Rule 24-2-2.3 - Certification Issuance - General RequirementsA. Certification by DMH of any type is not a guarantee of funding from any source. Funding is a separate process, and each individual funding source/agency must be contacted for information regarding their requirements for funding and the process required for obtaining that funding.B. Approval and certification as a community service provider is limited to agency providers/businesses registered and in good standing with the Mississippi Secretary of State, rather than licensed independent practitioners.C. Good standing with the Mississippi Secretary of State's Office must continue throughout the duration of the agency's DMH certification.D. Non-profit and for-profit agency providers seeking provider certification must have and show evidence of a governing authority as required in Chapter 8.E. New agency providers interested in DMH certification must complete DMH Interested Agency Provider Orientation prior to seeking certification. DMH Interested Agency Provider Orientation must be completed prior to submitting the application for DMH Agency Provider Certification.F. Interested Agency Providers seeking DMH certification must submit the required DMH application and supporting documentation and adhere to the timelines and procedures for application.G. DMH reserves the right to verify, including contacting of external sources, information submitted as part of any DMH provider certification process.H. DMH does not execute required background checks. This is the interested agency's or certified provider agency's responsibility.I. Application date submission is determined by DMH.J. Prior to service delivery, all services/supports and service locations must be certified by DMH with written documentation of the effective certification period.K. DMH notifies DOM of an agency provider's certification status and any changes therein.L. An Opioid Treatment Program will not be approved for provider certification if its location is in an area where needs are met by existing services. The DMH determination of need will include, but is not limited to, population census, existing services, and other pertinent data. This determination applies to initial and future satellite or branch locations of Opioid Treatment Program(s).M. An Opioid Treatment Program utilizing methadone must be located in an area that is properly zoned in accordance with local ordinances and requirements. Additionally, DMH will not certify other programs located in an area not properly zoned in accordance with local ordinances and requirements.N. Applicants providing false information and/or documentation or are participating in a manner considered to be unethical by DMH or relevant licensing and/or professional organizations, are subject to immediate denial. DMH reserves the right to refuse future applications from either the agency (and/or the leadership members identified with the agency, as determined by DMH, who are now engaged with another agency) based upon prior conduct.O. Agencies certified to provide IDD services must comply with the Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Settings Final Rule. If any rule(s) for IDD service providers promulgated in the DMH Operational Standards conflict with or stipulate a lesser requirement than may be included in the HCBS Settings Final Rule, then the provider should contact DMH for notification of such and should comply with the HCBS Settings Final Rule.P. When DMH must decide on timelines based on a DMH notification, except as may be elsewhere noted, Day One (1) is counted as the day after the date DMH issues the provider bulletin.Q. Policies and procedures documentation submitted for applications should not be an exact replica of DMH Operational Standards rules and requirements; rather, the policies and procedures should be developed as the agency's plan for implementation of and compliance with these rules.R. To be certified, specific service/program locations must be appropriate for the population(s) being served at the location, as determined by DMH.