How to start an IOP in Georgia: the DATEP license, the 2025 move to DBHDD and the steps

Who wrote this, honestly

We're Texas operators: we run a licensed Texas outpatient program, PHP through outpatient, and built our own EHR to run it. When we help an owner open in another state, the first step on that client's roadmap is finding the state's licensing rule and checking it against the agency's current text. In Georgia that check matters more than usual, because the licensing agency and the rule chapter both changed in the last two years and plenty of guides still describe the old setup. This is our check, written up, and it's the same work our IOP / PHP Program Launch does for a client opening outside Texas. Where we couldn't confirm a detail, we left it out or told you who to ask.

Comparing states? Read how to start an IOP or PHP in Texas next to this one, or our guides for Florida, Tennessee and North Carolina. The steps that don't change from state to state are in how to start an IOP.

Georgia at a glance

Question	Georgia's answer
Who licenses SUD programs	DBHDD, since House Bill 584 (2025) moved DATEP licensing from DCH's Healthcare Facility Regulation Division
The license	Drug Abuse Treatment and Education Program (DATEP), under O.C.G.A. Title 26, Chapter 5
Rules	Old: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-19 (outpatient programs at 111-8-19-.23). New: 82-10-1, proposed by DBHDD in 2026
Where an IOP fits	The proposed rules license SAIOPs as outpatient drug treatment programs
How you apply	DBHDD's online application portal; initial review within 30 business days of submission; fees nonrefundable
Counselor credentials	Addiction counselors are certified by private boards (GACA and ADACBGA); counselors, social workers and MFTs are licensed by the Georgia Composite Board
Medicaid	DCH; most members in Georgia Families care management organizations (CMOs); DBHDD runs the public behavioral health network
Does accreditation count?	The old rule let DCH license accredited programs without an on-site visit. DBHDD said in April 2026 it will keep reviewing all agencies on site regardless of accreditation.

The DATEP license and HB 584

Georgia licenses drug treatment programs, residential and outpatient, as Drug Abuse Treatment and Education Programs under O.C.G.A. Title 26, Chapter 5. For years DCH's Healthcare Facility Regulation Division issued the license under Rules 111-8-19. That changed in 2025:

• The move. DBHDD's public notice of proposed DATEP rules explains that House Bill 584 of the 2025 session transferred DATEP licensing authority from DCH to DBHDD, and that DBHDD is proposing new rules at Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 82-10-1 to replace those at 111-8-19. A license is now the permit DBHDD issues.
• The rewrite. DBHDD's board approved publishing a revised proposal, with ten changes made after comments, at its April 23, 2026 meeting. The second public notice, dated April 29, 2026, took comments through May 29, with final adoption to be considered at the June 18, 2026 board meeting. We couldn't confirm the adopted text, so ask DBHDD which version your application and survey will use.
• Where an IOP fits. The proposed rules say SAIOPs are licensed as outpatient drug treatment programs. You don't need a separate IOP license; your outpatient license and your program description cover it.
• Branches. Under the proposal, new branch programs must be licensed separately from the parent program from July 1, 2026; branches already operating on that date may keep the shared structure until something changes. If you're planning a second site, budget for a second license.

The rules to read

Rule or document	What it covers
O.C.G.A. §§ 26-5-5 and 26-5-6	The statutory authority the DATEP rules cite
111-8-19 (the old DCH rules)	Definitions, licensing, accreditation (.06), program requirements, and one rule per program type, including outpatient programs (.23) and ambulatory detoxification (.19)
82-10-1 (DBHDD's proposed rules)	The replacement: the license as a DBHDD permit, SAIOPs as outpatient programs, separate branch licenses
DATEP application packet	DBHDD's instructions: online application, the review clock, the fee
DBHDD rules page	Where DBHDD posts proposed and adopted rules

Justia's copy of 111-8-19 is marked as possibly out of date, and once 82-10-1 is adopted it replaces 111-8-19 for DATEPs. Use the old rules to understand the structure and the new ones to write your policies. Our launch package builds the policy manual as a crosswalk: every requirement in the state's current rule matched to a policy, form or record, so the surveyor can find each one.

Applying

DBHDD's DATEP licensure application packet sets out the process. Use the current packet when you file; this is what the version we read says.

Step	What DBHDD says	Our notes
Apply online	Applications must be completed through DBHDD's online application portal	Have the program description, policies, floor plan and staffing plan ready before you start
Pay the fee	Application fees are nonrefundable	The packet lists the current amount. Older DCH figures predate the move, so don't budget from them.
Initial review	Completed within 30 business days of submission	That's the paperwork review, not the license; expect requests for more information
On-site review	DBHDD will continue on-site reviews of all agencies regardless of accreditation status (April 2026 board presentation)	Have the building, policies and staff files ready on the day

Want the license work done for you? It's part of the program launch package, or $4,500 on its own as our state facility license application service.

What the outpatient rule asks for

Under the old rules (the text the proposal builds from), Rule 111-8-19-.23 covers outpatient programs. Its staffing standard is short: treatment must be provided by people qualified by training, education and experience, and licensed or certified where a state practice act requires it. The rest of what you'll be surveyed on sits in the chapter's general program requirements, so read the whole chapter, not just .23.

• Hours. The rule text we read doesn't set weekly IOP hours. Payers do: plan for ASAM Level 2.1, which neighboring states put in rule at 9 to 19 hours a week for adults (North Carolina, for example), and confirm each plan's definition in its manual. Here are IOP schedule templates that fit that range.
• Medical oversight. If you'll add ambulatory withdrawal management, Rule 111-8-19-.19 requires medical staff headed by a medical director licensed in Georgia, who approves the medical policies, assessment tools, treatment protocols and emergency procedures. Our guide to the medical director role covers the agreement.
• ASAM documentation. Build admission and continued-stay reviews on ASAM, and document each review the way plans expect (ASAM continued-stay documentation).

Counselors and staffing

• Addiction counselors in Georgia hold certifications from private boards rather than a separate state addiction counselor license. The Georgia Addiction Counselors Association (GACA) certifies Certified Addiction Counselors (CAC I and II), and the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Certification Board of Georgia (ADACBGA) certifies CADC and advanced credentials; the University of Georgia's Ralston program lists the CAC-II and its accepted equivalents. Check each person's certification with the board that issued it, and check which credential your payers require for each role.
• Licensed clinicians (professional counselors, social workers, marriage and family therapists) are licensed by the Georgia Composite Board under O.C.G.A. Chapter 43-10A. We staff the clinical director, supervisor and assessment roles with licensees (or a physician or psychologist), and check the rule and each payer for who may sign what.
• Every hire gets checked against the federal OIG exclusion list; ask DBHDD which state background checks the license requires.

We build personnel files from our staff credential file checklist and add each state's items; in Georgia that means each certification board's verification alongside the license verifications.

Site, zoning and fire

• Zoning is local. Ask the city or county in writing whether an outpatient drug treatment program is allowed at the address. Ask the question with those words, not "medical office", so the answer covers what you'll actually run.
• Fire and building. Get the certificate of occupancy for the use and keep the fire inspection report; DBHDD's on-site review will look at the building.
• Plan the space for groups: group rooms sized for your groups, private offices for assessments, locked records storage and, if you'll test on site, a private collection area and a CLIA certificate of waiver.

Medicaid and the DBHDD network

• Georgia Families plans. DCH runs Medicaid, and most members are in a Georgia Families care management organization. DCH contracts with Amerigroup, CareSource and Peach State Health Plan. On December 2, 2024, DCH issued a notice of intent to award new Georgia Families contracts to CareSource, Humana, Molina and UnitedHealthcare, with UnitedHealthcare named for Georgia Families 360°; other bidders, including Amerigroup and Peach State, protested, and as of January 2026 no final decision had been posted (Georgia Dental Association). Check DCH's current plan list before you apply.
• The DBHDD network. DBHDD funds and contracts its own community behavioral health providers, and its adult core services application guide says it considers only providers that are currently accredited by an approved body and have provided behavioral health services for at least a year. With a year of service history required, a brand-new program starts with commercial and CMO contracts and applies to the DBHDD network later.
• Credential with each plan you want. Each plan contracts on its own. Our credentialing service files facility contracts in any state, and Medicaid enrollment is $350 per clinician.
• Medicare pays for IOP and PHP only through hospitals, community mental health centers and a few other provider types, so most freestanding programs plan without it (CMS 2024 outpatient rule).

Before every admission, verify benefits and authorization; our sister product's prior authorization guide covers what each kind of plan asks for.

Accreditation

Under the old rules, Rule 111-8-19-.06 let the department license a program on proof of accreditation from an approved accreditor whose standards were substantially equivalent or stricter, possibly without an on-site visit, while keeping the right to inspect on a sample basis or when it suspected problems. DBHDD's April 2026 board presentation went the other way: a request to exempt accredited facilities from annual state surveys was declined, and DBHDD said it will keep reviewing all agencies on site. Plan for both a state survey and an accreditation survey.

Accreditation still pays off: DBHDD's network asks for it, TRICARE requires it for IOP and PHP (see TRICARE credentialing), and many commercial plans contract only with accredited programs. Choosing between the two main accreditors? Start with Joint Commission vs CARF, or let Program Launch + Accreditation carry the work through the survey.

The steps, in order

1. Define the program: outpatient and SAIOP, adults or adolescents, hours and days, co-occurring track, and whether you'll add withdrawal management or medication.
2. Ask DBHDD which rule version (111-8-19 or 82-10-1) your application will be reviewed under, and download the current DATEP packet.
3. Form the business with the Georgia Secretary of State, get the EIN and the organization NPI, and line up a health-care attorney and CPA.
4. Find a site zoned for outpatient drug treatment, and lease with a way out if zoning or licensing falls through.
5. Hire the leadership: a licensed clinical director, a medical director if you need one, and certified or licensed counselors.
6. Write the policy manual from the current DATEP rules and add 42 CFR Part 2 and HIPAA.
7. Set up the EHR before the on-site review: Cima's IOP and PHP plan keeps levels of care, group notes, attendance, plan reviews and authorizations in one place.
8. Apply online to DBHDD, pay the fee, answer the initial review and prepare for the on-site review.
9. Once licensed, credential with the CMOs in place at the time and the commercial plans.
10. Open, then accredit, and keep renewals, drills and chart reviews on a schedule (the compliance calendar).

Questions

What license does a substance use IOP need in Georgia?

A Drug Abuse Treatment and Education Program (DATEP) license. DBHDD issues it since House Bill 584 (2025), and its proposed rules license substance abuse intensive outpatient programs as outpatient drug treatment programs.

Does DCH or DBHDD license drug treatment programs in Georgia now?

DBHDD. House Bill 584 transferred DATEP licensing from the Department of Community Health to DBHDD, and DBHDD proposed new rules at 82-10-1 to replace DCH's rules at 111-8-19.

How long does a Georgia DATEP license take?

DBHDD's packet says the initial review is completed within 30 business days of submission. The on-site review, corrections and the license come after that, so plan for more time than the review clock.

Does accreditation replace the state survey in Georgia?

Not under DBHDD's current position. The old DCH rule allowed licensing on proof of accreditation, but in April 2026 DBHDD said it will keep reviewing all agencies on site regardless of accreditation status.

Does Georgia license addiction counselors?

Georgia's addiction counselor credentials come from private certification boards: GACA's CAC I and II, and ADACBGA's CADC credentials. Counselors, social workers and marriage and family therapists are licensed by the Georgia Composite Board.

Can a Texas company help with a Georgia program?

Yes, if it's honest about how. We run a Texas program, so in Georgia we work from the DATEP rules and DBHDD's packet, check each against the current text, and tell you where DBHDD, DCH, the plans or your attorney has the final word. We don't guarantee a license, contract or date.

Not sure what it will cost all in? Start with what it costs to start an IOP, or book a free 30-minute call and we'll walk through what Georgia will ask of you.

Cima Consulting isn't a law firm or an accounting firm. Georgia agencies make their own decisions; we don't guarantee approvals, rates or dates. Never pay or accept anything of value for patient referrals: federal law (EKRA and the Anti-Kickback Statute) applies in every state, and ask your attorney about Georgia's own rules. Our guide to patient brokering laws explains the federal ones.

Sources

• DBHDD, public notice of proposed DATEP rules, 82-10-1 (HB 584 transfer): dbhdd.georgia.gov; second public notice (April 29, 2026): dbhdd.georgia.gov; board presentation (April 23, 2026): dbhdd.georgia.gov; rules page: dbhdd.georgia.gov
• DBHDD, DATEP licensure application packet: dbhdd.georgia.gov
• Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-19: Justia; 111-8-19-.06: Justia; 111-8-19-.19: Justia; 111-8-19-.23: Justia
• DBHDD adult core services application user's guide: dbhdd.georgia.gov
• Georgia Families procurement: DCH notice (December 2, 2024): dch.georgia.gov; protest status: Georgia Dental Association
• Addiction counselor credentials: University of Georgia, Ralston program
• OIG exclusions: oig.hhs.gov; CMS, CY 2024 outpatient rule: cms.gov; EKRA, 18 U.S.C. 220: Cornell LII

Comparing states? See Texas and our guides for Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Utah, or how to start an IOP for what every state has in common.