SAMHSA quality guidance supports asking about licensing, accreditation, evidence-supported care, medications when clinically appropriate, family involvement, and continuing-care planning. These are questions to ask, not facts to assume about any facility. Licensing or accreditation does not prove a particular outcome, and a positive outcome report does not replace verification of oversight and care practices.
Build a comparison table with one row per facility and columns for public record, population measured, denominator, outcome definition, follow-up interval, response rate, missing-data rule, data collector, and supporting document. Add columns for your practical needs and questions for qualified professionals. Keep unknown cells marked not established. This prevents a polished sales conversation from receiving more weight than a modest but verifiable answer.
- Can the facility identify the applicable license or public record and explain what it covers?
- Can staff describe how individual needs are assessed without predicting your result?
- How are medications considered when clinically appropriate, and who is qualified to discuss them? How are family involvement and continuing-care planning handled when appropriate?