Choosing the Right Rehab

Choosing the right rehab can feel overwhelming, especially when you consider the time, money and safety concerns involved. This guide covers how to choose the right rehab center based on your clinical needs and personal preferences. You’ll learn how to pick a level of care, verify the quality of a rehab program and compare multiple programs with confidence.

The “right rehab” has nothing to do with marketing hype or luxury amenities. It’s the treatment center that fits your clinical needs.

If you have a high risk of withdrawal symptoms, you need a rehab that offers medical detox. Inpatient treatment or residential care might be the right fit if your home environment is unsafe or triggers your substance use. You may benefit from outpatient care if you can live at home safely while pursuing addiction treatment.

Before you start calling drug and alcohol rehab centers, it’s essential to understand your treatment needs. Make calls more productive by gathering this information ahead of time:

• Substance use patterns and recent withdrawal symptoms. Treatment centers need to know what substances you’ve been using and how often.
• Mental health symptoms. Anxiety, depression and other symptoms can affect your substance use, so rehab staff must understand what you’re experiencing.
• Medical history. Clinicians need to know about your medical conditions, medications and past treatment history so they can develop an effective recovery plan tailored to your needs.
• Home environment. Your housing stability, daily activities and support system can all affect the long-term recovery process.

Legitimate rehab centers have accreditations, licenses and other quality indicators. Here’s how you can verify a rehab facility:

1. Confirm that it’s accredited by a national organization, such as The Joint Commission.
2. Check with your state licensing agency to verify that the rehab has an active license in good standing (if applicable in your state).
3. Ask how long the program has been operating under its current name and leadership team.
4. Make sure the rehab has a physical location and isn’t just a call center located thousands of miles away.

You should also assess the quality of each rehab’s staffing and clinical programs. A legitimate treatment facility has therapists, social workers and other licensed professionals available to support your recovery. It’s also essential for a rehab to maintain a low staffing ratio, ensuring there are enough professionals available to meet patients’ needs.

These factors also affect safety and substance use disorder treatment outcomes:

• Clear assessments and individualized treatment plans. No two individuals have exactly the same needs, so a rehab should be able to provide personalized treatment plans. Quality addiction treatment centers also conduct thorough assessments to determine what type of support you need.
• Evidence-based addiction treatment and skills work. Structure is crucial, so look for a facility that offers evidence-based treatment methods and opportunities to develop strong addiction recovery skills. A therapy is evidence-based when rigorous research and testing indicate that it’s effective.
• Dual diagnosis support. Dual diagnosis means you have a substance use disorder and at least one other mental health condition at the same time. Quality rehabs typically offer integrated treatment, allowing you to address both conditions.

When you have a dual diagnosis (also known as co-occurring disorders), one condition can affect the other, making your needs more complex. High-quality drug rehab programs offer comprehensive support, which may include:

• Mental health assessments
• Integrated treatment planning
• Clear medication policies and monitoring procedures
• Psychiatric support appropriate for your level of care
• Crisis planning services
• Procedures for adjusting treatment if your symptoms worsen

If you need medically supervised detox before beginning therapy and other rehab services, find out:

• Whether the treatment center offers on-site detox or works with a partner facility
• How the rehab manages higher-risk withdrawal situations
• What type of medical monitoring is available and who provides it
• How the treatment center helps patients transition from detox to ongoing rehab programming

Every program offers a different blend of services and support. You can get a good feel for what’s available by asking:

• How much individual therapy is available compared to group activities
• Whether the rehab offers skills training to help you manage cravings and triggers
• Which relapse-prevention planning services are available
• How clinicians measure progress
• What adjustments are made when someone needs additional support
• How much family programming is available, if appropriate

A rehab’s environment goes a long way toward helping you feel comfortable. It’s also important to understand the rehab rules and determine if a treatment center offers trauma-informed care.

Ask about policies related to phone use, visitors and contact with family members. Many treatment centers have certain restrictions to help you focus on healing. Room setup is also an important consideration. You may feel more comfortable in a private room, but shared rooms give you access to peer support, so both options have benefits.

If you have a history of trauma, it’s helpful to know if clinicians use trauma-informed practices. These practices recognize the role trauma plays in substance use disorders and can help staff members avoid re-traumatizing you during treatment. You should also seek out information about the rehab’s patient rights and privacy policies.

Your physical needs don’t just disappear while you’re in recovery, so it’s crucial to ask about accessibility, dietary options and medical accommodations. For example, if you use a wheelchair, you’ll need to know if the treatment center has ramps and elevators.

Not all treatment centers offer the same level of supervision and support. Watch out for these rehab red flags:

• No clear licensing or accreditation
• Guarantees or claims of “miraculous” improvement
• High-pressure tactics
• Vague answers to questions about staffing ratios, emergency procedures or medical coverage
• No discharge planning or coordination of step-down care
• Lack of detailed assessments and individualized treatment plans
• Refusal to explain patients’ rights, insurance details or costs before you commit to anything

You should be aware of these rehab cost factors:

• Level of care. Inpatient residential treatment provides 24/7 supervision, so it’s more expensive than intensive outpatient or standard outpatient care.
• Length of stay. Some people need extra time to heal, increasing the total cost of treatment.
• Medical services. Medication management, psychiatric care and other medical services may be billed separately from your general rehab costs.
• Location. Rehabs in areas with higher-than-average costs of living may charge more for their services than rehabs in lower-cost locations.
• Staffing intensity. Treatment centers with low staffing ratios may charge more for more personalized attention.
• Specialty services. Some rehabs have specialty programs, such as medication-assisted treatment, family therapy and support for specific patient populations. These services may increase treatment costs.

If you have health insurance, find out whether the rehab is in-network or out-of-network with your plan. In-network facilities have contracts with insurers, so they often have lower out-of-pocket rehab costs for plan members.

Some insurance companies cover out-of-network care, but you may have to pay an additional deductible or a higher percentage of the approved amount (e.g., 50% vs. 20% for in-network care). Not all plans cover out-of-network services, so make sure you verify your benefits before you commit to a specific treatment center.

With insurance, there may also be requirements related to prior authorization and medical necessity. For example, if you need detox, you may have to demonstrate a high risk of withdrawal symptoms for your insurance provider to approve it. These requirements may affect the number of days you can stay at a certain level of care.

To keep your costs as low as possible, ask for an itemized estimate that shows exactly what each treatment program includes. If a rehab bills separately for some services, get the estimated costs in writing.

If you’re on a budget, you can still get professional support for your substance use disorder.

Consider these options:

• Medicare, Medicaid or other public insurance. If you don’t have commercial insurance, you may qualify for public coverage. These plans typically have income limits or other eligibility criteria, but they might pay for medications, detox and other rehab services.
• State, local and nonprofit providers. State and local agencies may offer free or low-cost treatment. Some nonprofit organizations, such as private foundations or religious charities, also have affordable rehab options.
• Sliding-scale fees, scholarships and other forms of financial assistance. You may be able to find a rehab that offers sliding-scale fees, which means the cost depends on your income. The less you earn, the less you have to pay for treatment. Some treatment centers also offer scholarships or other types of financial assistance.
• Payment plans or different levels of care. Ask if your preferred rehab offers payment plans to spread the cost of treatment over several months. If you can’t enroll in a payment plan, consider choosing a different level of care (if clinically appropriate). For example, you might choose partial hospitalization instead of a more expensive residential program.

Finding the right rehab also involves researching the amount of support available once you finish treatment. Quality programs provide plenty of aftercare planning and support.

Look for a rehab with at least some of the following:

• Step-down options (PHP, IOP or standard outpatient treatment) to help you transition to the next phase of your recovery journey
• Recovery housing or sober living options for those with triggering or unstable home environments
• Medication follow-ups as needed
• Relapse-prevention planning that fits your daily schedule and responsibilities

Follow these steps to choose a rehab center once you’ve narrowed down your options:

1. Choose the safest level of care first.
2. Verify each rehab’s license and accreditation(s).
3. Compare two or three programs using the same set of questions.
4. Pick the program that offers the most comprehensive treatment plans and aftercare support, not the one with the best marketing.

You don’t have to wait until you “have it all together” to get help for a substance use disorder. Start by assessing your options and using the Levels of Care at a Glance table to determine which type of treatment you need.

Help.org can help you compare rehab programs based on location, treatment options, amenities and other criteria.