Questions to Ask a Treatment Facility

Ask

• What license does this facility hold, and which state agency issued it? Licensing is issued at the state level and the agency differs by state. Ask for the license number and check it yourself with that agency.
• Is the license held for this specific address, or for a different location?
• Are you accredited by an outside body, and by which one? Accreditation is voluntary and separate from licensing. We are not telling you it is required — only that you should know whether they have it and who granted it.
• Who on staff is licensed to provide clinical care, and what are their credentials?
• Is a physician or nurse on site, and during what hours?
• What is the ratio of clinical staff to clients?

Ask

• Which level of care are you recommending, and why that one? Detox, inpatient/hospital, residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient and standard outpatient are different things with different intensity and cost. If you are not sure what the levels mean, our care-type guide walks through them.
• Who performs the intake assessment, and what are their credentials?
• What does a typical day actually look like, hour by hour?
• How many hours per week are individual sessions with a licensed clinician, as opposed to group?
• What specific therapies do you use, and who delivers them?
• How long do you expect this to last, and what would make that change?
• What happens if my family member wants to leave early?
• Do you have a waiting list, and if so, how long?

Ask

• Do you prescribe FDA-approved medications for opioid or alcohol use disorder on site, refer out for them, or not offer them?
• If my family member is already on a prescribed medication, will you continue it? Ask this directly and get the answer before admission, not after.
• Who prescribes and manages medication here, and how often do they see clients?
• How are their other prescriptions — for any condition — handled during the stay?
• Do you keep naloxone on site, and is it offered to clients and families at discharge? Naloxone is an emergency medication that reverses opioid overdose. Our naloxone and overdose response page covers what it is and how it is used.

Ask

• Do you treat mental health conditions alongside substance use, on site?
• Is there a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner, and how often would my family member see them?
• If a psychiatric condition is diagnosed during the stay, does treatment for it happen here or somewhere else?
• What medical conditions would make someone ineligible for admission here?

A note on our own data: the SAMHSA facility records behind this directory do not carry a co-occurring-disorders field, so we cannot filter for it and we will not pretend to. This is a question you have to ask the facility.

Ask

• What is the total cost, in dollars, for the full program you are recommending?
• What exactly is included in that number, and what is billed separately? Labs, medication, physician visits and transport are commonly billed apart from the program rate. Ask specifically.
• Have you verified my insurance, and can you send me that verification in writing before admission?
• What will I owe out of pocket after insurance, as a number?
• Is there a deposit? Is it refundable, under what conditions, and by when?
• What happens to the bill if my family member leaves after three days?
• Do you offer a sliding fee scale, payment assistance, or state-funded beds? SAMHSA's National Helpline can refer you to your state office for state-funded programs, and to facilities that use a sliding fee scale or accept Medicare or Medicaid, at no charge (SAMHSA, source 1).
• Will you put the full cost estimate in writing before we commit?

Ask

• Where is the client actually housed, and is that the same address as the treatment site?
• How many people share a room?
• What can they bring, and what is prohibited?
• What is the phone and visitation policy, and when does it start?
• Is transport to and from the facility provided?
• How are dietary needs, allergies and mobility needs handled?
• What is the policy if someone uses substances while in the program?

Ask

• Is family counseling part of the program, and is it included in the price? SAMHSA's TIP 39 treats family counseling as a recognized part of substance use disorder treatment and describes working with families as a distinct clinical approach, not an add-on (SAMHSA TIP 39, source 2).
• Who is my point of contact, and how often will I hear from them?
• What can you legally tell me, and what release would my family member need to sign for you to tell me more?
• Do you offer education or support sessions for family members?
• How are we involved in building the discharge plan?

Ask

• Is there a written discharge plan, and when is it made?
• Who schedules the first appointment after discharge, and is it booked before they leave?
• Do you provide any follow-up contact after discharge, and for how long?
• If a step down to a lower level of care is recommended, do you provide it or refer out?
• Is medication continued after discharge, and who prescribes it then?
• What happens if there is a return to use after discharge — can they come back, and at what cost?