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Help

What can I do? What should I do? Does my friend or loved one need treatment? Do I? Are there other options? What happens in treatment? What types of treatment are there? Will insurance pay for it? What can I do right right now?

There is help. There are people who have experiences with addiction who can offer guidance. If you would like immediate answers to these questions from people who have experiences with addiction, contact:

AL-ANON/ALATEEN* : visit http://www.al-anon.alateen.org/

ALCOHOLICS ANNONYMOUS* : visit http://www.aa.org/

*neither AA nor Al-Anon endorses this or any other site

Treatment

Does your friend of loved one need treatment? If you or someone you care for is dependent on alcohol or drugs and needs treatment, it is important to know that no single treatment approach is appropriate for all individuals. Finding the right treatment program involves careful consideration of such things as the setting, length of care, philosophical approach and your or your loved one's needs.

Here are 12 questions to consider when selecting a treatment program:

1. Does the program accept your insurance? If not, will they work with you on a payment plan or find other means of support for you?

2. Is the program run by state-accredited, licensed and/or trained professionals?

3. Is the facility clean, organized and well-run?

4. Does the program encompass the full range of needs of the individual (medical: including infectious diseases; psychological: including co-occurring mental illness; social; vocational; legal; etc.)?

5. Does the treatment program also address sexual orientation and physical disabilities as well as provide age, gender and culturally appropriate treatment services?

6. Is long-term aftercare support and/or guidance encouraged, provided and maintained?

7. Is there ongoing assessment of an individual's treatment plan to ensure it meets changing needs?

8. Does the program employ strategies to engage and keep individuals in longer-term treatment, increasing the likelihood of success?

9. Does the program offer counseling (individual or group) and other behavioral therapies to enhance the individual's ability to function in the family/community?

10. Does the program offer medication as part of the treatment regimen, if appropriate?

11. Is there ongoing monitoring of possible relapse to help guide patients back to abstinence?

12. Are services or referrals offered to family members to ensure they understand addiction and the recovery process to help them support the recovering individual?

Source: A Quick Guide to Finding Effective Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment (CSAT/SAMHSA, NCADI Publication No. PHD877)

Looking for a treatment provider or
have questions about treatment?

 

1. Visit SAMHSA's Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator by clicking on the link below:

http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/facilitylocatordoc.htm

2. Call one of the following numbers for help:

National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Referral Service

1-800-662-HELP

National Youth Crisis Hotline

1-800-422-HOPE

 

 

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