How to start an IOP or PHP in Bryan–College Station

Bryan–College Station at a glance

Question	The Brazos Valley's answer
State license	HHSC chemical dependency treatment facility license, per site (26 TAC 564)
Medicaid service area	MRSA Central, which includes Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Leon, Madison, Robertson and Washington counties along with McLennan and Bell
STAR plans	Superior HealthPlan, Wellpoint (RightCare left Medicaid on August 31, 2026)
STAR+PLUS plans	Superior HealthPlan, UnitedHealthcare (confirm on HHSC's map)
Local mental health authority	MHMR Authority of Brazos Valley (Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Leon, Madison, Robertson and Washington counties)
OSAR	Bluebonnet Trails Community Services, for HHSC Region 7
Permits and certificate of occupancy	College Station Planning & Development Services; Bryan Building Permits and Inspections and the Bryan Fire Marshal; Brazos County outside both cities
Local watch-outs	Which city you're in; former RightCare members; students on out-of-area family plans; veterans on VA care

STAR plans from HHSC's MRSA Central STAR comparison chart (September 1, 2026); counties from HHSC's STAR+PLUS region-by-service-area appendix (revision 25-2); STAR+PLUS from the plans' 2026 materials and the awards that took effect September 1, 2024. Check the current map before you apply.

The license is statewide

HHSC licenses Texas substance use programs as chemical dependency treatment facilities under Health and Safety Code chapter 464 and 26 TAC 564; neither city adds a treatment license. As of October 2026 the fee under 26 TAC 564.408 is $1,200 plus $125 for each additional site. An office in Bryan and another in College Station would be two licensed sites, each with its own certificate of occupancy, staffing and inspection. The forms are in our CDTF license guide, the proof list is in 26 TAC 564 in plain English, and the whole path is in how to start an IOP or PHP in Texas.

Two cities, two sets of building rules

The line between Bryan and College Station runs through the middle of the metro, so check the jurisdiction of every address before you tour it. The rules differ in ways that change your timeline.

Step	College Station	Bryan
Zoning	The Unified Development Ordinance (Code chapter 12) applies to every structure and land use in the city. Its use table marks each use as permitted (P), permitted with specific standards (P*) or conditional (C); a use not listed for a district is prohibited.	Ask Planning which district and use category apply. When a building changes use, Bryan's building design standards (Ordinance 2074) can apply; they're waived for a building that already had a certificate of occupancy until it's expanded or modified.
Fire review	Part of plan review and the final inspections	The Bryan Fire Department requires a site plan for a change of occupancy or use, with a description of the operation, the floor plan areas, any hazards and the protective systems. The city won't release a certificate of occupancy until it's done.
Certificate of occupancy	Issued once every city department gives final approval; the city says to allow five business days after the building final for certificate of occupancy inspections. No one may occupy the space before it's issued.	Issued by Building Permits and Inspections and valid only when signed by the Chief Building Official
Who to ask	Planning & Development Services' Planner on Call; inspections are scheduled through eTRAKiT	Building Permits and Inspections and the Fire Marshal's office

From College Station's commercial building page, inspections page and UDO page; Bryan's small business page, fire and life safety submittal requirements and Ordinance 2074.

In either city, a build-out estimated at $50,000 or more must be registered with TDLR for accessibility plan review and a post-construction inspection (TDLR). Before you sign, ask in writing:

1. Which city has jurisdiction at this address, and which use category covers outpatient substance use treatment?
2. Is that use permitted, permitted with standards or conditional in this district?
3. Is our move-in a change of occupancy, and what will the fire marshal need from us?
4. Has this building held a certificate of occupancy before? (In Bryan, it changes which design standards apply.)

Lease with a contingency for the certificate of occupancy and the HHSC license; every site step is on our Texas IOP opening checklist.

Medicaid plans in MRSA Central

After the HHSC license, enroll with TMHP, then credential with each plan. TMHP has said Medicaid SUD treatment may only be delivered in a licensed chemical dependency treatment facility (TMHP notice).

Program	Who it covers	Plans in MRSA Central
STAR	Most children, pregnant women and some families	Superior, Wellpoint
STAR+PLUS	Adults with disabilities and adults 65 and older	Superior, UnitedHealthcare

• Superior is in both. Its STAR+PLUS award notice confirms it kept the Central rural area in 2024 (Superior), and HHSC's chart lists it for STAR. Start there: our Superior HealthPlan guide covers the application.
• RightCare is gone. HHSC and TMHP announced that Baylor Scott & White Health Plan and FirstCare would end Medicaid managed care on August 31, 2026, end-dating Baylor Scott & White's MRSA Central STAR plan code (TMHP, July 17, 2026). Former members are now in other plans, so check every Medicaid card at intake. Baylor Scott & White's employer-group coverage is a separate question; see our Baylor Scott & White Health Plan guide.
• Wellpoint for STAR, UnitedHealthcare for STAR+PLUS. In rural areas Wellpoint uses MultiPlan's Texas True Choice network (Wellpoint Texas guide); UnitedHealthcare's process is in UnitedHealthcare and Optum credentialing.
• One service area for the whole region. All seven counties MHMR Authority of Brazos Valley serves are in MRSA Central, so the same contracts cover clients from Caldwell, Navasota, Hearne or Brenham.

The process is in our Texas Medicaid credentialing guide, every area is in Texas Medicaid health plans by service area, and our credentialing service files and follows every application.

Texas A&M students and their insurance

A program near campus will see young adults whose coverage was bought somewhere else, and that shapes intake more than anything else in this market.

• Out-of-area family plans. Many students carry a parent's employer plan from Houston, Dallas or out of state, often with a separate behavioral health network or a behavioral health carve-out. Verify the plan that actually manages behavioral health, and any prior authorization, before the first group; our sister site's prior authorization guide covers what to ask.
• Confidentiality with parents on the policy. The parent is often the subscriber, but an adult student's substance use records are protected by 42 CFR Part 2. Get written consent before you talk with family, and tell clients that an explanation of benefits may reach the policyholder.
• Recovery support on campus. Texas A&M's University Health Services runs the Aggie Recovery Community, which offers recovery coaching and recovery meetings for students and says it is not a treatment program (Texas A&M UHS). With the client's consent, it can be part of the support plan when a student steps down from IOP.
• Schedule around the semester. Evening tracks fit class schedules, and discharge planning should cover breaks, when students leave town. Our IOP schedule templates and IOP discharge planning guide help.

Hiring in the Brazos Valley

HHSC checks hiring practices under 26 TAC 564.601; the counselor and director roles it expects are in IOP staffing requirements in Texas.

• Verify licenses at the source. LCDCs and counselor interns through HHSC's LCDC program; LPCs, LMFTs, LCSWs and psychologists through the Behavioral Health Executive Council; and every hire against the OIG exclusion list.
• Local training. Texas A&M's PhD in Counseling Psychology has been APA-accredited since 1981 (Texas A&M Graduate and Professional School), and Sam Houston State University in nearby Huntsville has a CACREP-accredited Clinical Mental Health Counseling master's (CACREP directory). Practicum students and new graduates need supervised placements; see hiring and supervising associates.

The local landscape

Earn referrals with quick assessments, honest level-of-care calls and steady updates. Paying or giving anything of value for referrals is illegal under the Texas Patient Solicitation Act and EKRA (patient brokering laws, explained). We never arrange referrals.

• MHMR Authority of Brazos Valley, on South Texas Avenue in Bryan, is the local mental health and IDD authority for Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Leon, Madison, Robertson and Washington counties (HHSC LMHA directory). Agree on crisis hand-offs and where you'll send people you can't serve.
• OSAR. Bluebonnet Trails Community Services runs Outreach, Screening, Assessment and Referral for HHSC Region 7, a 30-county area that includes Brazos (its 2025 local service plan; HHSC OSAR page).
• Drug court. Brazos County runs a drug court whose participants are supervised on a specialty caseload with drug testing and treatment; in 2025 its judge was recognized by the Texas Association of Specialty Courts after updating the program's policies and adding random testing (KBTX). Courts operate under Government Code chapter 123; reports go only with written consent under Part 2.
• Veterans. The Bryan VA Clinic on Rock Prairie Road in College Station, part of the Central Texas VA, offers mental health care, including addiction treatment (VA). Community referrals come through the VA's Community Care Network; see our VA Community Care guide.
• Hospitals. CHI St. Joseph Health and Baylor Scott & White both run hospitals in the metro; their case managers want your levels of care, accepted plans and assessment times. Legal outreach, from directories to search ads, is in how to market a treatment center.

The order of work in Bryan–College Station

Step	Local detail	Typical time in our roadmap
1. Program model and budget	Levels of care, evening tracks for students and workers, payer mix. Run the break-even calculator.	1–2 months
2. Site search	Jurisdiction first; College Station's use table or Bryan's district rules	about 30 days
3. Lease with a contingency	Out if the certificate of occupancy or license fails; free rent for the build-out	about 3 weeks
4. Build-out and fire submittal	Permits; Bryan's fire marshal site plan for a change of use; TDLR registration if $50,000 or more	about 6 weeks
5. Final inspections and certificate of occupancy	In College Station, allow five business days after the building final	about 3 weeks
6. HHSC license and inspection	File when the site, policies and staff files are nearly ready	about 2–3 months
7. Facility contracts	TMHP, then Superior, Wellpoint and UnitedHealthcare, plus commercial plans	about 90 days each

The times are planning figures from our own launch roadmap, not promises. On that roadmap the first admission comes about 6 months after kickoff. Costs are in how much it costs to start an IOP.

Or book a free 30-minute call and tell us the address you're looking at.

Questions

Which Medicaid plans serve Bryan and College Station?

Brazos County is in MRSA Central. HHSC's September 1, 2026 chart lists Superior and Wellpoint for STAR; Superior and UnitedHealthcare carry STAR+PLUS. RightCare left Medicaid on August 31, 2026.

Who is the local mental health authority for Brazos County?

MHMR Authority of Brazos Valley, for Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Leon, Madison, Robertson and Washington counties. Bluebonnet Trails Community Services provides OSAR for HHSC Region 7.

Is it easier to open in Bryan or College Station?

Neither is simply easier; the steps differ. College Station's use table tells you up front whether your use is permitted, permitted with standards or conditional. Bryan adds a fire marshal submittal for a change of use and, for a building that never had a certificate of occupancy, its design standards. Pick the site first, then follow that city's rules.

Can a College Station IOP treat Texas A&M students on their parents' insurance?

Yes, if their plan covers it; verify which company manages behavioral health and whether it needs prior authorization. Keep Part 2 consent in mind: an adult student decides what you can share with a parent, even when the parent holds the policy.

How long does it take to open an IOP in Bryan–College Station?

Plan on nine to twelve months to a full caseload of insured clients. The building, the HHSC license and the facility contracts happen mostly in order, and the contracts usually take longest.

Other Texas cities: Waco and Killeen–Temple (the same Medicaid service area), Houston, Austin, and every city on opening a program in Texas, by city.

Cima Consulting isn't a law or accounting firm. HHSC, the cities of Bryan and College Station, and each health plan make their own decisions; we don't guarantee approvals, rates or dates. We aren't affiliated with any university, health plan, hospital or agency named here.

Sources

• HHSC, STAR comparison chart, MRSA Central (September 1, 2026): hhs.texas.gov; Managed Care Service Areas map: hhs.texas.gov; STAR+PLUS appendix XXXVIII, region by service area (revision 25-2): fhb.hhs.texas.gov
• TMHP, Baylor Scott & White and FirstCare health plans will end participation in Texas Medicaid managed care (July 17, 2026): tmhp.com; Superior HealthPlan, STAR+PLUS contract award updates: superiorhealthplan.com
• City of College Station, commercial and multi-family buildings: cstx.gov; inspections: cstx.gov; Unified Development Ordinance: cstx.gov
• City of Bryan, small business and entrepreneurship: bryantx.gov; Bryan Fire Department, fire and life safety submittal requirements: powerdms.com; Ordinance 2074, building design standards: bryantx.gov; TDLR, Architectural Barriers at a glance: tdlr.texas.gov
• HHSC, local mental health authority directory: resources.hhs.texas.gov; OSAR: hhs.texas.gov; Bluebonnet Trails Community Services, consolidated local service plan (2025): bbtrails.org
• Texas A&M University Health Services, Aggie Recovery Community: tamu.edu; Texas A&M, PhD in Counseling Psychology: tamu.edu; CACREP, Sam Houston State University Clinical Mental Health Counseling: cacrep.org
• KBTX, Brazos County judge receives statewide award for specialty court work (April 2, 2025): kbtx.com; VA, Bryan VA Clinic: va.gov
• HHSC LCDC program: hhs.texas.gov; BHEC: bhec.texas.gov; OIG exclusions: oig.hhs.gov
• Texas Health and Safety Code chapter 464: statutes.capitol.texas.gov; 26 TAC 564.408: justia.com; TMHP SUD notice: tmhp.com; Texas Occupations Code chapter 102: statutes.capitol.texas.gov; EKRA: law.cornell.edu; Government Code chapter 123: statutes.capitol.texas.gov; 42 CFR Part 2: ecfr.gov