SAMHSA Programs, Grants & Treatment Services Locator: SAMHSA’s National Helpline

Finding the Right Rehab with SAMHSA Treatment Locator

SAMHSA or Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is a branch of the United States government founded in 1992. It provides information on substance use and mental health treatment.¹

Today, SAMHSA has a wide variety of information on its website at SAMHSA.gov, including:¹

• Searchable treatment locator
• Self-help/mutual support groups
• Publications and online courses on topics such as medication management and family treatment options
• Treatment and recovery videos
• Training programs for treatment providers

SAMHSA offers its services as a way to increase the availability of treatment and support. If people who need help can access information about different types of treatment available, they may be more likely to seek out those services. The website receives over 8,407,671 monthly visits.²

SAMHSA is also responsible for collecting and analyzing data about substance use behavior and treating substance use disorders, as well as about mental health problems. This information is used to better inform policymakers and treatment providers about what kinds of issues are affecting people in the United States.¹

What’s the Role of SAMHSA?

SAMHSA provides information about recovery and treatment and collects statistics that can be used by policymakers and treatment providers to improve the availability of services.¹

By hosting a website with information on mental health problems, symptoms, and disorders, medication, alcohol use, drug use, and treatment options, SAMHSA makes it easier for people to find the information they need to decide on their treatment options without discrimination.¹

This way, SAMHSA helps improve the availability of treatment services for people who need them. People who might not otherwise seek out information about a disorder or a medication to help manage symptoms can find what they need on SAMHSA’s website.¹

Treatment providers also have access to important resources that can be used in everyday treatment to improve the quality of care they are able to provide. Finally, the agency helps fund local communities in their battle against various forms of SUDs¹

SAMHSA Statistics

The agency uses the following data sets to deliver the most accurate statistics:³

• The National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services, or N-SSATS, is an annual facility survey for centers offering SUD treatment. This survey is important because it gives us a snapshot of the state of SUD treatments in the United States. It gathers all data regarding locations, types of treatment and services offered, and the number of admissions into treatment facilities across the United States.
• The National Mental Health Services Survey, or N-MHSS, is a yearly survey of psychiatric care facilities providing information on the location, services, and the number of admissions across these facilities. The N-MHSS collects data from public and private treatment facilities for mental health issues throughout the United States.
• Treatment Episode Data Set, or TEDS, is a valuable resource for understanding substance use treatment among patients over 12 years old. The dataset includes demographic information and data on treatment characteristics and outcomes across the United States.

NIDA reports that between 40 to 60% of those who struggle with addiction relapse. The number may sound daunting, but the rates were much more drastic prior to the emergence of the Internet when individuals struggling were faced with discrimination and didn’t have diverse treatment options or relevant information easily available.⁴

The data compiled and analyzed by SAMHSA helps prevent and treat SUDs, promoting early intervention, receiving treatment timely, and staying in treatment.³

What Are Available SAMHSA Services?

SAMHSA offers a number of services centered around SUD prevention and treatment, in addition to raising awareness about the importance of mental health care.¹

Access to Mental Health Care

Thanks to SAMHSA’s efforts to improve the quality and availability of mental health care, more people can access the care they need and may be more likely to seek help earlier. When individuals can effectively manage their mental health concerns, they may be less likely to experience issues such as suicidal thoughts or actions, problems at work or school caused by energy drops, or issues with interpersonal relationships.⁵

Substance Abuse Prevention

Thanks to SAMHSA’s efforts to improve the quality and availability of SUD treatment, more people will access and receive care tailored to their needs and may be less likely to struggle with addiction due to lack of access.¹

General Support for Local Communities

The agency supports local communities by providing funding and other resources that organizations can use to improve their communities. SAMHSA invests in mental health and substance abuse services and public safety initiatives.¹

Practitioner Training

SAMHSA helps train health care professionals and help them learn about the benefits of early intervention and effective treatment practices, as well as how to communicate more effectively about health care with their patients.⁶

SAMHSA Programs & Tools

SAMSHA offers various programs and tools meant to help both individuals struggling with SUD or mental health issues and healthcare practitioners in their mission to treat these conditions. The tools and programs SAMSHA offers include:⁷

• Drug-free workplace initiatives
• Resource center for evidence-based practices
• Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (FBCI)
• Homelessness programs and resources
• Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment, or SBIRT
• SAMSHA national helpline
• Substance abuse treatment facility locator

How Can SAMSHA Help?

A variety of services are provided by SAMHSA to raise the quality and access to mental health and substance abuse treatment.⁸ Among the direct services offered by the agency are:⁹

• SAMSHA national helpline numbers
• Treatment finder
• Educational resources
• Suicide prevention lifeline

What’s the SAMHSA Treatment Locator?

SAMHSA’s substance abuse treatment facility locator can help patients easily find federal-funded treatment centers, luxury addiction rehab facilities, private treatment centers, and state-funded rehab centers near them.¹⁰

Most private rehab centers have flexible payment plans, including sliding scales and private pay, which the admissions agents can verify via a phone call. Most treatment centers also accept insurance, making it easier for people to afford treatment.^{11 ‘=}

Various treatment centers are equipped to cater to specific patient needs, such as offering same-day admissions, offering hybrid treatment models, or helping a specific group such as pregnant patients.

What Does the SAMHSA Certification Stand For?

SAMHSA offers certification to state-funded addiction rehab centers throughout the United States and its territories. Treatment centers can choose to apply for certification if they meet the quality and performance criteria determined by the agency.¹²

As part of the certification process, an assessment is conducted of how well care is organized, coordinated, accessible, and readily available within a treatment center or program. This assessment ensures that those who need help receive it in a safe and effective manner.¹²

The SAMHSA Certification Standards Explained

SAMSHA grants certifications to various programs and facilities across the nation. Certification for rehab centers, outpatient treatment programs, and inpatient treatment facilities is based on a variety of factors, including quality and various reporting types, personnel requirements, and how available and accessible the services offered are. In addition, care coordination and organizational authority are also important considerations.¹²

How to Find an Alcohol & Drug Rehabilitation Program Certified By SAMHSA

The online treatment facility locator is the easiest way to find SAMHSA-certified treatment centers in your area. SAMHSA’s substance abuse treatment facility locator will provide you with a list of SAMHSA-certified rehab centers in your area, along with contact information, previous patient testimonials, and specific details about each facility.¹³

Any alcohol and drug rehabilitation treatment starts with a detox period meant to help patients deal with withdrawal symptoms and make the transition safer. Each patient will receive an individualized therapy plan which will feature various treatment lengths, services, and available inpatient or outpatient treatment options.¹⁴If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol or drug abuse, you can contact the SAMHSA hotline number to learn what you can expect from the treatment. You can also directly contact providers like American Addiction Centers. With the help of the AAC admissions navigators, you can learn more about addiction treatment insurance coverage, various payment options, where the closest drug and alcohol rehab treatment centers are located, and more.