How to find addiction treatment that fits you

Your steps, in order

1. 1

   Call the helpline or search for a program

   The National Helpline is 1-800-662-4357 (TTY 1-800-487-4889). Trained information specialists answer. They don't give counseling; they transfer you to your state's services or an intake center and connect you with local help.1

   The helpline won't ask for personal information. It may ask for your ZIP code so it can find services near you.1

   FindTreatment.gov lists treatment facilities, including places that offer medication for opioid use disorder. Since June 1, 2026, it no longer lists individual buprenorphine prescribers, only facilities.23

   Bring

   • Your insurance card, or say you're looking for a sliding fee
   • What you're struggling with (alcohol, opioids, meth, or more than one)
   • Whether you want medication
   • Whether you want telehealth or in-person visits
   • The days and times you can go
   • Any help you need with transportation or a disability

   Tip:

   It can take a lot of calls to find an opening. First ask if they take new patients, and if not, whether there's a waitlist. Writing a short script before you call helps.4

2. 2

   Pick the level of care that matches what you need

   Outpatient: you go to appointments and go home the same day. Standard outpatient is like a regular doctor's visit. Intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization last at least a few hours at a time and include one-on-one and group sessions. Outpatient care can also be by video or phone.5

   Inpatient: you stay overnight at a hospital or program for a few days or weeks, usually because you need 24-hour care or help with withdrawal.510

   Residential: you live at the program, usually for a few weeks to a few months. Some people stay a year or more.5

   Waiting for a bed? Interim care can give you daily medicine and emergency counseling until your spot opens.5

   Opioid treatment programs offer medication for opioid use disorder, usually with counseling. Only certified opioid treatment programs can give methadone for opioid use disorder.10

   Tip:

   You may need more than one type of care. Before a short inpatient stay ends, ask what comes next and get a date for it.5

3. 3

   Work out how you'll pay

   With insurance, call the number on the back of your card. Ask what treatment is covered and at what rate, your copay, how many visits or days are covered each year, which providers are in network, and whether a free case manager can help you.7

   Private insurance, Medicaid, CHIP and Medicare plans that cover drug and alcohol treatment must pay for it at a level comparable to medical and surgical care, with comparable limits. The federal parity law generally bars plans from setting copays or visit limits for these benefits that are more restrictive than for medical care.712

   Every Health Insurance Marketplace plan covers substance use disorder treatment as an essential health benefit, and can't deny you or charge you more because of a substance use condition.13

   Medicaid covers some drug and alcohol treatment, but what it pays for depends on your state.7

   No insurance? Ask about a sliding fee (the price is based on what you earn), grants, scholarships, charity care or a payment plan. Your state or county substance use agency can tell you how to get treatment without insurance. If you have a job, ask HR about a free, confidential Employee Assistance Program. Veterans can check VA services, and members of federally recognized tribes can look to the Indian Health Service.89

   Tip:

   Think your plan is treating addiction care worse than medical care? Call the CMS parity help line at 1-877-267-2323 extension 6-1565, or a Department of Labor benefits advisor at 1-866-444-3272.12

4. 4

   Ask these questions before you say yes

   Is the program and its staff licensed and accredited? Every program should be.6

   Which therapies do you use? Look for proven ones, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or motivational interviewing.6

   Do you offer FDA-approved medication? A program should offer it for alcohol, tobacco or opioid use. There's no FDA-approved medication yet for meth or cocaine.6

   Can my family take part, and will you help with housing, food and work after I leave?6

   If a grant or scholarship pays: does it cover the whole stay, and will I owe money if I don't finish?8

   Bring

   • A notebook or your phone to write down answers
   • The name of each program and who you talked to
   • Your questions about cost, medication, length of stay and what happens after
5. 5

   Watch out for recruiters and free trips

   Some recruiters use texts or social media to send people to "treatment centers" in other states, and get paid by the facility for each person. Some offer to pay for your airfare or your health insurance. Those insurance payments can stop, and then your insurance is canceled.15

   Don't give your Social Security or insurance number to a recruiter. Call the facility or your insurance company yourself to check the person works there. If you travel, plan and pay for your own way home first.15

   Paying or taking kickbacks for sending insured patients to a recovery home or treatment facility is a federal crime, with fines up to $200,000 and up to 10 years in prison for each offense.16

   Tip:

   Not sure an offer is real? Call or text RISEaid at 888-860-RISE and we'll help you check it out before you go, with a person on our team if you'd like.

What it costs

State examples

Help lines and protections differ by state. These come from each state's own pages or laws.

Questions people ask

Keep going: more first-step guides

Sources

Official pages, read in October 2026. Rules change. If something here looks out of date, please let us know at hello@riseaid.org and we'll fix it.

1. 1.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. SAMHSA's National Helpline: frequently asked questions
2. 2.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Opioid overdose reversal medications (with FindTreatment.gov description)
3. 3.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Waiver elimination (MAT Act) and FindTreatment.gov changes, June 2026
4. 4.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. How to set up an appointment for mental health and substance use care
5. 5.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Treatment types for mental health, drugs and alcohol
6. 6.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Quality treatment for mental health, drugs and alcohol
7. 7.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. What does health insurance cover?
8. 8.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Free and low-cost treatment options
9. 9.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Help for mental health, drugs, alcohol: no insurance
10. 10.National Institute on Drug Abuse. Treatment: settings, therapies and medications
11. 11.MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine). Alcohol withdrawal
12. 12.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA)
13. 13.HealthCare.gov. Mental health and substance abuse health coverage options
14. 14.Medicare.gov. Opioid use disorder treatment services
15. 15.Massachusetts Attorney General's Office. Avoiding addiction treatment scams
16. 16.U.S. Code (via Cornell Law School). 18 U.S.C. § 220: Illegal remunerations for referrals to recovery homes, clinical treatment facilities, and laboratories
17. 17.Florida Statutes (2026). Section 817.505: Patient brokering prohibited
18. 18.Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Substance Use and Mental Health. Substance use disorder: find publicly funded services in your county
19. 19.Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Substance Use and Mental Health. Local authority location map
20. 20.Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Medicaid. Medicaid expansion: who is eligible
21. 21.Washington Recovery Help Line. Compassionate, confidential substance use support