Under House Bill 1411, titled “Health - Recovery Residences – Certification” which was enacted under Article II 17 (c) of the Maryland Constitution on May 28, 2016 and became effective on October 1, 2016, the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) was required to approve a credentialing entity to develop and administer a certification process for recovery residences.

Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) was approved by the Department to serve as the designated credentialing entity.​