SAMHSA quality guidance supports asking about licensing, accreditation, evidence-supported care, medications when clinically appropriate, family involvement, and continuing-care planning. Asking does not imply that every item is offered or appropriate. It gives the facility an opportunity to explain its status, boundaries, and process.
Create a comparison table in prose or on paper. Give each facility one column and use identical rows: public record, services confirmed by the facility, assessment process, licensing and accreditation answer, approach to evidence-supported care, medication questions, family involvement, continuing-care planning, costs, and unresolved issues. Beside every answer, record the date, the source, and whether it is confirmed, needs review, or not established. This prevents a confident sales phrase from carrying more weight than a verified fact.
- What license or certification applies to this location, and where can I verify it?
- Is there accreditation? If so, which organization and what location or service does it cover?
- How does the program use evidence-supported care, and how is an individual plan developed? Recognize that only qualified professionals can answer for the individual situation, and