BHIN 26-006 was published by DHCS on February 9, 2026 and covers admission agreements and “return to use” plans for SUD recovery and treatment facilities. In this BHIN, DHCS clarifies that licensed SUD recovery/treatment facilities must have a signed admission agreement, and that sobriety/abstinence may not be required as a condition of admission, consideration for treatment, or continuation in treatment. Facilities must also maintain a “return to use” plan (relapse response) that prioritizes keeping the individual connected to treatment and does not require discharge solely due to a lapse/relapse, including when use occurs on premises.
What this means for SmartCare
SmartCare does not include a standard Admission Agreement document, as the requirements for this document pertain to facility or program-level policies, and cannot be made into a standard form. CalMHSA recommends that facilities maintain their own documents and scan them into SmartCare using the “Admission/Intake Document(s) (scanned)” document type.
Next Steps:
- Ensure licensed/certified SUD programs update their admission agreements to remove any sobriety/abstinence requirement to reflect current regulations.
- Confirm a written “return to use” plan (policy/procedure and client-tailored approach) is in place that emphasizes continued connection to care rather than discharge.
- Continue using existing SmartCare workflows to scan and upload documents, if needed.