If you or someone you know is suffering from an addiction, you may be considering going to a rehab center. It’s your best bet for getting back into the life you had before the addiction. Also, since you have trained professionals managing your recovery process, you can be more certain that you’re in good hands.
But once you’ve had a look at your possible options, one thing is holding you back – the cost. Rehab can set you back thousands of dollars; sometimes, even tens of thousands. Not everyone has that much money to spare. If you’re one of those people on a very tight budget, you might be wondering how you can get started in the journey to recovery.
Thankfully, there’s hope for you yet. There are such things as free rehab centers. These are usually run by nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and state-sponsored agencies. They are also run by rehab professionals, so they provide quality care for their patients just like paid rehab centers.
How do free rehab centers get funding?
Many of these centers are kept afloat by donations, especially if they’re operated by non-profit organizations. Those run by large, well-known nonprofits often have larger funding and thus have better facilities.
Other free rehabs are funded by the government. These include centers run by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA).
Some agencies, like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), provide grants to people who cannot afford addiction treatment.
Non-profit rehab centers
A handful of nonprofits operate their own addiction treatment centers, while others provide funding for treatment in private rehabs.
There are also nonprofits that sponsor recovery programs for specific groups of people. Here are some of them:
- The Amy Winehouse Foundation: They focus on young women aged 18-30 who are overcoming addiction.
- Gearing Up: They cater to women struggling with addiction, offering support programs centered around cycling. They also have their own treatment facility.
- To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA): They directly fund treatment for people suffering from addictions, depression, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts.
- Phoenix House: They operate over 130 inpatient treatment centers in 10 states. They sponsor outpatient care as well.
- Rosecrance: They run lots of treatment facilities providing both inpatient and outpatient care for adults, teens, and even children suffering from addictions.
Faith-based rehab
Two popular examples of faith-based rehab providers are Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). Their methods revolve around getting guidance from a higher power to facilitate their journey of recovery.
AA, NA, and other related groups use a 12-step approach to facilitate recovery. These steps are:
- We admit we are powerless over alcohol–that our lives had become unmanageable.
- Come to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
- Make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand Him.
- Make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
- Admit to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
- Entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character
- Humbly ask Him to remove our shortcomings
- Make a list of persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all
- Make direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others
- Continue to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admit it
- Seek through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understand Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
- Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we try to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
Aside from 12-step recovery groups, many churches also offer help for recovering addicts. As these programs are ministries, they are free of charge as well.
Why should I consider going to a free rehab center?
Besides costing you nothing, these rehab centers are also at par with other facilities. The services they provide are quite similar, and their facilities also help you recover well enough. You still get an environment isolated from the outside world, which is essential to keep you focused on becoming drug-free.
Also, free rehabs employ properly trained professionals just like any other center. You may even find that these people are more compassionate and genuinely care about your success in recovery.
These centers likewise use evidence-based treatments that are proven to help you rid yourself of addiction. They may not be as fancy as paid rehab centers, but the help they give is equally effective.
How can I qualify for free treatment?
It depends on the free rehab center. For government-funded ones, they often have strict rules for eligibility. You may need to show proof of things like:
- US citizenship
- Lack of insurance coverage
- State residency
- Income level
Other government agencies require that you are a member of a specific group of people. The VA, for example, only gives rehab grants to veterans.
Centers run by nonprofits either offer financial assistance or offer their services entirely for free. Some nonprofits may not even have their own facilities, but they give financial aid for treatment in private rehabs they have partnered with.
How do I find a free rehab center near me?
You can use these resources to help you find one:
- The Behavioral Treatment Services Locator: This is a tool from SAMHSA that will help you find free treatment centers.
- Single-State Agencies (SSAs) for Substance Use Services: From here, can get in touch with government agencies that can help you find state-funded rehab centers. You can also find out if you’re qualified.
- Local churches and other faith-based organizations: Ask around and find one that provides free rehab programs.
Once you find a center, ask the program director about what documents they may need from you. Then, you can get started.