If you searched for the SAMHSA treatment locator, start with FindTreatment.gov to search for mental health and substance use treatment near you. For help narrowing the list, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357); it is free, confidential, available 24/7 in English and Spanish, and provides information and treatment referrals.
If there is immediate danger, call 911. Get urgent medical help for seizures, confusion, hallucinations, chest pain, trouble breathing, a very fast heartbeat, severe vomiting, or thoughts of suicide or self-harm; withdrawal from alcohol, opioids, and benzodiazepines can be dangerous and needs medical care. For a mental health or substance-use crisis, call, text, or chat 988 now.
Is SAMHSA still active?
Yes. SAMHSA is the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. SAMHSA says it leads public-health efforts related to behavioral health and offers public tools for finding treatment, crisis support, and recovery services.
What is the SAMHSA treatment locator website?
FindTreatment.gov is SAMHSA’s confidential and anonymous treatment directory for the United States and its territories. You can search by location and filter for services, distance, insurance or payment options, payment assistance, and programs for groups such as adolescents, older adults, veterans, and people with co-occurring mental health and substance use needs.
The directory includes facility details that SAMHSA updates from facility survey responses, with some updates made as facilities report changes. Call a program before visiting to confirm that it offers the service you need and has availability.
How do you find addiction treatment?
- Open the treatment locator and enter your location.
- Use filters that fit your situation, such as insurance, payment assistance, outpatient care, residential care, telehealth, or opioid treatment programs.
- Make a short list and call each program before you decide.
- Ask about availability, cost, insurance, licensing, accreditation, assessment, treatment options, and follow-up support.
SAMHSA says treatment can include health care professionals, community programs, recovery support, counseling, and medications when appropriate. A clinician can assess your health and help determine the right level of care. Do not adjust a prescribed medicine on your own.
If alcohol is part of the concern, the NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator explains why different people may need different options and offers a structured way to compare programs. For a separate discussion of online mental-health care, see this site’s guide to anxiety and depression care.
What happens when you call SAMHSA’s National Helpline?
SAMHSA describes the National Helpline as a treatment referral and information service, not counseling. A trained information specialist can help you find local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.
| Need | Best next step |
|---|---|
| Search for a program yourself | FindTreatment.gov |
| Help finding local referrals | Call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or text your ZIP code to 435748 |
| Immediate emotional or substance-use crisis | Call, text, or chat 988 |
| Immediate medical emergency | Call 911 |
The helpline is free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day, every day, in English and Spanish. You can also text your ZIP code to 435748 to receive help finding nearby services.
When should you use 988 instead?
Use 988 when you or someone else is in emotional distress, having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, or facing a substance-use crisis that needs support now. SAMHSA says 988 provides free, confidential, judgment-free support 24/7 for mental health, substance use, and more.
988 is not a substitute for emergency medical care. Call 911 for an emergency, including trouble breathing, chest pain, seizures, severe confusion, hallucinations, severe vomiting, or a very fast heartbeat.
What should you ask a treatment program?
NIAAA recommends asking whether a program is accepting new patients, how soon care can begin, what it will cost, and whether the program and its providers accept your insurance. Ask for the expected charges in writing, including copays, medications, tests, and added services such as family therapy.
Also ask whether the program is licensed, whether it is accredited, what qualifications its counseling staff hold, how it completes a full assessment, and how it builds a personalized plan. NIAAA says stronger programs consider substance use along with physical health, mental health, housing, work, transportation, family support, and other practical needs.
| Question to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Are you licensed and accredited? | Licensing and accreditation are separate checks. CARF is an independent nonprofit accreditor of health and human services. |
| Who completes the assessment? | A full assessment helps match care to your needs. |
| What services and levels of care do you offer? | Programs differ in outpatient, residential, counseling, and medical options. |
| What will I owe? | Costs and insurance coverage can vary by program and provider. |
| What happens after initial treatment? | Ask about continuing support and what happens if needs change. |
For another example of how diagnosis and treatment planning can work together, see our overview of hypothyroidism diagnosis and treatment.
What treatment is most successful?
There is no single best treatment for every person or every substance. SAMHSA says medications combined with counseling and behavioral therapies can form a whole-person approach, with care tailored to the individual.
For opioid use disorder, the FDA describes three approved medications: buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone. FDA says these options may be used with behavioral therapy and counseling. A clinician determines whether medication, counseling, another level of care, or a combination fits the person’s situation.
NIAAA advises looking for a complete assessment, an individualized plan, qualified staff, research-based care, and a continuing-support plan. Avoid programs that promise a cure in a set period or present the same plan to everyone.
What does treatment cost, and will insurance help?
There is no single treatment price. Ask each program for a written estimate and ask whether every provider involved accepts your insurance.
HealthCare.gov says Marketplace plans cover mental health and substance use disorder services as essential health benefits, though the details depend on your state and plan. Medicare says it covers opioid use disorder treatment services when requirements are met, with costs depending on the setting and your coverage.
If cost is a barrier, SAMHSA says to ask about a sliding-fee scale, grants, scholarships, charity care, or payment plans. State and local mental health or substance-use agencies may also help identify free or lower-cost care.
Will a treatment program keep your information private?
SAMHSA says FindTreatment.gov searches are confidential and anonymous. SAMHSA also explains that substance use and alcohol treatment records covered by 42 CFR Part 2 receive heightened confidentiality protections. Ask a program how it handles privacy, records, insurance billing, and consent before you enroll.
Is there a hardest drug to quit or a number-one addiction?
No federal source here ranks one substance as the hardest to quit, the number-one addiction, or the addiction with the highest relapse rate. What matters is the person’s substance use, health, mental health, prescribed medicines, living situation, and support needs.
There is also no single “3-3-3 rule for addiction” in SAMHSA’s treatment-finding guidance. If you saw that phrase in an ad or social post, ask a qualified clinician or treatment program what it means before relying on it.
NIAAA notes that recurrence can happen with alcohol use disorder and that care should be adjusted when needs change. A return to use does not mean a person has failed; it is a reason to reconnect with care and reassess the plan.
Before you choose a program, what should you confirm?
- Whether the program is currently accepting new patients and when assessment can begin.
- Its state license, accreditation status, and staff qualifications.
- Whether it can address medical, mental health, housing, work, or family needs that affect care.
- The full cost, insurance coverage, payment assistance, and any amount you may owe.
- Its privacy practices and what information it shares with insurance or others.
- Its plan for continuing support after the first phase of care.
Be cautious about offers that rush you into a decision or make sweeping promises. NIAAA says the most expensive program is not always the best fit.
What should you do right now?
Use FindTreatment.gov to make a list of nearby options, then call the programs to confirm services, availability, cost, and fit. If you want help with that process, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or text your ZIP code to 435748.
If you are in crisis, call, text, or chat 988. Call 911 for an emergency or for seizures, confusion, hallucinations, chest pain, trouble breathing, a very fast heartbeat, severe vomiting, or thoughts of suicide or self-harm. Withdrawal from alcohol, opioids, and benzodiazepines can be dangerous and needs medical care.
By SterlingMedicalCenter.org Editorial Team
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