The Division provides regulatory oversight of medical and long-term care facilities in Maine. This includes oversight of the CNA registry, conducting criminal background checks for employers to ensure staff are safe to care for our vulnerable citizens, and investigating allegations of unsafe practices/events in facilities as diverse as hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and group homes.
DLC Organizational Chart (PDF)
Mission Statement
The DHHS Division of Licensing and Certification (DLC) supports access to quality and effective healthcare and social services for Maine people by developing and applying regulatory standards that ensure safe outcomes and promote meeting national standards for quality.
The Division is responsible for licensing medical and long-term-care facilities, assisted living, residential care, private non-medical institutions, mental health service providers, and some programs and services to children. The Division is also responsible for regulation of health care facilities and providers under the Certificate of Need Act, the Hospital Cooperation Act, and laws pertaining to Continuing Care Retirement Communities.
In doing this work, the Division will:
- Treat consumers with dignity and respect;
- Deliver services that are individualized, family-centered, easily accessible, preventative, independence-oriented, interdisciplinary, collaborative, evidence-based and consistent with best and promising practices;
- Value and support departmental staff as a critical connection to the consumer;
- Engage staff, stakeholders, providers and customers in a collaborative partnership that continuously seeks excellence in service design and delivery;
- Balance centralized accountability with regional flexibility;
- Align systems, actions and values toward a common vision.
Guiding Principles for all licensing activities
- Broadly accepted regulatory standards are achieved by collaboration with policy experts, providers, consumers and families;
- Standards incorporate practices which research shows are effective in helping people have safe and appropriate outcomes, to the extent possible;
- The regulatory process is flexible, and promotes and rewards actions that improve quality and incorporate accepted best practices;
- Before a requirement is adopted, the burden imposed by the requirement is measured against its benefit;
- The degree to which standards are designed to minimize or eliminate risks is based on the nature and potential severity of the risk;
- Redundancy of regulation, including duplication of requirements imposed by non-state licensing/certification authorities, is avoided;
- Technical assistance is provided, when requested and as appropriate, and providers are allowed a reasonable amount of time to achieve compliance when violations do not constitute an immediate risk of harm;
- Enforcement measures are proportional to the scope and severity of the violation;
- Whenever an immediate risk of harm is identified, immediate action must be taken to mitigate the risk;
- Regulatory requirements are applied in a consistent, fair, and predictable manner, and ample opportunity for discussion about the meaning of rules is provided;
- Cultural sensitivity is reflected in licensing rules and operating procedures;
- Providers have formal and informal opportunities to challenge findings and conclusions.