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Alcohol, drug and emotional support: find your next step

Find treatment, check costs and admission, and ask about family support, grief, caregiving or an employee assistance program.

Practical options and next steps

You can ask for help before you know which service you need. Start with one contact and one question. This guide helps you arrange support; a qualified professional assesses treatment needs.

Start with this

Write down whether you need treatment, someone to talk to, or support as a family member. For an emotional crisis, call 988; for Chinese, ask for an interpreter. Text and chat serve English and Spanish. For a life-threatening emergency, call 911.

Who this helps

For adults seeking support for themselves or a loved one. Ask specifically for an age-appropriate service when seeking help for a child or teenager.

Where this guidance applies

These national entry routes can be used in all 50 states and DC. State or county health agencies and individual providers set local admission, payment and availability details. External pages may be in English; ask the service about interpretation.

What to prepare

Steps to take

  1. Choose the kind of help Use the topic below that fits today’s problem. A support group, crisis line and treatment program do different things.
  2. Contact one suitable service Ask its intake team about your area, availability and the first assessment. You do not need every answer before asking.
  3. Confirm cost and follow-up Save the appointment, cost answer and next contact. Confirm what happens if you cannot attend or need help sooner.

Find treatment without insurance

Ask your state or county behavioral health office which local providers accept uninsured patients. For alcohol treatment, use the NIAAA Navigator to identify options.

What to prepare

  • Have your location and any income information available; ask what alternative is accepted if proof is missing.

Steps to take

  1. Ask about a reduced fee, publicly funded place or payment plan, and whether an assessment is needed first.
  2. Request the expected cost of the first visit and the next treatment stage separately.

What to check before relying on this: A directory does not guarantee free care, immediate admission or a suitable level of treatment.

If that route does not work: Ask the referring office for another provider or call 1-800-662-4357 for treatment referral information.

Official and service sources: NIMH — Find mental health support · NIAAA — Alcohol Treatment Navigator · NIAAA — Treatment costs and insurance · NIAAA — Support groups and treatment resources

Check admission, costs and language

Contact the treatment provider’s intake team before travelling or paying a deposit. Ask whether the first meeting is an assessment or an admission.

What to prepare

  • Prepare your exact insurance plan, preferred language and the health information the provider requests; say what you do not know.

Steps to take

  1. Ask which services, medicines, tests and transport costs are included or billed separately.
  2. Confirm an interpreter or accessible communication arrangement and ask for the cost explanation in writing.

What to check before relying on this: A translated website does not establish that staff speak your language or that your insurance covers the treatment.

If that route does not work: Ask your insurer or referring agency for an alternative that can meet the confirmed needs.

Official and service sources: NIAAA — Questions for a treatment provider · NIAAA — Treatment costs and insurance

Fit support around work, children or transport

Tell the intake team what prevents you from attending: work shifts, care responsibilities, travel or an unreliable internet connection.

What to prepare

  • List two possible time windows and the transport or private space you actually have.

Steps to take

  1. Ask about appointment frequency, evening options and whether telehealth is clinically suitable and offered where you are.
  2. Check transport or child care referrals separately, including their cost and whether an actual place is available.

What to check before relying on this: Convenient hours do not determine the safe level of care. A clinician must assess treatment needs; remote care is not suitable for every situation.

If that route does not work: Ask the referring clinician to help find another suitable arrangement instead of simply missing visits.

Official and service sources: NIAAA — Questions for a treatment provider · NIAAA — Alcohol Treatment Navigator

Find family support or a recovery group

Decide whether you want a group for the person seeking recovery or for relatives. Ask the provider or use NIAAA’s mutual-support resources to find the right starting point.

What to prepare

  • Keep the group name, meeting time, language and any joining instructions; no diagnosis document should be assumed necessary.

Steps to take

  1. Ask who may attend, whether visitors can listen first, and whether there is a fee or voluntary contribution.
  2. Check whether it is peer support or a professionally led service and how the group handles privacy.

What to check before relying on this: A support group does not replace clinical assessment, treatment or emergency response. Different groups use different approaches.

If that route does not work: If the first group is not suitable, ask for another format or a separate family counseling referral.

Official and service sources: NIAAA — Support groups and treatment resources · NIAAA — Questions for a treatment provider

Ask for grief or caregiver support

Tell a health professional whether your main need is grief support, emotional support while caregiving, or a break from care tasks.

What to prepare

  • Prepare one sentence about the situation, your location and times when you can safely attend.

Steps to take

  1. Ask about a grief counselor or group and confirm the cost, meeting format and age group served.
  2. For care of an older adult, use ACL’s Eldercare route to ask the local aging agency about counseling, caregiver groups or respite.

What to check before relying on this: Caregiver programs have specific eligibility and local limits. A referral does not promise a paid caregiver or immediate respite.

If that route does not work: If the first service cannot help, request a community referral; use 988 if you need support during an emotional crisis.

Official and service sources: NIMH — Find mental health support · ACL — Support for family caregivers · 988 Lifeline — What to expect

Check what your employee assistance program covers

Ask human resources for the official EAP contact and written benefit summary. You can ask for these without describing your health concern to a manager.

What to prepare

  • Have the employer name, EAP contact and any employee access code from official materials.

Steps to take

  1. Ask who is eligible, how many sessions are included and whether relatives can use the program.
  2. Ask the EAP directly about confidentiality limits, employer reporting and the cost of any outside referral.

What to check before relying on this: EAP support is generally short term. Free included sessions do not make outside treatment free or establish leave or job protection.

If that route does not work: If no EAP exists or the sessions end, ask your insurer or local health agency for a continuing-care route.

Official and service sources: OPM — What an employee assistance program offers · NIMH — Find mental health support

Words you can use when asking for help

I am looking for support with alcohol, drugs or emotional distress. Do you serve my area and age group? What is the first appointment, what would I pay, and can you arrange my language or access needs?

Prepare my next task

Your choices stay in this open page. They are not sent to us or saved in this browser. Closing or reloading the page clears them. A downloaded file remains on your device; only download it where you can keep it private.

The guides and source links work without JavaScript. You can print the page and mark the steps on paper. The interactive checklist needs JavaScript.

Choose one task

This is your own follow-up date, not an official deadline. Check any deadline in the agency's notice. The calendar file creates an all-day event; choose notification settings in your calendar.

Follow up

  • Ask whether your request was received and whether you have an appointment or only a referral.
  • Keep notes or messages only where safe. Tell the service if voicemail, shared devices or mail could expose private information.

Common questions

Can this guide tell me how to stop using a substance?

No. Ask a qualified clinician about withdrawal and treatment safety. Do not use a booking guide to manage withdrawal or change medicines. A life-threatening emergency needs 911.

Can I use 988 in Chinese?

Call 988 and ask for an interpreter. Do not assume text or chat offers Chinese. Ask the counselor about confidentiality and its limits; 988 does not replace ongoing treatment.

Official and service sources

These sections explain access using the sources below. They do not confirm that a provider has openings, that you qualify, or that a professional has reviewed your case. Professional language and reader review of this edition remain pending.