Free Rehab Near Me: Does it exist?

Free Rehab Near Me Does it exist? It may well do, but accessing it can be a very complicated problem!

We get a lot of calls and emails about this. The answer is not so simple. Let our experienced addictions clinicians explain.

There is no such thing as Free Rehab: Someone is paying! It is sometimes possible to get your rehab funded through your local authority but there are many, many hoops to go through. It can be done and one of our clinicians has worked in the statutory rehab sector but achieving funded care is a lengthy process for those looking for free rehab.

Who Provides Free Rehab Care?

As above: No one does. Someone is paying, and that would be your local authority. The concept of “Free Rehab Near Me” often involves understanding who ultimately covers the costs.

All drug and alcohol services are provided through your local authority. Who they choose to provide the service is entirely up to them. They can provide it themselves, contract in the NHS a charity, private company or “3rd sector” provider.

Local authority statutory services usually take the form of substitute prescribing for heroin/opioid addiction in the form of Methadone or Buprenorphine maintenance. The emphasis is on crime reduction: People on a script tend to commit less crime. While these services will also provide reduction plans (detox) trying to do this in the community very rarely works.

Most will also provide a community alcohol detox. However, there are very, very strict nationally recognized guidelines on who is suitable, and there is virtually no wriggle room: at all, especially in free programs.

Who Can Have a Community Alcohol Detox For Free?

To start with, you are going to have to engage with your local service for a period of time. They will want information from your GP and may want blood tests (which your GP will provide as you are going through a local authority funded service.) Finding free community alcohol detox services often involves navigating these protocols.

A referral, to a clinician, for a community alcohol detox only comes after you have completed assessments with your keyworker and possibly attended group sessions.

Those who meet the following criteria can be assessed for a community alcohol detox:

• Consuming less than 30 units a day
• No previous detox in the last six months
• Free of other substance dependency
• No history of alcohol related withdrawal seizures
• Not prescribed certain medications (usually benzodiazepines, gabapentinoids, etc)
• Have an adult who can stay with the person 24/7 for the first few days
• Must accept twice daily visits for the first few days then daily visits/phone calls

Detox’s are usually started on a Monday. This is because if there are any issues it is easier to resolve them on weekdays. Local authority services are not, usually, open at weekends.

What About Free Residential Rehab?

Local Authorities hold the budgets and they are extremely tight and while detox and rehab are life saving, they have to juggle other commitments such as special education and disabled transport. As such, in order to get funded treatment, especially free residential rehab, the Local Authority needs to be assured that the person seeking it is going to adhere to it and it is going to make a difference.

Your keyworker at the local statutory service will have to apply to the budget holders, usually at a monthly referral meeting, for funded residential treatment. This will only come after a lengthy period of engagement with local services. An offer of a residential treatment plan comes later on in the statutory service provision.

What Will Local Authority Services Pay For?

Sadly, due to the poor state of local authority finances, they cannot provide residential treatment for everyone. They will restrict provision to those with chronic addiction, usually to more than one substance. Even then, the treatment they provide has to be very low cost, with the promise of rehabilitation.

Local authorities negotiate very competitive rates with rehab centers. These are known as “block bed” contracts and herein lies the problem: Some will only provide a quick detox and not rehab or you will be moved to a rehab center after detox.

Local authority funded centres are spread out all over the country. Furthermore, the admission date is going to be when they have a vacancy in a blocked bed under the contract. They will not use a non contracted bed as this would affect revenue streams.

One of the biggest issues is a potential gap between detox and rehab. If you are being funded for separate detox and rehab there may be a gap between the two. Ideally, you should complete detox on the same day as you commence rehab and go directly there. Sadly, while this should be straightforward to organize, it rarely happens.

Why Do I Need Therapy?

Having a detox without rehab is pointless. Unless you have the therapy that you need to explore why you became addicted, you will relapse: Fast. Therapy will deal with your unresolved trauma, help with PTSD and other untreated mental health conditions.

No one chooses to be an addict: It is not a career choice. Addiction is a symptom of whatever is going wrong in someone’s life.

Very often there is unresolved trauma from childhood, abusive relationships, family problems, etc. Therapy is the key to dealing with these issues. If you don’t, you will relapse.

When you use drugs and alcohol you suppress difficult and painful thoughts and emotions. When you detox they come to the fore. Therapy will help you to learn how to deal with these emotions, to regulate them and find more positive ways of responding.

How Can Find Me a Rehab Help?

We are addiction clinicians who work in rehab centres: Private and statutory. Our advice is free, confidential and impartial. One of our clinicians can advise you on what treatment you need (and what you don’t need) and where you can obtain in.

Our service is registered with the Information Commissioners Office. We only signpost centres registered with the Care Quality Commission (registration is a legal requirement for centres.)

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