Alcohol and Drug Use Statistics for Little Rock, Arkansas
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), overdose deaths related to drugs and alcohol have risen consistently for the past several decades, with rates increasing even higher in recent years:1,2
- Drug overdoses in 2020 increased more than four times the amount experienced in 1999 across the state.
- Overdose deaths in Pulaski County rose by 57.6% between 2018 and 2022.
- Alcohol overdose deaths rose 68% in the same period.
If you’re among the thousands of Arkansans affected by drug and alcohol use, there are agencies across the state and Little Rock that can help.
Cost of Drug Rehab in Arkansas
Depending on your level of need, where you want to attend treatment, and how you can pay for care, the cost of drug and alcohol rehab in Little Rock can vary drastically.
Where Can I Find Low-Cost and Free Rehabs in Little Rock?
In Little Rock, the Division of Aging, Adult, and Behavioral Health Services oversees public programs for substance use treatment. It is an excellent place to start if you’re looking for low-income addiction therapy. This organization can inform you of any available rehab scholarships or sliding-fee scale programs and tell you more about the process for getting into a state-funded rehab.
Does Health Insurance Cover Drug Rehab in Little Rock, Arkansas?
Yes, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) require health insurance providers to pay for medically necessary treatments that address behavioral health disorders, including addiction.
Medicaid
Medicaid is a public health insurance program for people whose income meets or is below federal poverty standards.3 Medicaid covers most rehab services, such as medications and therapy sessions.
Medicare
Medicare is similar to Medicaid in that it’s a health insurance program for those age 65 and older and those with disabilities who can’t access standard coverage by a private provider. You can apply for either Medicaid or Medicare through your local Arkansas Department of Human Services, which you can find by dialing 211.
Private Insurance
Private health insurance is usually procured through your job or can be purchased on the healthcare marketplace during open enrollment. You can also enroll during qualifying life events such as a baby being born in the family and following your 26th birthday. Private health insurance is held to the same standards as publicly-funded insurance programs like Medicaid, in that providers must pay for medically-necessary procedures, medications, and therapies.
Insurance companies typically have different policies and coverage limitations. To find out exactly what your plan covers and what fees and co-payments you might be responsible for, call the number on the back of your insurance card. They can also point you to in-network addiction treatment providers.
Popular Alcohol and Drug Rehab Centers in Little Rock
With various options in Little Rock, it can be difficult to know where to begin your search for addiction treatment. Here are a few acclaimed programs in the area, with an overview of their offerings.
Baptist Health Behavioral Service Clinic Little Rock
Baptist Health Behavioral Service Clinic Little Rock is a hospital that offers medical detox and a range of counseling groups for those dealing with addiction. Its inpatient detox program typically lasts three days and includes 24/7 medical supervision by licensed nurses and medications to treat withdrawal symptoms while you detox. The clinic offers inpatient and stabilization services for opiate withdrawal and a comprehensive list of medical services outside of treating SUD.
Oasis Renewal Center
Oasis Renewal Center is a dual diagnosis drug rehab in Arkansas that offers a continuum of care, including aftercare with ongoing counseling services. It utilizes a 12-step philosophy, as well as evidence-based treatments such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and focuses on developing life skills and resilience.
Life Strategies Counseling Little Rock
Life Strategies Counseling Little Rock has substance use counseling programs including individual and group therapy, with a focus on behavioral modification. It has a wide variety of counseling programs for other issues, such as domestic violence and grief counseling. Attending individual counseling and support groups is an important component of holistic recovery, helping you mentally recover as well as physically move past the urges to use.
BCD Hoover Treatment Center
BCD Hoover Treatment Center has a full spectrum of care services for all levels of need, with inpatient drug rehab in Little Rock, intensive outpatient programming, and aftercare services. The inpatient treatment program is 30 days long, with 6 hours of focused treatment each day in addition to a structured environment with a focus on healthy living. Its programs utilize interesting therapies such as drama therapy, and a tai chi fitness program.
Safe Harbor Nehemiah Program Recovery and Sobriety
Safe Harbor Nehemiah Program Recovery and Sobriety is a six-month inpatient recovery program for men. It takes a 12-step approach and offers evidence-based treatments and pastoral counseling. A daily schedule posted on its website lets patients know what to expect. To graduate, participants must complete a few courses, including Relapse Prevention, Employment Skills, Fatherhood, and Money Management.
Inpatient vs. Outpatient Drug Rehab in Little Rock, Arkansas
There are several levels of care, with inpatient rehab being the highest. Inpatient and outpatient rehab offer specialized care for treating substance use disorder but from different settings. Inpatient care provides a structured environment with a daily schedule, healthy meals, and opportunities to exercise and engage in other hobbies, all from a safe, secure location that helps keep you free from temptation while you recover.
Outpatient alcohol and drug rehabs in Arkansas allow you to attend therapy sessions throughout the week, at a rate determined by your care needs, and return home when you’re done for the day. Partial hospitalization programs (PHP), also known as day programs, are the closest outpatient approximation, able to provide several hours of medically-supervised treatments a day alongside counseling and drug education.
The next step down in treatment is intensive outpatient programs (IOP), which provide the same services but only for several days a week instead of daily, with a minimum of 9 hours of treatment per week.4 Once you’ve completed these programs, you can utilize a standard outpatient program (SOP) that only requires a weekly therapy session and a monthly telephonic appointment with your therapist or addiction counselor.
After rehab, it’s important to participate in an ongoing aftercare program. Many drug rehabs in Little Rock offer an alumni program for graduates that includes regular support group meetings. You can also reach out to community-based support, like the 12-step programs offered publicly by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). If you don’t like the spiritual aspect, look for a SMART Recovery program that focuses on the cognitive restructuring of your behaviors and beliefs.
Advantages of Inpatient Addiction Treatment
Inpatient treatment is a wonderful option because it removes you from your current environment to facilitate your recovery. Most places ask you to leave your phone at the door, so you aren’t contacted by anyone or distracted by anything that could endanger your participation in the program or overall sobriety.
Disadvantages of Inpatient Care
The level of restriction can be seen as a downside to inpatient care, particularly if you have a career, education responsibilities, or a family to tend to daily. These programs can last anywhere from 30 days to nine months or a year, which might be too great of a disadvantage for some people who can’t leave their daily lives for that long.
Advantages of Outpatient Addiction Treatment
The greatest upside of outpatient rehab is the amount of flexibility offered, with participants being able to take on any responsibilities they choose during the day, as well as participate in addiction treatments. If you have a severe addiction and need detox, you can find that in outpatient rehab in a PHP. When you’re able to lower your level of care you can do so easily with the myriad options available for outpatient drug rehab in Little Rock.
Disadvantages of Outpatient Rehab
Outpatient rehab doesn’t provide the same structure level as inpatient rehab, so a disadvantage of outpatient care is the slightly higher risk of relapse. It’s essential to participate in each recommended aspect of therapy, from attending your required treatment sessions to participating in community support groups that are appropriate for your situation.
Types of Drug and Alcohol Rehabs in Little Rock
There are a variety of rehab centers that cater to various backgrounds and interests. Here is a look at some.
Faith-Based and Christian Rehab
With pastoral counseling, spiritual guidance, and immurement in a community that shares your religious background, you can find the strength to succeed in recovery. These programs often utilize a 12-step philosophy and spiritual practices such as prayer and meditation. There are numerous Baptist, Christian, and faith-based rehabs in the Little Rock area.
Luxury Rehab
Luxury rehab centers provide a higher caliber of quality amenities and surroundings. They may also offer a wider range of therapies, such as massage, equine, and art therapy. Many luxury clinics have licensed dieticians on staff that works with clients to create a healthy meal plan and a variety of dining establishments on the campus.
Executive Rehab
Executive rehab programs strive to maintain client confidentiality, protect your reputation and prevent your career or other life circumstances from being affected. These centers will typically provide amenities that assist working professionals with maintaining their careers, such as office space to check emails and fitness centers with a pool and spa.
Holistic Rehab
Holistic programs offer the same level of care as other rehab centers but usually offer a layer of nature-based alternative therapies in addition to the standard practices. These centers aim to unite body, mind, and spirit while recovering, to help you achieve healing in all facets of your life for lasting success.
Dual Diagnosis Rehab
Co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders require therapy from a dual diagnosis treatment program that can address both issues simultaneously. In the past, mental health treatment facilities would turn away people struggling with addiction on top of their mental health disorder, while addiction recovery centers would also turn away those with mental illness. This is due to the complexities that arise when substance use is combined with a compromised mental state and medications used to treat existing mental disorders.
Nowadays, we have dual diagnosis rehab centers staffed with teams of certified addiction specialists, therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, and a range of other professions to facilitate your daily life and therapy needs. These facilities create programming designed to encourage your active participation in recovery despite your challenges, with programs that teach life skills, emotional regulation, and how to cope with urges to use drugs or drink. According to SAMHSA, there are 12 dual diagnosis rehab centers in and around Little Rock.5
Medication-Assisted Treatment
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) offers a dynamic approach to recovery from addiction, with the physical withdrawal symptoms and cravings being addressed alongside your mental health needs with individual and group therapy. Benefits of MAT include:6
- More adherence to rehab policies and longer retention rates
- Better mental and physical health outcomes, especially for those with physical issues due to drug and alcohol use, as well as pregnant women and their unborn children
- Higher chance of finding a job and maintaining long-term employment
- Better rates of long-term recovery
The FDA has approved several medications to help people during addiction to alcohol and opiates.
How to Get Methadone at a Methadone Clinic
Methadone is a full-on opioid agonist, which works by activating opiate receptors in the brain as if you were using an opiate-based drug (as it’s an opiate-based medication).7 It’s FDA-approved for MAT and pain management for people with chronic pain.
Being opiate-based, as well as a medication with a high risk of misuse, methadone is highly regulated. Therefore, using this medication (as well as any addiction medication) must be combined with an approved therapy program that provides drug education, individual therapy, and community support from family therapy or a support group, preferably both.
Finding Suboxone Doctors
Suboxone is a buprenorphine medication, available as a film you keep under your tongue for treatment in a doctor’s office.8 There are other forms of buprenorphine medications, such as an extended-release injection (Sublocade), and an implant (Probuphine). A lesser opioid agonist than Methadone, Suboxone performs similarly but has a lower risk of misuse and fewer sedative effects than methadone.
To find a certified opiate prescriber, you can speak with your regular doctor, or find a rehab program that offers MAT. There are a variety of ways to find the right rehab for you, but you can call us (800) 662-HELP (4357) at any time if you need assistance.
Naltrexone for Alcohol or Opioid Addiction
FDA-approved to treat both alcohol use disorder (AUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD), naltrexone is available from certified MAT providers.9 The daily pill form is used to treat alcoholism and can be prescribed for home use. There is also a once-a-month extended-release intramuscular injection available that works to treat both disorders.
Naltrexone works by binding to opiate receptors and blocking them from activation if you take opiates.9 This prevents euphoric or sedative effects from occurring, leading to a decline in urges to use opiates, as they no longer have an effect. It’s important to remember that a long period of cessation from the use of opiates will reduce your tolerance, so a relapse has a much greater potential to end in a fatal overdose. It’s important to use naltrexone along with an intensive therapy program.
Antabuse (Disulfiram) for Alcohol Addiction
Designed to reduce cravings and help you adhere to your recovery plan, Antabuse is an alcohol addiction medication that works by preventing your body from being able to process alcohol.10 This causes very uncomfortable symptoms to occur if ever you decide to drink, such as nausea and headache.
When using this medication, it’s important to remember that the effects will be triggered by any alcohol you consume, including that found in cough syrup or some cooking ingredients.
Acamprosate for Alcohol Use Disorder
Acamprosate is a daily-use pill that reduces the cravings and urges to drink alcohol.11 It’s rated for long-term use, though it might not be appropriate for patients with kidney issues. This medication can be prescribed by an AUD provider, who would be able to tell you more about how to use Acamprosate.
Should I Travel to Arkansas for Alcohol and Drug Treatment?
If you’re in an area that could be detrimental to your recovery, it might be beneficial to you to move to seek treatment in Arkansas. There are many options for alcohol and drug rehabs in Arkansas. However, there are some considerations if you’re considering moving, such as how you’ll pay for the trip and the cost of living and rehab care. It’s also important to consider whether or not you have a strong support system in the area.
If you already live in Arkansas, you can go online and search “drug rehab(s) near me” “or “alcohol rehab(s) near me” or visit addictions.com for their free resource and state guide on addiction treatment.
Neighborhoods in Little Rock to Consider for Treatment
If you have decided Little Rock rehabs are the best option for you, look into the neighborhoods around town to see where you would like to live. If you want to enjoy the dining and shopping opportunities in the city but stay close to nature, check out Riverdale on the banks of the Arkansas River. Among the longest pedestrian bridges, the nearby Big Dam Bridge offers plenty of chances to observe an osprey or bald eagle in the wild while catching some fresh air.
Midtown, being more central at about 15 minutes away from every other part of town, is a sprawling hub of employers and shopping centers. The area has several suburban districts within it, with ranch-style homes that feature large, lush yards. Midtown is host to two universities and a large hospital, as well as plenty of rehab organizations.
Conway is another neighborhood with plenty of career opportunities, as it is considered the city’s tech hub and is dubbed “The City of Colleges.” It has three large medical centers, plenty of factories, nationwide company headquarters for tech companies, and the Grand Theater.
Drug and Alcohol Laws in Arkansas
Arkansas has many policies, programs, and laws in place to protect people from damage done by drugs and alcohol.
Arkansas Substance Use Prevention Policies
Arkansas has various policies instituted to help prevent drug-related crime and overdose deaths. These policies include ways to allocate state and federal funds to substance use treatment as well as drug education and support groups for community members.12
Naloxone Prescription Law
This Arkansas law enables pharmacists to prescribe naloxone overdose reversal medication in addition to an opiate prescription without a prescription for the naloxone.13 They are also enabled to provide naloxone without a prescription to friends or family members of people who present a risk for opiate overdose. This is to help people at risk of overdose without requiring them to seek a prescription first.
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Federal laws under the FMLA apply to every state, requiring most companies with more than 50 employees to provide 12 weeks of unpaid leave to seek medical treatment.14 This rule applies to companies that have enough employees on-site to facilitate allowing a leave, so some rural companies might not be required to follow this rule. If you are looking for substance misuse treatment, call us 24/7 at (800) 662-HELP (4357) for help verifying insurance, finding an appropriate provider for your needs, and helping you figure out your next steps towards recovery at a drug rehab in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Resources
- Center for Disease Control. (2022). Arkansas Overdose Prevention Investment Snapshot
- Center for Disease Control. (2022). CDCWonder.
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2022). Eligibility.
- Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Substance Abuse: Clinical Issues in Intensive Outpatient Treatment. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); (2006). Chapter 3. Intensive Outpatient Treatment and the Continuum of Care.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration. (2022). Treatment Locator.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2022). Medication-Assisted Treatment.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2022). Methadone.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2022). Buprenorphine.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2022). Naltrexone.
- National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2022). Antabuse.
- National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2022). Acamprosate.
- the State of Arkansas. (2022). Substance Abuse Prevention.
- Arizona State Board of Pharmacy. (2022). Naloxone.
- U.S. Department of Labor. (2022). FMLA Frequently Asked Questions.