Advisory Memo – Changes to Regulations and Licensing of Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTFs) as a Result of Act 636 (PDF)
Resources
- PRTF under Age 21 – Medicaid Provider Manual
- Inpatient Psychiatric Medicaid Manual
- 20 CAR § 417-101: Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility Providers
- Emergency rules effective June 20, 2025
Overview
On April 16, 2025, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed Act 636 into law. With this act, all Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTFs) in the state of Arkansas were redefined as a Long-Term Care Facility, effectively immediately, and are now licensed and overseen by the Division of Provider Services and Quality Assurance’s Office of Long-Term Care (OLTC). Key changes include:
- Requires survey and certification reviews conducted by the Office of Long-Term Care (OLTC), or their contractor, to include all residents receiving services at the facility, regardless of residency or payment source;
- Creates facility administrator requirements for a PRFT, including administrator training and licensure requirements;
- Changes in reporting requirements;
- Updates to the certification of need for services requirements to treat the condition of residents; and
- Made changes to bed capacity, uses, and fees for licensed facilities.
If you have any questions related to PRTFs, email [email protected].
PRTF Administrators
PRTFs are now required to have an administrator licensed by DPSQA who meet training and licensing standards established in the PRTF Rules found in 20 CAR §415-205. The PRTF Administrator is the person who administers, manages, supervises, or is in general administrative charge of the PRTF.
Application
The PRTF Administrator application is now available. Applicants can apply for a review of the qualifications by submitting through the Long-Term Care Facility Administrator QuickBase located here:
Long Term Care Administrator QuickBase
Applicants will need to click the “Facility Administrator Application” button, then select “PRTF” under Provider Type. Questions about the application process should be submitted to [email protected].
Administrator Training and Licensing Exam
Once DPSQA approves an application, the applicant will be notified to register for the administrator training. The upcoming training dates and the link to register are shown below. Once an applicant has completed the training, they may then register for the licensure examination. An applicant can register for testing through the Long-Term Care Facility Administrator QuickBase located here:
Long Term Care Administrator QuickBase
An applicant has nine months from the date of the application approval to complete the training and successfully pass the administrator licensing exam.
All questions relevant to training, testing, and the application can be emailed to [email protected].
Administrator Training Dates
| Dates | Times |
|---|---|
| August 24, 2026 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. CDT |
| November 16, 2026 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. CST |
| February 22, 2027 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. CST |
| May 17, 2027 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. CDT |
Administrator Exam Dates
| Dates | Times |
|---|---|
| September 21, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. CDT |
| December 21, 2026 | 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. CST |
| March 15, 2027 | 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. CDT |
| June 21, 2027 | 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. CDT |
Administrator License Renewal
All PRTF administrator licenses must be renewed on, or before January 1 of each new calendar year and shall be renewable only by the submission of a renewal application.
Facility Licensure
Pursuant to 20 CAR §417-201, all Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities shall be licensed by the Office of Long-Term Care which is the sole licensing authority for PRTFs in the State of Arkansas. It shall be unlawful to operate a Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility without possessing a current, valid license issued by the Office of Long-Term Care.
Attestation
PRTFs are required to provide OLTC with a copy of a completed attestation. While you may have previously sent a copy to the Division of Medical Services, OLTC does not have a copy of all of these forms at the moment. We are requesting that copies of the attestation be sent to OLTC each year by December 31 for the next year.
Click here to download the attestation form.
Required Monthly Reporting
Pursuant to the new PRTF rules, providers are required to provide the following reports monthly no later than the 5th day of the month following the reporting period:
- Facility Census and Reportables
- Out of State Resident Discharges
- Restraints
- Psychotropic Medications
DPSQA released an advisory memo to all PRTF providers on 9/26/2025 announcing the official launch of the PRTF Monthly Reporting QuickBase system. For more information on the launch and reporting deadlines, click here.