• California's Health Codes regulate rehabilitation facilities.drugs image by bright from Fotolia.com
  
  The state of California has rigorous, strict rules for running and regulating substance abuse programs because these programs are partially publicly funded, certified by the state to ensure patients who put their well-being in the hands of these facilities will receive the highest quality of care. In the California Health Codes (specifically, parts 11830-11845), these rules are outlined, as well as the responsibilities of the Health Board to monitor these regulations.
  
  

Registration

• Programs need to register with the state so that the state can coordinate drug prevention and rehabilitation programs effectively. Registration includes a description of services and the types of patients served, as well as the names and addresses of the people responsible for direction and operation of the facility. Registration, however, does not mean that the state approves or endorses the facility.
  
  

Certification

• To become a qualified alcohol or drug abuse program, certification must be granted by California's Health Department. Certification lasts for two years. The certification process is to ensure that programs exceed minimum levels of service and have a statewide or national accreditation. Certification requires a lengthy application process that covers everything from the credentials of those running the facility to the proposed schedule for patients and even the billing process as well as building zoning codes, fire safety and waste management.
  
  

Services Provided

• To be licensed by the state, a facility must provide at least one of the following services: detox, addiction treatment or addiction recovery. These services must follow a predetermined process, which may include the following eight steps: admission, intake process, assessment of needs, recovery or treatment, after-patient referral, documentation of recovery process, discharge with a plan for continued care and some indication of the outcome of treatment.
  
  

Methadone

• In treatment where a narcotic replacement, such as methadone, is used, the facility must have a standard in place for regulating the use, storage and administration of the narcotic replacement to ensure that the drugs are handled appropriately.
  
  

Confidentiality

• Records pertaining to patient treatment, which includes diagnosis and performance of the patient through treatment, are to be kept confidential. This confidentiality can be broken if the patient gives permission, if medical professionals need to talk to each other to provide better care or if there is a genuine medical emergency. A court order is also grounds to break confidentiality.