Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility

Becoming a PRTF is a multi-stepped process. 

PRTFs are governed by federal certification regulations. In Idaho, prior to the federal certification process, a PRTF must first be licensed as a Children’s Residential Care Facility per Idaho State Statute - The Child Care Licensing Reform Act 39.1202.  

Application information is located on the Children’s Residential Program Website.

To establish Centers for Medicare/Medicaid Services (CMS) Certification of a PRTF, an applicant must request, complete, and submit an application packet. Application materials are located below or may be requested through the Bureau of Facility Standards at (208) 334-6626, option 2.

The PRTF application packet includes the information and documents that must be submitted and approved by the Bureau of Facility Standards prior to initial PRTF certification (items #1 - #5) and regulatory resource information related to PRTFs (items #6 - #8) as follows:

1. Accreditation. Your facility must be accredited by one of the following accrediting organizations (AO): Joint Commission (JC), Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), or Council on Accreditation of Services for Families and Children (COA).  A copy of the facility's AO survey, including any plan of correction and the AO letter verifying your facility’s accreditation as a provider of inpatient psychiatric services for children, must be provided to the Bureau of Facility Standards.

2. Attestations. All attestations must be signed and dated by the facility director and include the following information:

a. Facility General Characteristics: name, address, and telephone number of the facility:

• If the PRTF is located on a campus or co-located with other facilities, please include a map designating the specific location of the PRTF.

b. Facility Specific Characteristics:

• Bed size;
• Number of individuals currently served within the PRTF who are provided service based on their eligibility for the Medicaid Inpatient Psychiatric Services for Individuals Under age 21 Benefit (Psych under 21);
• Number of individuals, if any, whose Medicaid Inpatient Psychiatric Services Under 21 Benefit is paid for by any State other than the State of the PRTF identified in this attestation letter; and
• List all States from which the PRTF has ever received Medicaid payment for the provision of Psych under 21 services.

c. A statement certifying that the facility currently meets all of the requirements of Part 483, Subpart G governing the use of restraint and seclusion;

d. A statement acknowledging the right of the SA (or its agents) and, if necessary, CMS to conduct an on-site survey at any time to validate the facility’s compliance with the requirements of the rules, to investigate complaints lodged against the facility, or to investigate serious occurrences; and

e. A statement that the facility will submit a new attestation of compliance annually and in the event a new facility director is appointed.

3. Fiscal year ending date form.

4. In addition to the application and corresponding processes listed above, please submit the following with your application:

a. Table of Organization. Please specify the number of full-time equivalents in each position.

b. Job descriptions for each of the positions identified in the Table of Organization.

c. Evidence verifying that professionals to be utilized are currently licensed and/or certified in Idaho, as applicable.

d. Evidence of the establishment of educational services.

e. Contracts for physician, psychiatrist, dentist, optometrist/ophthalmologist, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, pharmacist, occupational therapist, speech language pathologist, audiologist, registered dietician, and/or any other contracted services.

f. Policies and Procedures, sufficient to meet all regulations under the Condition of Participation. 

5. The facility’s Emergency Preparedness Plan as required per Appendix Z. 

6. Appendix N -  Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTF) Interpretive Guidance.

7. Appendix Q -  Guidelines For Determining Immediate Jeopardy.

8. Appendix Z -  Emergency Preparedness (EP) requirements.

Submit all required facility information (items #1 - #5 above). Assure that all attestation information is complete.  All applications materials must be legible and easily readable. Information may be submitted on a flash drive. 

Mail a completed application to:

Department of Health and Welfare
Bureau of Facility Standards
Attn: PRTF Program
P.O. BOX 83720
BOISE, ID 83720-0009

PLEASE KEEP A COPY FOR YOUR RECORDS.  

• Refer to CMS Exhibit 63 for additional document assistance.