Families usually make this decision while frightened and in a hurry, which is exactly the condition the worst providers rely on. A phone call with the right questions takes twenty minutes and tells you more than any website.
Write the answers down. If a provider will not answer in writing, that is itself an answer.
Licensing and oversight
- Are you licensed by the state, and what is your licence number? You can verify it with the state agency.
- Are you accredited, and by whom? Accreditation is voluntary, so its presence says something.
- Who owns the facility? A fair question and an easy one to answer.
Clinical care
- Who is on site, and when? Specifically: is there a doctor or nurse overnight, and is detox medically supervised?
- What is the staff to client ratio?
- What treatment approach do you use, and why for this person? A good answer is specific. A poor one is a list of everything.
- Do you treat mental health conditions alongside addiction? If the person has both, a facility that handles only one is the wrong fit.
- What happens if someone wants to leave early?
Money
- Can I have an itemised written estimate? Intake, detox per day, programme, medication, aftercare.
- What is not included?
- What is due before admission?
- Do you offer a sliding scale, scholarship beds or state-funded places? Ask even if the website says nothing.
- What happens if insurance authorises fewer days than the programme? Get this one in writing. It is where families are most often caught out.
After the programme
- What does discharge planning involve, and when does it start? At a good facility it starts in the first week, not the last.
- Do you help arrange sober living or outpatient care?
- What contact will the family have during and after?
Warning signs
Treat these as reasons to slow down, not to panic:
- Pressure to admit today, before you have an estimate
- Guaranteed success rates. No honest provider offers one
- Vagueness about who is medically on site
- Offers to pay your travel, or to waive costs in exchange for your insurance details
- A call centre that will not name the facility you would actually be admitted to
If something feels wrong, SAMHSA’s helpline on 1-800-662-4357 is free, independent and does not sell anything.
If the answers are good but the money is not
That is the gap this fund exists for. We contribute towards specific barriers — an intake fee, a detox deposit, transport, a first week of sober living — paid directly to the provider. It is reviewed case by case and never guaranteed, but it is worth asking before you give up on a placement you have checked and trust.
Where to get help right now
- Emergency: call 911 if someone has overdosed or is in danger
- Crisis: call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline)
- Treatment referrals, free, 24/7: SAMHSA National Helpline 1-800-662-4357
- Find a provider: findtreatment.gov
This page is general information. It is not medical, clinical or legal advice. Help from this fund is reviewed case by case, is paid directly to treatment providers rather than to individuals, and cannot be guaranteed.