If the program is not listed

Not finding a program does not always mean something is wrong, but it does mean you should ask before going further:

Ask the program for its exact licensed name and license number, then search again.
Ask whether it is a licensed facility, a registered faith-based program, or a recovery home. Each one is a different thing under Texas law.
Ask whether the treatment happens at the address you were given or at a separate site.

If the answers do not line up with what HHSC shows, keep looking. There are licensed options across the state.

Step 4: Look for the complaint poster

HHSC provides complaint posters in English and Spanish that tell clients how to reach the state. Licensed facilities are expected to post them. When you tour a program, or when your loved one arrives, look for it. It is a quick sign the facility knows it is accountable to the state.

How to file a complaint

Complaints about a Texas treatment facility go to HHSC Complaint and Incident Intake. The fastest route is HHSC's online portal, called TULIP, which accepts complaints at any hour and gives you an intake number right away. HHSC also accepts complaints by phone, fax, mail and a dedicated email for substance use treatment facilities; current contact details are on HHSC's complaint page.

When you file, include:

The facility's name and address.
Dates, times and what happened, in order.
Names or roles of staff involved, if you know them.
Any documents, such as admission paperwork or bills.

If the danger is immediate, do not wait on a complaint. Call 911, or see crisis help and call or text 988.

Next steps

Once you have confirmed a license, compare programs by level of care and location. Browse residential treatment or medical detox programs, or search near Fort Worth and other Texas cities.

Talk to someone today

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How to Check a Texas Rehab License (and File a Complaint)