Behavioral Health Feasibility Study for a New Treatment Center
We test market, level of care, licensing path and payer mix before you commit capital, a lease or an application.
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One decision document before you commit
A behavioral health feasibility study answers one question before you spend: should this program open, at this level of care, in this market? Pacific Viking works with investors, family offices, first-time founders and existing operators nationwide. The study looks at the market and level of care first, then the licensing path, staffing and payers. Book a free discovery call to scope your study.
Pacific Viking does not give legal advice and does not replace your counsel or architect. Every plan is checked against current rules in the target state, and no study guarantees a result.
The questions a feasibility study answers
Is there a market for this level of care?
We look at demand for the level of care you plan to offer in the market you're considering, using public data with named sources.
What license does the state require?
We identify the license your state requires and what that path involves, so licensing is part of the decision from the start.
Which payers will the program serve?
We look at the payer mix the program could serve and how it shapes the model. Payer contracting is its own engagement once you decide to open.
What staffing and leadership does the model need?
We outline the staffing model and the leadership roles the program would need at the level of care you choose.
Feasibility study, business plan or pro forma
Feasibility study
A feasibility study asks whether to open the program at all, at this level of care and in this market.
Business plan
A business plan describes how you will open and run the program once that decision is made. Our business plan guide shows how to write one.
Pro forma
A pro forma is the financial projection inside the plan, and it rests on the assumptions the feasibility study has already tested.
Which comes first
Start with the feasibility study, because it decides whether the business plan and the pro forma are worth writing.
What you receive
- A written assessment
- You receive a written assessment of the market, level of care, licensing path, staffing and payers, with the source named for every figure.
- A prioritized roadmap
- If the answer is to proceed, you also get a prioritized roadmap with defined milestones for the launch work that follows.
- The facts behind the decision
- The assessment sets out what the study found and where it found it, so you and your investors can decide whether to commit.
- Public sources you can check
- Market data in the study comes from public sources such as the federal treatment facility survey and County Business Patterns, cited so you can check them.
Public data a study can draw on
SAMHSA’s National Substance Use and Mental Health Services Survey (N-SUMHSS) collects “statistical information on the services and characteristics of all known substance use and mental health treatment facilities.”
Source: samhsa.gov/data/data-we-collect/n-sumhss-national-substance-use-and-mental-health-services-survey · Checked Nov 13, 2026
SAMHSA also notes that “Eligible facilities who complete the N-SUMHSS may opt to be listed on FindTreatment.gov.”
Source: samhsa.gov/data/data-we-collect/n-sumhss-national-substance-use-and-mental-health-services-survey · Checked Nov 13, 2026
The US Census Bureau’s County Business Patterns “is an annual series that provides subnational economic data” by industry.
Source: census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/about.html · Checked Nov 13, 2026
How an engagement runs
- 01
Discovery call
A free call of about 30 minutes about the program you're considering, the market and the decision you need to make.
- 02
Operational assessment
We assess the market, level of care, licensing path, staffing model and payer mix, and we name the source of each figure we use.
- 03
Strategic roadmap
You get the written assessment and, if the answer is to proceed, a prioritized roadmap with defined milestones.
- 04
Implementation and support
If you go ahead, Pacific Viking can support the launch work that follows, including licensing and payer contracting.
Frequently asked questions
What is a behavioral health feasibility study?
A feasibility study tests whether a planned treatment program makes sense before you commit money to it. Pacific Viking looks at the market and the level of care first, then the licensing path, staffing and payers.
How is a feasibility study different from a business plan?
A feasibility study asks whether to open the program at all. A business plan describes how you will open and run it once that decision is made.
Where does the market data come from?
Public sources include the federal government's survey of substance use and mental health treatment facilities and the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns. A sound study names the source of every figure it uses, so you can check it yourself.
Does a feasibility study guarantee the program will succeed?
No. A study reduces the unknowns, and regulators, payers and the market still decide the result. Pacific Viking does not give legal advice, so your healthcare counsel confirms the state rules.
Test the program before you commit capital
Book a free discovery call of about 30 minutes. Tell us the program, the level of care and the market you're considering, and we'll scope the study.