Accreditation (Joint Commission/CARF) and licensure (state) are two different things — a center can be state-licensed but not accredited, or claim accreditation without holding it. Treatment centers vary widely in quality and some engage in “patient brokering” or deceptive marketing, so I weighted this list toward official locators and accreditation-verification tools rather than commercial rehab-referral sites.
1. SAMHSA FindTreatment.gov — The official federal treatment locator; every listed facility must be licensed and/or nationally accredited to appear, making it the single most trustworthy starting point. [samhsa](https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/locators)
2. SAMHSA Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) Directory — Searchable list of certified methadone/buprenorphine opioid treatment programs nationwide, with certification dates. [samhsa](https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/locators/opioid-treatment-program-directory)
3. State Opioid Treatment Authorities (SOTA) Directory — Contact list of the licensing authority in each state responsible for regulating treatment programs; useful if a visitor wants to verify a facility’s license directly with the regulator. [samhsa](https://www.samhsa.gov/substance-use/treatment/opioid-treatment-program/sota)
4. The Joint Commission — Provider Locator / Quality Check — Free public tool to confirm whether a specific facility holds current Joint Commission accreditation (one of the two most respected accreditations in the field). [jointcommission](https://www.jointcommission.org/en-us/accreditation/behavioral-health-care-and-human-services/provider-locator)
5. CARF International — Find a Provider — The other major accrediting body; its provider search tool lets families verify a center’s CARF accreditation status and level before enrolling. [carf](https://carf.org/find-provider/)
6. NAATP Addiction Industry Directory — Directory maintained by the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers, filterable by state, level of care, clinical approach, and specialty; members must meet accreditation standards to be listed. [naatp](https://www.naatp.org/resources/addiction-industry-directory)
7. LegitScript — Website Certification Status Lookup — Lets visitors check whether a treatment center’s website has passed LegitScript’s independent legitimacy review (verifying licensure, advertising accuracy, and physical facility existence) — a good tool for catching predatory or fraudulent operators. [legitscript](https://www.legitscript.com/certification/website-certification-status/)
8. Psychology Today — Find Treatment Programs & Rehab — Searchable directory of treatment centers by location and specialty (residential, IOP, wilderness, adolescent, etc.), with facility-submitted profiles and peer endorsements. [psychologytoday](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/treatment-rehab)
9. How to Verify a Rehab Center’s License and Accreditation (Checklist) — Step-by-step guide for families on confirming state licensing and national accreditation before committing money or time to any facility. [rehablookup](https://rehablookup.com/resources/how-to-verify-rehab-center)
10. Your State’s Health/Behavioral Health Department Licensing Database — Every state maintains its own facility licensing lookup (search “[state name] substance abuse treatment licensing verification”); this is the definitive source since accreditation (Joint Commission/CARF) is voluntary, but state licensure is mandatory. [rehablookup](https://rehablookup.com/resources/how-to-verify-rehab-center)
