New York OASAS Program Certification Readiness

Last updated: November 2026

OASAS program certification authorizes covered New York addiction treatment programs to operate specified services at approved locations. For start-ups and certified providers planning changes, Integral Healthcare Solutions (IHS) drafts application materials and policies and conducts a mock review. Your organization approves and files the materials and handles all agency contact.

What is OASAS program certification?

New York requires prior approval for providers subject to OASAS certification. The OASAS Program Certification page (page opened 2026-11-05) says a prospective provider must receive the prior approval of the Commissioner of OASAS and go through the necessary channels of certification before establishing, incorporating or constructing a facility or offering a service, and that in most cases prior approval from the Local Governmental Unit (LGU) is also required. Once a provider is certified, any change or addition of services requires explicit notice and approval. Section 810.1 of 14 NYCRR Part 810, Establishment, Incorporation and Certification of Providers of Addiction Services (OASAS notice of adoption page, opened 2026-11-05) states the same rule and sets the criteria and procedures. That page shows no effective date, and OASAS separately posts amendments to Part 810 proposed in the State Register on June 17, 2026 (proposal page, opened 2026-11-05). This page summarizes the adoption-page text; confirm the current text with counsel.

The OASAS Laws and Regulations page (page opened 2026-11-05) lists the operating Parts by service:

• Part 822 for outpatient programs, including opioid treatment programs.
• Part 820 for certified providers of residential services for adults.
• Part 816 for withdrawal and stabilization, and Part 818 for inpatient services.

Part 822, section 822.3(a), requires covered outpatient providers to hold a Part 810 operating certificate; section 822.3(b) exempts treatment within local correctional facilities from OASAS certification while retaining other applicable state and federal requirements. Section 822.3(a) also provides that programs providing full opioid agonist treatment medications must obtain approval from a federally-approved accrediting body and all other applicable regulatory entities (Part 822, effective October 1, 2022, page opened 2026-11-05).

How does OASAS certification work, step by step?

1. Proposal. Arrange an initial discussion of your concept with both the OASAS Regional Office and the LGU where you plan to serve.
2. Prior consultation. In most cases a Prior Consultation form (Attachment 1A) signed by the Regional Office and the LGU is required. Only minor relocations, adding a Supportive Living Site and changes to prevention sites are exempt. It goes in with the application, not separately.
3. Application. Once you receive a recommendation to move forward, the application is submitted through the New York State Electronic Certificate of Need (NYSE-CON) system. A provider not yet certified by OASAS can use a my.ny.gov account.

Sections 810.5 and 810.6 distinguish full review for a never-certified provider establishing services from administrative review for specified changes by existing providers. Under section 810.8, applications first pass a threshold check. The completeness review provides 14 days from OASAS receipt for an insufficiency notice and no later than 30 days from notification for the applicant’s response; OASAS may approve more time. An unanswered request results in abandonment and withdrawal. Required criminal-history review must conclude before completeness. Full review includes LGU review unless the LGU is the applicant, followed by Advisory Council review and a Commissioner decision within 15 days of receipt of its recommendations. Section 810.9 governs administrative review separately. These are procedural windows, not an end-to-end timeline.

The contingency instructions (page opened 2026-11-05) say contingencies must be satisfied before Final Approval is issued, including OASAS's final inspection of the completed facility and approval of any corrective action plans.

What does OASAS decide on?

Section 810.7 governs approval findings, including public need, available alternatives, character and competence, financial resources and legal compliance. It requires ten percent of owners or principals to demonstrate and substantiate substantial experience directly providing or managing substance use disorder treatment, under OASAS criteria, and to maintain that experience while certified. Criminal-history review must be followed by OASAS approval. The section also addresses community needs, access barriers, construction, governance and lease terms; month-to-month leases are insufficient. This is a summary, not the complete approval checklist.

What do Parts 822 and 820 require of staff?

Selected staffing rules appear in Part 822, section 822.7(k), and Part 820, section 820.6 (both effective October 1, 2022; pages opened 2026-11-05). Outpatient programs need at least one full-time CASAC and one full-time qualified health professional in another discipline holding a professional license other than CASAC. At least half of clinical staff must be qualified health professionals; CASAC trainees count toward that threshold only. Residential programs with 10 or more beds need a full-time qualified program director; smaller programs need a similarly qualified director at least part-time. The director needs five years of full-time experience in SUD or a related treatment field before appointment. These are selected requirements; director qualifications, supervision, medical coverage and other staffing duties require review of the full provisions and Part 800 definitions.

Who needs it and what triggers it?

• A start-up plans outpatient, residential or opioid treatment services and is not yet certified.
• A certified provider adds a service, adds capacity or an additional location, or relocates.
• Ownership changes, which the quick reference guide (page opened 2026-11-05) lists as application categories.
• A residential provider converts. Part 819 stopped being in effect after February 28, 2026, so providers continuing those services needed operating certificates under another Part, such as Part 820, by that date (notice of adoption, page opened 2026-11-05).

How IHS helps

IHS prepares the documents and the rehearsal, and your organization makes every decision and filing. Thomas G. Goddard, JD, PhD, founder of IHS and former URAC Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel, leads the engagement.

What IHS drafts

• A gap assessment against the section 810.7 findings and the Part that governs your service.
• The application narrative for Parts I through IV, an attachment index built on the OASAS Exhibit C checklist, and the staffing plan and job descriptions.
• The policy and procedure set for the topics Part III lists, with clinical content drafted for your clinicians to approve.
• A mock review with findings and drafted corrections.

What you supply

You supply ownership and governing documents, the owners' treatment experience, the clinical and medical directors, the service list, the budget and financial statements, control of the premises and clinical sign-off on every clinical policy.

The real limit

IHS does not decide whether OASAS will certify your program. IHS does not file your application and does not contact OASAS, a Regional Office or an LGU for you. Your organization files and handles all contact.

What to have ready

Match the documents to your proposed action; the Quick Reference Guide is an aid, not a substitute for the full instructions. The following PPD-5 forms are revision 08/21; all linked pages were opened 2026-11-05.

1. Prior Consultation form with applicant, Regional Office and LGU signatures where required; the Program Certification instructions exempt minor relocations, adding a Supportive Living Site and prevention-site changes from this form.
2. Authorizations for the contact person and proposed action, using corporate resolutions or owner statements as applicable (Application Summary).
3. Entity documents, current licenses and accreditations, and owners’ or principals’ experience information. For nongovernmental entities, include signed and dated questionnaires for the governing authority members and principal stockholders identified in Part I, sections E–F.
4. For affected sites where purchase or lease is contemplated, the purchase offer/contract or existing/proposed lease; occupancy documentation or, if unavailable, documentation from the appropriate regulatory authority (Exhibit C, items 8 and 12).
5. Summary and proof of community outreach (Application Summary).
6. Need assessment, service components, goals and outcomes, and applicable operational policies (Part III). Section H is omitted for additional locations; already-approved policies for the same level of care need not be resubmitted.
7. Budgets, assumptions, staffing and job descriptions (Part IV). Item F is not required for new entities, governmental entities or Article 28 acute care general hospitals. Otherwise provide the latest financial report; if unavailable, follow the instructions for a tax return and/or pro forma balance sheet, including Exhibit D.

To compare your documents with this list, schedule the free introductory call below.

How it compares

Other approvals run separately from OASAS certification.

• Federal opioid treatment program requirements. The OASAS quick reference guide says such an applicant must also apply to the federal Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and the Drug Enforcement Administration for approval to store opioid at its location. Our opioid treatment program page covers the federal side.
• Article 28 facilities. The guide says these applicants must also use the Department of Health process, reviewed concurrently, and receive operating certificates from both.
• Specialized OASAS designations. The program certification page lists add-ons such as Integrated Outpatient Services, Children's Services (Part 823), Tele-Health Services and Part 857 problem gambling designation for Part 822 providers. For federal privacy rules on these programs, see our 42 CFR Part 2 page.

What it costs

Budget for consulting and internal preparation time, and verify any applicable authority fees directly with OASAS.

• OASAS does not publish a fee schedule on the pages we reviewed; fees depend on scope. Verify current fees with OASAS.
• Consulting fees depend on scope. IHS scopes each engagement after a free introductory call.
• Your team gathers documents, your clinicians approve every clinical policy, and you prepare for inspection. That time is yours either way.

What this is not

• It is not legal advice. IHS is a consulting firm, not a law firm.
• It is not a guarantee that OASAS will certify your program. OASAS decides.

Frequently asked questions

Does a New York substance use program need OASAS certification?

Covered programs need prior approval before establishing a facility or offering services; Local Governmental Unit (LGU) approval is also required in most cases. Applicability and exemptions matter: Part 810 includes a conditional practitioner-entity exemption, and Part 822 excludes treatment within local correctional facilities from OASAS certification.

What does OASAS say about incorporation and construction?

The OASAS certification page and section 810.1 require covered providers to obtain the Commissioner’s prior approval before establishing, incorporating or constructing a facility or offering a service. Ask your counsel how the rules apply to your proposed transaction.

Which Part governs outpatient and which governs residential?

Part 822 covers outpatient programs, including opioid treatment programs. Part 820 covers certified residential services for adults.

What does the application contain?

It depends on your action. The PPD-5 form (revision 08/21) has an Application Summary and Parts I through V, and the quick reference guide shows which components each action needs. Parts I to IV cover entity information, site information, a description of services and resource allocation.

How long does certification take?

The reviewed sources give no end-to-end timeline. Part 810 distinguishes full and administrative review; completeness, responses to information requests and any required criminal-history review affect progress. Ask OASAS about your application’s status.

What does it cost?

OASAS does not publish a fee schedule on the pages we reviewed, so verify current fees with OASAS. Consulting fees depend on scope, and IHS scopes each engagement after a free introductory call. Budget for your own staff time as well.

Did Part 819 end, and what does that mean for residential providers?

Part 819 ceased to have effect after February 28, 2026, and certificates issued under it became ineffective after that date. Providers continuing those services had to obtain certificates under another applicable Part, such as Part 820, on or before February 28, 2026.

Does an opioid treatment program need anything beyond OASAS?

Yes. Section 822.3(a) requires programs providing full opioid agonist treatment medications to obtain approval from a federally approved accrediting body and all other applicable regulatory entities. The OASAS quick reference guide also directs OTP applicants to apply to SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and the Drug Enforcement Administration for approval to store opioid at the proposed location.