With hundreds of providers in Maryland that offer different types of services, finding a good one offering addiction or mental health treatment can be like navigating a maze.

Many treatment programs offer counseling, medications and other types of help to people in need. But in Maryland, there has also been growth of some providers whose unscrupulous and illegal practices can result in patients not getting the help they need or even dying.

If you’re looking for treatment, there are some things you should know, according to providers and the public officials who oversee them.

How to find a new treatment program

You could start by using Google to search for information. But there are several ways beyond that to search for programs:

• Call, text or visit 988.maryland.gov
• Go to the website for 211 Maryland and search for “substance use services”
• Explore the federal government’s treatment locator for national services through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: findtreatment.gov
• Contact your city or county’s behavioral health authority, which is in charge of overseeing addiction and mental health providers. You can find a list of them here or by calling 988.

How to do your research

It can be hard to judge the quality of a program. The state does not track the performance of each provider that you could use to compare programs. And treatment is a personal journey — what works well for one individual may not for someone else. That said, there are some basic steps you can take to make sure you are well-informed before making a decision.

Find out the nature of the program

Find out ahead of time if the program is regulated both for its treatment programming as well as the housing it provides to its clients. The Banner has found problems with programs that are only licensed to provide outpatient services and place patients in unregulated housing. These are sometimes referred to as “with a pillow” programs. Make sure you understand what types of services a treatment program is licensed to offer. Different types of programs have to follow different rules, and some have fewer quality controls than others.

You can confirm what a program is licensed to provide on the state department of health’s website.

If the housing provided is not licensed as a residential treatment facility, it might be considered only a recovery residence. And only some recovery residences choose to be regulated by the state health department. You can look up whether recovery housing is certified by the state here and what that certification means.

All recovery residences are are still subject to local housing and zoning rules, which set standards for how buildings are maintained and used. Additionally, housing — whether regulated or not — must follow landlord-tenant laws governing evictions, anti-discrimination and property maintenance.

See what others say about the program

• Check for reviews on Google and social media. But be careful because online reviews are not always reliable.
• Before enrolling in a behavioral health program, you can reach out to your local behavioral health authority to ask about the quality and credentials of a provider. They can provide “insights into a provider’s licensing, reputation, and history within the community,” according to the state health department.

Call ahead and ask your own questions

You can call a program and ask about what to expect. The state health department recommends asking the following questions:

• Are your staff members licensed or certified in behavioral health care?
• What evidence-based practices do you use in treatment?
• Can you provide references or reviews from other patients?

You can ask for a copy of their staff roster and double-check their credentials by searching for their names on licensing boards' websites. You can also ask about their patient-to-staff ratio and whether services will be delivered in-person or virtually.

If housing is offered as part of a program’s services, you can also consider asking:

• Is my housing conditional on me attending any particular treatment program?
• If yes, am I able to stay at the house if I complete treatment?
• Can I stay overnight with family when I’m at your program?
• Can I get or keep a job while attending your program?

What red flags should I watch out for?

Be wary of programs that:

• Guarantee immediate or unrealistic results.
• Do not fully disclose costs, treatment methods, or staff credentials.
• Pressure you to enroll immediately without giving you time to consider options.

Be aware of illegal practices

State regulators have been warning providers against committing Medicaid fraud and engaging in waste and abuse. Here are things you should look out for:

• It’s illegal to require patients to attend a specific treatment program in exchange for free housing.
• Outpatient drug treatment programs — including those that provide intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization services — are not allowed to confiscate a client’s benefits, such as SNAP cards (also known as food stamps), wallets, phones and other personal materials.
• Providers cannot under law give money to patients as incentives to attend their treatment services.
• Patient brokering — earning money from providers by referring potential clients to specific programs — is illegal.
• Receiving treatment services from interns or staff without credentials is not allowed. You can search licensing boards’ websites for people by name to check if they have proper licenses.
• It’s against state laws to place people in unlicensed housing, without respecting their tenant rights

How do I file a complaint?

If you have concerns about an addiction or mental health provider, there are a few ways to alert health authorities.

Maryland Department of Health

• For most addiction and mental health treatment programs, you can submit a complaint online to the state’s Behavioral Health Administration, which is in charge of licensing and regulation.
• If your complaint is about an individual behavioral health counselor or physician, you can contact their licensing boards. Each board has an online search tool to check a person’s license status.
• If the complaint is about care you received at a hospital, federally qualified health center or residential treatment facility, you can reach out to the Office of Healthcare Quality.
• If you have concerns about a certified recovery residence, you can alert the Maryland Certification of Recovery Residences.

Local health authorities

Complaints can also be filed with a local behavioral health authority. A full list can be found here.

• Baltimore City
• Baltimore County
• Anne Arundel County
• Howard County

Accreditation agencies

Additionally, you can also alert a program’s accreditation agency about patient safety concerns. Licensed addiction and mental health treatment programs in Maryland are required to be accredited by one of five national agencies. Each accreditation agency has its own steps for filing complaints.