DBHDS Office of Licensing
Licenses providers of services to individuals receiving DD waiver services, under the rules at 12VAC35-105. Applications run through the DBHDS CONNECT provider portal.
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Virginia provider enrollment
How to Become a Medicaid Waiver Provider in Virginia
What Virginia requires before you can deliver home and community-based waiver services, in the order the state actually requires it. Every claim links to the official page it came from.
Provider rules change often — confirm fees and deadlines against the linked sources before you rely on them.
Overview
Becoming a waiver provider in Virginia
Virginia's own toolkit says the thing most states leave unsaid: it is not about filling beds or spots at a day program. Individuals choose their providers with support from their coordinators, and a waiver slot does not translate into a referral for you. Plan on that, and plan on the credential you need being service-specific — some DD waiver services require a DBHDS license, others a certification or endorsement, and employment services generally run on a DARS vendor agreement instead. What every service has in common is the last step: all services require a provider participation agreement with DMAS. One practical trap for out-of-state organizations: you must have a physical address in Virginia to enroll with DMAS, and a P.O. box will not meet the requirement. DBHDS also says it is currently prioritizing review of initial applications for the services most needed across the Commonwealth, so the service you choose affects how fast you are looked at.
Who certifies you
The agencies that decide
DBHDS Office of Provider Network Supports, Division of Developmental Services
Publishes the Prospective Provider Toolkit and staffs the Community Resource Consultants who help applicants through the process.
804-786-3921Visit siteDepartment of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS)
The Medicaid agency. Issues the Provider Participation Agreement every DD waiver service requires, and sets the billing rules.
Visit siteDepartment for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS)
Issues the vendor agreements that employment and day options services run on, including group supported employment.
Visit siteBefore you apply
What has to be true first
Three things Virginia expects of you personally
Knowledge of and background in supporting people with intellectual and developmental disability; a demonstrated ability to manage a business and supervise staff; and competencies — or qualified staff — in every area of support you plan to offer, such as a registered nurse to oversee certain medical supports or insulin training if you will support people with diabetes.
SourceA Virginia physical address, not a P.O. box
Out-of-state companies must have a physical address in Virginia in order to enroll with DMAS, and P.O. boxes will not meet the requirement.
SourceThe credential depends on the service
Decide which services you want to provide, then acquire the license, certification, vendor agreement, or endorsement that service requires. Employment and day options and group supported employment run on a DARS vendor agreement; workplace assistance can use either a DARS vendor agreement or DBHDS non-center-based day support.
SourceEvery service needs a DMAS agreement
The toolkit is explicit: all services require a provider participation agreement with DMAS, whatever credential got you there.
SourceEnrollment
How to enroll in Virginia
Register the business and get an NPI, pick your services and their required credentials, apply to DBHDS Licensing through the CONNECT portal, complete PREP, then obtain the DMAS Provider Participation Agreement.
Application system: DBHDS Licensing information for providers and applicants
- Set up the business and get an NPI
The toolkit starts at Virginia Business One-Stop for registering with the State Corporation Commission, and requesting a National Provider Identifier from CMS.
Source - Choose services against their descriptions and qualifications
Work from the DD Waiver service descriptions and required qualifications, the DD Waiver rates, the regulations, and the DD Waiver manual before committing to a service line.
Source - Get the license, certification, endorsement, or vendor agreement
Apply to the DBHDS Office of Licensing where a license is required, and to DARS where the service runs on a vendor agreement. Human rights requirements run through the DBHDS Office of Human Rights.
Source - Complete the Provider Readiness and Education Program
PREP is part of the credentialing stage in DBHDS's own sequence, alongside licensing and human rights.
Source - Obtain the DMAS Provider Participation Agreement
After the credential comes the DMAS agreement, and after that the operational work — provider modules, DSP orientation and competencies, Part V plans for supports, WaMS, LEIE checks, and possible Jump Start funding.
Source
Service types
What you can be approved to deliver
DBHDS-licensed DD waiver services
Virginia DD Waivers
Licensed under 12VAC35-105
DBHDS licenses public and private providers of treatment, training, support, and habilitation services to people receiving Medicaid DD waiver services, under the Rules and Regulations for Licensing Providers.
SourceEmployment and day options
Virginia DD Waivers
A DARS vendor agreement rather than a DBHDS license
Employment and day options and group supported employment run on DARS vendor agreements. Workplace assistance services can use either a DARS vendor agreement or DBHDS non-center-based day support.
SourceConsumer-directed services facilitation
DMAS-approved training required
Facilitators must meet DMAS requirements for knowledge and skills and complete DMAS-approved consumer-directed services facilitator training.
SourceTimeline & cost
What this actually takes
Needed services get looked at sooner
DBHDS says it is prioritizing review of initial applications for the services most needed across the Commonwealth, so the service line you pick affects your position in the queue.
SourceJump Start funding may be available
The toolkit lists eligibility for Jump Start funding among the things a prospective provider should ask about — worth raising with your Community Resource Consultant early.
SourceAfter approval
Staying compliant
Operational systems come with the agreement
After the DMAS Provider Participation Agreement, providers work through provider modules, DSP orientation and competencies, Part V plans for supports, the WaMS system, and List of Excluded Individuals and Entities checks.
SourceHCBS settings compliance is part of staying qualified
The toolkit places HCBS settings regulations compliance in the post-credential stage, alongside navigating the waiver and the DD waiver application itself.
SourceConfirm by phone
What the state does not publish
Virginia does not publish these in a form we could verify, so we have not guessed at them. Ask directly — and if an answer here would help other providers, tell us and we will add it with its source.
- Which services is DBHDS currently prioritizing, and in which regions?
Ask: Your DBHDS Community Resource Consultant
- How long does DBHDS licensing take from application to license, and how long does the DMAS agreement add?
Ask: DBHDS Office of Licensing
- What are the current Jump Start funding criteria and amounts?
Ask: Your DBHDS Community Resource Consultant
- Is there a licensing fee, and what background screening applies to your service type?
Ask: DBHDS Office of Licensing
Key contacts
Virginia provider contacts
DD Waivers Prospective Provider Toolkit
DBHDS's own end-to-end guide, from business registration through the DMAS agreement and beyond.
Visit siteLicensing Information for Providers and Applicants
The initial applicant instructions and the DBHDS CONNECT provider portal.
Visit site12VAC35-105 — Rules and Regulations for Licensing Providers
The licensing regulations themselves.
Visit siteDBHDS Waiver Services
The waiver programs your services would be delivered under.
Visit siteFAQ
Virginia provider questions
Does getting licensed mean I will get referrals?
No. Virginia's toolkit says it plainly — individuals choose their providers with the support of their coordinators, and the priority is the person's success in the community rather than filling beds or spots at a day program.
I am based out of state. Can I enroll?
Only with a physical address in Virginia. Out-of-state companies must have one to enroll with DMAS, and a P.O. box does not satisfy the requirement.
Do all services need a DBHDS license?
No. Some need a license, others a certification or endorsement, and employment and day options services generally run on a DARS vendor agreement. What every service does need is a provider participation agreement with DMAS.
What is PREP?
The Provider Readiness and Education Program, which DBHDS places alongside licensing and human rights in the credentialing stage of becoming a DD waiver provider.
Who can help me through this?
Your Provider Team Community Resource Consultant. DBHDS invites prospective providers to contact them at any point in the process.
Looking for the family-facing guide? Browse state waiver guides