How do I
Find Treatment?
Use these hotlines and online databases to find treatment options in your area.
988 Suicide and Crisis Line: Dial 988
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States.
The Alcohol/Drug Council of North Carolina
Crisis Line: 800-688-4232
The ADCNC is a non-profit organization that provides information and referrals to alcohol and drug treatment. Watch this video to better understand substance use disorder treatment options in North Carolina.
The Hope4NC Helpline: (855)-587-3463
The Hope4NC Helpline connects North Carolinians to additional mental health and resilience support that help them cope during COVID-19.
Local Management Entity / Managed Care Organization (LME/MCO)
Locate the LME/MCO for your county, including your 24/7 access-to-care line.
Phone: 211
NC 2-1-1 is an information and referral service that provides free and confidential information on health and human services and resources within North Carolina.
Crisis Solutions NC can help individuals and their families in a crisis find help within their local communities.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
SAMHSA’s Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator helps individuals find treatment facilities anonymously.
SAMHSA collects information on thousands of state-licensed providers who specialize in treating substance use disorders, addiction, and mental illness.
North Carolina Professionals Health Program
North Carolina Professionals Health Program encourages the well-being and recovery of medical professionals through compassion, support, accountability, and advocacy. NCPHP’s experienced team assists health care providers with substance use disorders, mental health issues, and other issues that may affect their ability to deliver optimal care and services to their patients.
North Carolina Lawyer Assistance Program
The North Carolina Lawyer Assistance Program is a service of the North Carolina State Bar that provides free, confidential assistance to lawyers, judges, and law students in addressing substance abuse, mental health issues, and other stressors that impair or may impair a lawyer’s ability to practice law effectively.
BarCARES is a confidential, short-term intervention program provided cost-free to members of participating judicial district bars, voluntary bar associations and law schools.
Find an Opioid Treatment Program in North Carolina.
Opioid Treatment Programs provide access to medications used to treat opioid use disorder, including methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone, along with counseling and other behavioral supports.
North Carolina Drug User Health Resource Guide By Region
This drug resource guide provides a list of health departments, treatment locations, and health care providers by region.
How Do I Choose a
Treatment Program?
The resources below can help families seeking treatment make an informed decision.
COVID-19 Related Questions
Here are some questions to ask providers during COVID-19.
Understanding Your Options
To better understand your treatment options, read this overview and visit the Partnership for Drug Free Kids or download their roadmap to recovery e-book.
To learn basic information about treatment options, take advantage of resources from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) on treatment approaches for drug addiction.
Finding a Quality Program
Avoid treatment scams and bogus treatment programs. Learn what to look for and what to avoid here.
Know what steps to take to ensure you or your loved one is getting quality treatment. Learn more about treatment programs, and find additional resources in the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids Parent Resource library.
What if
I am Pregnant?
Substance use disorder treatment is available for pregnant or parenting women and their children through the hotlines and databases listed above. Additional resources are also available through the North Carolina Pregnancy & Opioid Exposure Project.
Learn more from the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
How Do I Get Insurance
Coverage for Treatment?
If you have private insurance, dial the number provided by your insurance company to speak to a representative who can connect you to healthcare providers within your network. Below, you’ll find tips and resources for how to navigate the conversation and file your coverage claim.
The terminology that insurance companies use
What to say and what to ask when you call your insurance company
How to document your conversations
How to appeal if you are denied coverage
How to navigate the appeals process
If you do not have insurance or are denied coverage, consider the options below.
LME/MCOs provide care for uninsured persons in North Carolina. Find and contact your LME/MCO to learn if there are resources available for you.
Six Steps to Find Addiction Treatment For Your Child If You Don’t Have Insurance
More About
Drug Treatment
What is Drug Treatment?
When someone receives treatment for a substance use disorder, one obvious goal is to help them stop using a substance that is damaging their life. But the ultimate goal of treatment is broader than that—to help those with substance use disorder heal themselves, their relationships and their lives. Effective treatment will help improve overall health by addressing emotional or mental health problems, strengthening family and community relationships and helping a person plan for the future.
There are many options that have been successful in treating drug addiction, including behavioral counseling and medication.
What is Medication-Assisted Treatment?
When someone who is dependent on opioids undergoes detox and receives treatment, they typically feel sick and experience intense cravings when there are no opioids in their body. This is called “withdrawal” and it makes treatment and recovery difficult.
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) can help reduce cravings and withdrawal. This can help someone stop constantly thinking about the substance they crave and instead focus on getting better. Combined with behavioral therapy, counseling and other services, MAT increases the likelihood that a patient will remain in treatment and succeed in recovery.
There are three types of medications currently used in MAT:
- Methadone acts on the same key receptors in the brain and the body. However, the person is not feeling the same effect from methadone so they are physically and mentally stable with no fear of withdrawal.
- Buprenorphine suppresses and reduces cravings for the opioid/opiate. It is available in pill form, a sublingual tablet that is placed under the tongue, and in other forms.
- Naltrexone works differently than methadone and buprenorphine in the treatment of opioid dependency. If a person using naltrexone falls out of remission for their substance use disorder and uses opiates/opioids, naltrexone blocks the euphoric and sedative effects of the misused drug and prevents feelings of euphoria. It is available in pill form and as a monthly shot.
Although MAT is one of the most effective forms of therapy for opioid use disorders, it is widely misunderstood. Separate fact from fiction by visiting the National Council for Behavioral Health’s webpage here, and watch the Partnership for Drug Free Kids’ overview of MAT here.
Learn more about Medication-Assisted Treatment from the organizations below:
Complaints About
Drug Treatment
Complaints about drug treatment in North Carolina may be directed to Ms. Glenda Stokes, Customer Service and Community Rights Team Leader, Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services:
Office: (919) 715-3197
Toll-Free: 1-855-262-1946
Fax: (919) 733-4962
Email: Glenda.Stokes@dhhs.nc.gov