Becoming a Community Service Provider

According to Alabama law, any community program providing services to people living with developmental disabilities, mental illnesses, and/or substance use disorders, must be certified by the Alabama Department of Mental Health prior to providing services.

To become certified, prospective providers must go through a multi-phase orientation and application process, demonstrating compliance with standards outlined in the Alabama Administrative Code for developmental disability, mental illness, and/or substance use disorder services. Prior to attempting certification, prospective providers should read the Administrative Code standards for their respective service areas.

To learn more about ADMH Certification, please visit the Certification Administration page.

Programs unable to demonstrate the ability to meet the Alabama Administrative Code standards for service, will not be certified. Because the certification process can take a considerable amount of time, some things to consider prior to beginning the process are:

• Completing the Prospective Provider Orientation does not mean your program is certified to provide services. In fact, it is only the first step in the certification process.
• Becoming certified by ADMH does not mean you will obtain referrals or clients for services.
• Becoming certified by ADMH does not mean you will receive funding from ADMH or payment for services.
• Being a licensed business in Alabama is different than being certified. Please go to the Alabama Secretary of State website to review the requirements for establishing a business.
• Not all services are in high demand across the state. Consider whether the services you would like to provide are needed in your area. Consider community partnerships with other providers and organizations who support people who may need the services you want to provide.

Prior to applying for certification, ADMH requires the completion of a two-phase orientation detailing the application process and providing the information you can use to determine whether your program has the current capacity to meet certification standards. Completing the orientation does not guarantee your program will be certified. Please use the ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ link on this page for more information on becoming a certified community provider.

Prospective Community Provider – Certification Orientation (Phase 1 – online)

Phase 1 of the certification orientation is an online course available at:  https://admh.academy.reliaslearning.com/Prospective-Community-Provider-Certification-Orientation-Phase-1-Online-Course---ADMHProv1.aspx. This training provides a basic overview of the ADMH provider certification process.  This course must be completed, and a certificate of completion printed, prior to registering for Phase 2. The cost of this phase is $25.

Prospective Community Provider – Certification Orientation (Phase 2 – webinar)

Phase 2 of the certification orientation is planned to be held four times a year. This comprehensive overview of the certification application process is required prior to submitting a certification application. This phase of the Certification Orientation will be provided through a Webinar due to restrictions on large gatherings during the COVID pandemic. Availability for Phase 2 is limited.  To ensure equitable access to registration for prospective providers across the state, ADMH will NOT accept hand-delivered registration packets. Registration packets are reviewed in the order they are received. All required registration materials must be included for your registration to be processed. The cost of this phase is $100 (money order or cashier’s check).

Next Phase 2 dates:

You are only required to attend the Phase 2 webinar that relates to services you are seeking certification:

• The next Phase 2 for Mental Health or Substance Use Disorder (MHSA) services –
  Check this page in mid-September to access registration materials for the January 2023 session.
• The next Phase 2 for Intellectual Disabilities/Developmental Disability (IDDD) services –
  Check this page in mid-September to access registration materials for the January 2023 session.