Start a business · Behavioral health clinic · Wyoming
How to start a behavioral health clinic in Wyoming
Wyoming Department of Health Behavioral Health Division — mental health and substance use (MHSA) provider certification.
- License required
- —MHSA provider certification under the Behavioral Health Division's Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Rules (Chapters 1-8)
- Application fee
- —
- Processing time
- —
- Mental health counseling
- $42.34
- Organizations in the state
- 273NPPES, Sep 13, 2026
On this page
Licensing
Wyoming behavioral health clinic license
Wyoming Department of Health Behavioral Health Division — mental health and substance use (MHSA) provider certification.
- License
- MHSA provider certification under the Behavioral Health Division's Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Rules (Chapters 1-8)
- Processing time
- The Division has 30 calendar days to review a completed, submitted application; applications left incomplete in the portal for 90 days are denied and closed.
- Accreditation
- Optional; national accreditation (e.g., CARF, The Joint Commission) can support state certification and accredited providers may receive certification extensions. Wyoming is not among the federal CCBHC demonstration states named by Medicaid.gov.
- Survey and inspection
- Review may include an on-site inspection and independent verification of national accreditation.
- Regulation
- Wyoming Rules and Regulations of the Behavioral Health Division, Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Services, Chapters 1-8 (effective 2024-09-18)
How to apply
Steps to get licensed in Wyoming
In order, as the licensing agency describes the process.
- Determine whether certification is needed: it is required to assess or treat court-ordered/referred SUD clients, to receive State of Wyoming funds for SUD treatment, for Division-contracted and CTS Unit providers, and for CMHCs providing SUD treatment
- Review the Division's certification checklists, required documents and Rules Chapters 1-5, 7 and 8
- Submit the online application with supporting documents in the Behavioral Health Management System (BHMS) portal
- Mark the application 'Accredited' only if nationally accredited (e.g., CARF, TJC) and upload survey reports and accreditation certificates
- The Division reviews within 30 days and may inspect on site and verify accreditation with the accreditor
Documents
What you need to submit
3 documents listed by the licensing agency.
Medicaid
Enrolling as a Wyoming Medicaid provider
- Program
- Wyoming Medicaid and Kid Care CHIP (Wyoming Department of Health, Division of Healthcare Financing, Office of Medicaid)
- Enrollment portal
- Discover Your Provider (DyP) provider enrollment portal, run by HHS Technology Group (HTG)
- Fiscal agent
- CNSI (operates the Benefits Management System claims processing); provider enrollment is contracted to HHS Technology Group (HTG)
- Application fee
- Under the federal rule (42 CFR 455.460), institutional providers pay the CMS application fee when they first enroll, re-enroll or revalidate. The fee is $750 for calendar year 2026. Individual physicians and non-physician practitioners do not pay it. A fee already paid to Medicare or to another state's Medicaid program counts. WDH's enrollment page does not list a separate state fee.
- Fingerprinting
- WDH says enrolling under a taxonomy considered high-risk can add steps, and a provider specialist will reach out. Under federal rules (42 CFR 455.434 and 455.450), the state places provider types in 'limited', 'moderate' or 'high' risk levels. High-risk providers, and anyone who owns 5% or more of one, must submit fingerprints for a criminal background check.
- Site visit
- Under federal rule (42 CFR 455.432), the state must visit moderate- and high-risk providers before and after enrollment. Every enrolled provider must allow unannounced on-site inspections. WDH's enrollment page does not describe a separate state site visit process.
- Revalidation
- Federal rule (42 CFR 455.414) requires the state to revalidate every enrolled provider at least once every 5 years. After an April 2026 CMS request, WDH sent CMS a two-year off-cycle revalidation plan on June 5, 2026. Under an August 17, 2026 notice, high-risk providers must revalidate in the DyP portal by October 31, 2026. Every enrolled provider must also report an NPI by then; providers without one are treated as high risk. Missing the deadline means payment suspension, then termination on February 1, 2027.
Certificate of need
Does Wyoming require a certificate of need?
- CON program
- No
Labor
Wyoming wage floor
- State minimum wage
- $7.25 an hour
- Effective
- 2009-07-24
- Scheduled increases
- No scheduled change found in the official sources reviewed.
- HCBS 80/20 rule
- Federal baseline: 42 CFR 441.302(k) requires the state to show that each provider spends at least 80% of Medicaid payments for homemaker, home health aide and personal care services under 1915(c) waivers on direct care worker pay and benefits. Compliance starts 2030-07-09 (for managed care, the first rating period starting on or after that date); annual payment-adequacy reporting under 441.311(e) starts 2028-07-09. A state may set a lower share for state-defined small providers and exempt providers facing hardship, each only through a public notice-and-comment process. The eCFR text has not changed since 2024-07-09. No state-published 80/20 implementation step (small-provider criteria, hardship exemption or reporting guidance) was found for this state in the official sources reviewed.
Market
Wyoming market size
Counts from federal public files: NPPES (active organization NPIs), CMS Care Compare and CMS Medicaid enrollment.
- Community/behavioral health agencies and mental health clinics — active organization NPIs (NPPES)
- 273 (as of Sep 13, 2026)
- Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment (latest reported month)
- 59,335 (as of Jun 1, 2026)
Rates
What Wyoming Medicaid pays
Behavioral health: published Wyoming fee-for-service rates, each linked to its source.
| Service | Code | Wyoming rate | Per hour | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mental health counselingLicensed mental health clinician | H0046 | $42.34 | — | 2 of 12 |
| Outpatient psychotherapy and diagnostic evaluationLicensed mental health clinician | 90838 | $109.65per hour | $109.65 | — |
| Mental health assessment (non-physician)Physician or licensed psychologist | H0031 | $116.17 | — | 16 of 27 |
| Skills training and developmentPhysician or licensed psychologist | H2014 | $14.14per 15 min | $56.56 | 14 of 33 |
| Therapeutic behavioral servicesPhysician or licensed psychologist | H2019 | $37.45per 15 min | $149.80 | 2 of 28 |
Waivers
Wyoming HCBS waivers
Medicaid home and community-based services programs that may pay for this service.
- WY Children's Mental Health Waiver (1915(c))
- WY Community Choices Waiver (CCW) (1915(c))
- WY Comprehensive Waiver (1915(c))
- WY Supports Waiver (1915(c))
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a license to start a behavioral health clinic in Wyoming?
Wyoming Department of Health Behavioral Health Division — mental health and substance use (MHSA) provider certification.
How long does it take to get licensed in Wyoming?
The Division has 30 calendar days to review a completed, submitted application; applications left incomplete in the portal for 90 days are denied and closed.
Does Wyoming require a certificate of need for a behavioral health clinic?
No. Wyoming has no certificate of need program.
How do you become a Medicaid provider in Wyoming?
Enroll through Discover Your Provider (DyP) provider enrollment portal, run by HHS Technology Group (HTG) (https://wyoming.dyp.cloud/), run by CNSI (operates the Benefits Management System claims processing); provider enrollment is contracted to HHS Technology Group (HTG).
What does Wyoming Medicaid pay a behavioral health clinic?
Wyoming Medicaid pays $42.34 for mental health counseling, effective Jul 1, 2026, ranking 2 of 12 states.