Families routinely spend everything they have on treatment, and a large share of that money never reaches a treatment provider. This is not about being less generous. It is about making sure what you give actually buys care.
Exhaust the free and low-cost routes first
Do these before you touch savings or credit:
- SAMHSA’s helpline, 1-800-662-4357. Free, confidential, 24/7, and they know what publicly funded options exist in your state.
- findtreatment.gov. Filter by what someone can pay, including free and sliding-scale providers.
- Medicaid. Eligibility is wider than most people assume, and substance use treatment is a covered benefit.
- Your insurer. Ask what level of care is covered and how many days are authorised. Many families pay privately for something that was covered.
- State-funded beds and scholarship places. Ask every facility directly, even when the website is silent.
- Employer assistance programmes. Often cover assessment and sometimes more.
Pay providers, never pay cash
This is the single rule that protects both of you. Pay the facility, the pharmacy, the sober living house, the bus company — directly, by card or transfer, with a receipt. Cash handed to someone in active addiction is not a judgement about character; it is simply a situation where the money is at risk, and it puts the person in a position they do not need.
It is also the rule this fund follows for exactly the same reason.
Where families lose money
- Deposits that are not refundable if admission does not happen. Ask before paying.
- Paying for a full programme up front when insurance may cover part. Get the authorisation first.
- Call centres that sell leads. Some numbers that look like facilities route you to whoever paid most. Ask which facility you would actually be admitted to, by name.
- Flights and transport paid for admissions that were never confirmed. Confirm the bed in writing first.
- Nothing left for aftercare. The most common and most costly mistake. Discharge is the highest-risk period, and families often arrive at it with no money left for sober living.
Decide your limit before you are asked
Write down what you can give without endangering your own rent, food or medication. Then treat that number as fixed. Families who decide in advance give more effectively than families who decide under pressure, and they are still standing if a second attempt is needed later.
Do not borrow against your home or retirement for this. If treatment needs more than you have, that is what public funding, sliding scales and funds like this exist for.
Keep a record
A simple list of what was paid, to whom and when. It helps with insurance appeals, it prevents paying the same thing twice, and if there is ever a dispute it is the only thing that settles it.
Where we fit
We contribute towards a specific barrier rather than a whole programme — an intake fee, a detox deposit, transport, a first week of sober living. Always paid directly to the provider. Always reviewed case by case, and never guaranteed. If the gap between what you can cover and what is needed is small and specific, that is exactly the gap to ask about.
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.