Top 21 Alcohol & Drug Rehab Centers in Connecticut & Free Treatment Resources

Treatment setting (inpatient vs. outpatient)

Amenities (luxury or special features)

How long you will receive treatment

Insurance acceptance

Available subsidies or donations

Location

Private Insurance

As with Medicaid and Medicare, private insurance companies are required to cover at least part of the cost of substance abuse care. The amount of coverage depends largely on what your insurance plan covers. Qualifications may vary, and you should check with your insurance before enrolling in a particular clinic. However, some popular insurance plans that cover rehab include Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield, ConnectiCare, UnitedHealthcare, and Bright Healthcare.^{8, 9, 10, 11}

Medicaid

Medicaid was created as a healthcare option for eligible low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults, and people with disabilities.⁴ Drug and alcohol rehab in Connecticut is covered by Medicaid, but not all treatment centers accept it. Most places advertise the types of insurance or payments they accept on their websites or have the information otherwise readily available. The services covered by Medicaid often include screening, detox, medications, inpatient care, and outpatient care.⁵

Medicare

Medicare is federally funded insurance for people over the age of 65, with end-stage renal disease, and some young people with disabilities.⁶ Medicare has three parts: Part A (hospital insurance), Part B (medical insurance), and Part D (prescription drug coverage).⁶ If you have Medicare, you don’t necessarily have all three parts free of cost, but you can buy into any parts you don’t have.⁶

Medical Detox is the process of safely and comfortably removing all of the drugs and/or alcohol from your system. This typically takes place in a supervised setting, to manage withdrawal symptoms and allow you to move forward with recovery services. 

Inpatient involves 24/7 care.12 It can be in a hospital or residential setting, and the rules for treatment are usually rigid. Your days during inpatient are typically filled with various activities, like individual therapy, group counseling, family therapy, support meetings, and more.

Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHPs) include up to 30 hours per week of counseling and is a great bridge between inpatient and lower-intensity outpatient.

Intensive Outpatient (IOPs) include between nine and 20 hours per week of therapy and is often used as step-down care after finishing inpatient or a PHP.

Standard outpatient programs include a few hours of care per week, granting patients the flexibility to continue working or attending school.

Aftercare provides ongoing support to reduce the risk of relapse and help you maintain your sobriety. Common examples include Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, SMART Recovery, sober living homes, and therapy.

Holistic 

The techniques used in holistic medicine and holistic substance use disorder treatment integrate physical, mental, and spiritual methods, such as acupuncture, massage, yoga, meditation, herbal remedies, art therapies, and equine therapy.

Faith-Based

Faith-based and Christian facilities are widely available in Connecticut. Depending on what organization they are founded by, these treatment centers offer spiritual or religious therapies, services, or counseling alongside a religious worldview.

Luxury
Luxury rehabs are typically residential treatment centers in a resort-type setting. In addition, they might offer upscale amenities like private chefs, your own bedroom or suite, fully equipped gyms, equine therapy, and more.

Executive

Executive centers caters to people who have executive or senior-level positions by recognizing the importance of work in their lives. They cater to these needs by offering amenities like Wi-Fi access, private rooms, extreme discretion, luxurious amenities, and even travel if needed.

Dual Diagnosis
Dual diagnosis refers to co-occurring addiction and mental health disorders. Because a substance use disorder and psychiatric condition can affect one another, it’s important that patients with co-occurring disorders receive specialized, integrated care.

Methadone: Methadone has been used since 1965 as a treatment for opioid addiction. It is a long-acting, full opioid agonist that binds to opioid receptors, reducing withdrawal and cravings without producing a euphoric high.

Suboxone: Suboxone is a combination medicine of buprenorphine, a partial opioid agonist, and naloxone, an opioid antagonist.18 Much like methadone, Suboxone can be used long-term to reduce the risk of relapse. However, the addition of naloxone can help deter the risk of misuse because if someone injects this medication, they’ll go into immediate opioid withdrawal, which is very painful.¹⁶

Naltrexone (Revia/Vivitrol): Naltrexone is a medication that binds to the same receptors as opioids, but it is not an opioid. It blocks the “feel good” and relaxing effects of opioids and alcohol, making using these substances not rewarding. It helps reduce cravings and reduce drinking and opioid use in people who consistently take it.¹⁹

Antabuse (Disulfiram): Over 50 years have passed since Antabuse (disulfiram) was approved as a medication to treat alcohol dependence. As a result, any licensed physician can prescribe it. Instead of working to decrease cravings or other symptoms, it creates an unpleasant reaction in your body when you drink alcohol.

Acamprosate: Acamprosate decreases alcohol cravings by reducing protracted withdrawal symptoms. It is most effective when taken throughout the whole withdrawal period. If you are attempting to go through withdrawal on your own, you can ask your doctor to prescribe it before you begin.¹⁶

Access to Naloxone (Narcan): Since 2018, Connecticut has made it easier for people to access Narcan (opioid overdose antidote). Certified pharmacists can dispense naloxone to anyone, even if they don’t have a prescription.²⁰

Good Samaritan Laws: Wanting to minimize deaths due to overdose, Connecticut has laws that protect people who try to help on the scene of an expected overdose. These laws protect someone who, in good faith, administers Narcan to someone they believe has overdosed. Another section of the law protects those who seek or receive emergency medical care for an overdose. This applies if you are seeking help for yourself or another person. In all cases, the protection generally gives civil and criminal immunity to those trying to help.²⁰

Health Insurance Laws: Since 2017, Connecticut law officially requires most individual and group insurance policies to provide medically necessary detox services and more for those diagnosed with substance use disorder. Additionally, the law does not allow most health insurance policies to require prior authorization for naloxone. While there are exceptions, most major policies are subject to these laws.²⁰

Limits on Opioid Drug Prescriptions: To manage the recent epidemic of deaths by opioid overdose, Connecticut has limits on the maximum supply given out at a time for opioid prescriptions. Since 2017, laws have been passed that reduced the maximum quantity of opioids prescribed to minors from a 7-day to a 5-day supply. In addition, legislation was passed to increase the amount of education about the risks of taking opioids. These include the risk of addiction and overdose, the dangers of taking opioids with other substances, and the reason for the prescription.²⁰