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Columbus Drug and Alcohol Use Statistics
Muscogee County ranked in the top five counties with the highest number of overdose emergency room visits in January and June 2021. For every 100,000 country residents, the following number of emergency room visits occurred for overdoses:1
- 7 in January
- 8 in June
Additional county statistics regarding emergency room visits for stimulant and opioid overdoses, specifically, include the following for every 100,000 Muscogee County residents:2
- 35 for any stimulant
- 20 for amphetamines
- 20 for cocaine
- 5 for any stimulant plus an opioid
- 10 for any opioid
- 8 for heroin
- 4 for fentanyl
In the most recent Georgia risk behavior survey on alcohol misuse among residents, researchers found the following for adults in Muscogee County:2
- 12%-16% are binge drinkers
- 3%-6% are heavy drinkers
- 36%-45% have at least one drink per month
How Much Does Drug Rehab in Columbus Cost?
Columbus drug rehabs and alcohol rehabs will vary in price for each person who enters treatment. No two alcohol or substance use disorders are the same. Some may need a more extended stay at the inpatient level of care or medication-assisted treatment, which can change the price.
Other factors contributing to the cost of rehab in Columbus are the facility’s location, amenities, personalized therapies, and whether you want a private room or a roommate. Although the cost varies, there are options for everyone at every cost level. Also, many Columbus drug rehabs have scholarships, payment plans, and financial aid to help cover expenses.
How to Find Low-Cost and Free Rehabs in Columbus
State-funded drug rehabs in Columbus are low-cost or free. The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health contracts with various local agencies in each region to provide treatment options at every level of care.3
Services in each region include inpatient detoxification, rehab, and residential treatment. Also partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, individual outpatient, family therapy, transitional housing, and more. All these services are available to anyone, even those who cannot afford to pay for treatment.
Community services for substance use disorders exist for adults, adolescents, and anyone with disabilities, including being deaf, hearing impaired, or both. DUI and HIV intervention programs, as well as co-occurring disorder treatment.3
The initial steps of enrolling in drug rehab in Columbus can feel overwhelming. You may not be sure if you should call the Georgia Crisis and Access Line, Behavioral Health Crisis Centers, or the West Central field office. You may not get the answers you need by searching online for “drug rehab near me” or “alcohol rehab near me.”
By calling our helpline, we can assist you in simplifying this process.
Do Medicare and Medicaid Cover Drug Rehab?
The Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act changed Medicare and Medicaid coverage by expanding the mental health and substance use disorder services covered. The Act required these two programs to treat substance use disorder coverage like medical and surgical care coverage.
Today, both Medicare and Medicaid cover drug and alcohol rehab in Columbus. Medicare is a federal insurance program for people 65 and older or younger than 65 with a disability. Those with end-stage renal disease and Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS) are also eligible for Medicare.4
Medicare covers Columbus alcohol and drug rehabs with categorized coverage you purchase and pay monthly premiums and copays. Medicare Part A covers inpatient services, Part B covers outpatient services, and Part D covers prescription drugs. Part C is an insurance plan that combines Parts A, B, and D.4
Medicaid is an insurance program provided by the federal government and the state of Georgia. To be eligible for Medicaid, you must meet income limits according to the number of people in your household. For example, a single person’s income cannot exceed $25,616 annually. The maximum annual income for a family of three is $43,846.5
For both Medicare and Medicaid, you must be a U.S. citizen or legal immigrant and a resident of the U.S. and Georgia. Once enrolled, you can expect Medicaid to cover all inpatient and outpatient services provided by drug rehabs in Columbus.
Does Private Insurance Cover Addiction Treatment?
Before the healthcare exchange, private insurers could determine which mental health and substance use disorder services were covered under their plans. The Affordable Care Act set a new precedent by requiring private insurers to expand coverage for mental health and addiction services. They, too, must cover these services just as they would for medical and surgical care.
Major private health insurance companies in Columbus include Alliant Health Plans, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Humana, Kaiser Permanente, Cigna, Aetna, and United Healthcare. Friday Health Plans, Bright Health, and Ambetter are also major insurers in Georgia.
Popular Alcohol and Drug Rehab Centers in Columbus
A broad range of providers exists in Columbus. It’s essential to learn more about each program before making a final decision regarding where to enroll. Find a drug or alcohol rehab in Columbus that matches your preferences and meets your needs. Below are brief descriptions of some popular drug and alcohol rehabs in Columbus.
The Bradley Center at St. Francis
The Bradley Center is a Columbus drug rehab offering a comprehensive treatment program, including crisis stabilization, inpatient detox and rehab, partial hospitalization, and outpatient therapies for adolescents and adults. You can receive medication-assisted treatment, behavioral therapies, and aftercare support. Payment options include Medicare, Medicaid, private, self-pay, military, financial aid, and financing.
MedMark Treatment Services
MedMark Treatment Services has several locations to better serve those with an opioid use disorder. It offers methadone and buprenorphine medication assistance, counseling, case management, and referrals to community agencies for support services. The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) accredit MedMark. Payment options include Medicaid, Medicare, private, self-pay, military, and daily payments.
New Season Columbus Metro Treatment Services
With New Season’s mobile app, Engage, you can access your treatment team. New Season’s primary services include opioid use disorder counseling, medication-assisted treatment, methadone treatment, and buprenorphine treatment. It is accredited by SAMHSA and accepts payments such as Medicaid, Medicare, self-pay or daily payments, and private insurance.
The House of Time
If you need transitional or supportive housing resources, The House of Time can help. While in the program, you can receive treatment for mental health and substance use disorder. The goal of The House of Time is to heal the whole person by providing support in all areas of life and requiring each participant to take part in his or her own healing. Services are free to those who qualify.
The Rehab Process: What to Expect
Substance use disorders develop over time. There is a process that happens, including neurological and behavioral changes. You may have started misusing alcohol or drugs recreationally, and then over time, you couldn’t stop.
Recovery is also a process that requires time to learn new behaviors that help heal your brain and body from the damage of substances. Recovery starts with entering inpatient or outpatient drug rehab in Columbus for medically supervised detoxification, with or without medication-assisted treatment.
The Columbus drug and alcohol rehab system is on a continuum of care, meaning you begin treatment that is higher in structure and intensity, and as you heal, you can step down in treatment. Below are components of the continuum of care.
Receiving a Substance Abuse Assessment
No matter what type of treatment you enter, an assessment must occur first. Assessments can be done by your family physician or, preferably, by a licensed mental health or substance use disorder treatment professional.
During an assessment, information is gathered about your life to help treatment professionals determine an accurate diagnosis and create a customized treatment plan. The more information you provide, the more detailed your action plan is. One way of acquiring information is by asking questions and documenting your answers. This should not be the only method, however.
Information should come from other professionals, such as physicians, family members, and evidence-based assessment tools. Different sections of an assessment include medical and physical health, mental health, drug and alcohol misuse, use disorders, family history, and current living situation.
You will discuss your parenting or caregiver roles. Legal, vocational, educational, and military histories can show the evaluator areas of interest for aftercare. It may be challenging at first to list your strengths and weaknesses, but knowing them can help formulate your treatment plan and overcome any barriers to treatment.
Once your assessment is complete, the evaluator will make a recommendation for what your next step should be. If you are staying on the continuum of care, entering a detox program that uses medication to alleviate withdrawal symptoms is appropriate.
Medical Detox
Medical detoxification is different from recovery treatment at a drug rehab in Columbus. It is a short-term program that helps you get physically and mentally stable with the help of medical staff who administer medication for withdrawal symptoms.
Withdrawal symptoms can be debilitating, making it impossible to focus on recovery and learning recovery skills. By taking medication to ease withdrawal symptoms, you can have a clear mind for the next phase of treatment.
Currently, medicines used in detoxification exist only for alcohol and opioid withdrawal. For detoxifying from other sedatives or stimulants, doctors can treat your symptoms individually to give you relief.
Inpatient Drug Rehab in Columbus
Many people choose to move from medical detoxification into inpatient rehab, where medication management can continue. Inpatient drug rehab in Columbus is also where you can participate in individual and group therapies to learn new skills that will help you maintain sobriety when you return home.
Benefits of inpatient rehab include:6
- Evidence-based behavioral therapies
- Peer support
- Time away from the people, places, and things that trigger you to misuse substances
- Family and couples counseling
- 12-Step facilitation groups
- Faith-based groups
- Co-occurring disorder therapies
- Gender-specific groups
- Holistic and alternative therapies
- Time to focus on healing yourself, which is necessary for recovery
Your stay in inpatient rehab may range from a few weeks to a few months, a decision you will make with your treatment team. Even if you discharge from inpatient rehab, you can continue treatment on an outpatient basis.
Step-Down Care
Partial hospitalization programs (PHP) and intensive outpatient programs (IOP) are typically the treatment programs people transition to after inpatient rehab. Depending on your progress, you may choose standard individual outpatient counseling.
In each program, you continue to build on the skills you began learning in inpatient rehab. PHP is the most restrictive and structured of all outpatient programs. Those with a healthy support system at home and mild substance use disorders may choose to start their recovery treatments at this level rather than go to an inpatient drug rehab in Columbus.
PHP provides twenty or more hours each week of individual and group therapies. Programs usually occur during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, at the local drug and alcohol rehab in Columbus.
IOP is a step down from PHP, where you can receive about ten hours of therapies each week. IOP is much more flexible, offering evening and weekend programs for those who are employed or are caregivers. Standard outpatient counseling occurs once or twice a week and consists of meetings between you and your therapist.
Outpatient programs help you remain accountable and provide real-time support at the time you need it. You get to practice what you learn immediately. Behavioral therapies, medication management, peer support, 12-Step facilitation, family therapy, and much more can be part of your treatment plan in outpatient drug and alcohol rehab in Columbus.
As you move to the least strict program and prepare for discharge, your treatment team will help you create a plan of action you can take with you after you leave.
Aftercare and Relapse Prevention
Finishing the continuum of care does not mean recovery ends. Recovery is a lifelong process that becomes more natural over time. Each time you misuse drugs or alcohol, you alter the structure of your brain and how your neurotransmitters communicate. Depending on your history, your brain could be severely altered, and you may not know how to walk, talk, sleep, eat, or complete any other functions without substances.
Think of recovery as the time it takes to relearn how to walk, talk, eat, drive, and function without alcohol or drugs. For some, this means months. For others, it means years. An aftercare and relapse prevention plan will keep you on the recovery path.
Aftercare and relapse prevention plans prepare you for ups and downs in all areas of your life. By meeting your needs personally, professionally, and socially, there are fewer opportunities for incidences that trigger a relapse.
Suppose you learn many recovery skills, rebuild relationships, and feel great physically and mentally. Also, suppose you can’t find a job because people know about your background with substance misuse. Feeling frustrated, disappointed, or angry in this one area may become a trigger for relapse. Aftercare plans prepare you for obstacles like this.
Aftercare and relapse prevention plans typically include helping you:7
- Meet educational goals
- Meet vocational goals
- Continue mental health medicine and therapy
- Continue family or couples counseling
- Attend local recovery groups and activities
- Obtain childcare services
- Follow through with legal responsibilities
- Obtain transitional housing
Your plan will also include instructions on what to do if you relapse. Relapses or “slips” happen, and they are just that, slips. They do not mean you are failing at recovery. A relapse is a big sign that you need more support and a short return to treatment to get you back on track. The sooner you seek help after a relapse, the easier it will be to reenter recovery and get your life back. Follow your aftercare and relapse prevention plan.
What to Consider When Choosing the Right Columbus Rehab for You
Avoid choosing a drug rehab in Columbus based on whether a bed is available or not. Of course, you want help as soon as possible. Nevertheless, going to the wrong program may not be helpful. Instead, consider all factors, such as the facility’s location, what it costs, and the program’s rules.
Also, try to find a Columbus alcohol rehab or drug rehab that matches the features, amenities, and specializations you think will help you succeed in recovery. For example, choose a drug rehab in Columbus that offers faith-based programs if you want to include faith-based therapies in your treatment plan. If you want your family to visit you, make sure you choose a Columbus drug rehab that allows visitors.
If you are a leader within an organization and need to spend part of the day working, choose an executive treatment program. Start your search with state-funded programs if you cannot afford to pay for treatment or do not have insurance. Most importantly, look for drug rehab in Columbus with a good reputation for providing quality treatment.
What to Look for in a Quality Treatment Program
Finding a quality alcohol and drug rehab in Columbus means researching and learning about the facility, its staff, practices, and more.
Program Accreditation
When a drug rehab in Columbus receives accreditation, it means a state or federal agency conducts an evaluation and finds the facility to meet the highest standards for care. Many programs receive accreditation by either the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) or the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).
Staff Credentials
Sure, staff who have direct experience with addiction and recovery understand you better than those who don’t. However, counselors and clinicians in a Columbus alcohol rehab or drug rehab also need education and training on the proper use of therapies, ethics, laws, etc.
Most therapists have a master’s degree in a related field. However, drug and alcohol counselors can have a range of certifications, some of which do not require a degree. They are limited to specific services. Physicians or psychiatrists, nurses, and other clinical staff must have a medical educational background, along with experience and training in addiction.
Individualized Treatment Plans
No two people have the same chemical makeup, background, living environment, drug of choice, or risk factors. Therefore, no two treatment plans should be the same. A quality drug and alcohol rehab in Columbus provides you with a treatment team that creates a treatment plan based on your specific needs.
Staff-to-Patient Ratio
Quality drug rehabs in Columbus offer a low staff-to-patient ratio, meaning each therapist has a low number of clients, giving you more one-on-one time. The higher the caseload, the less time the therapist can spend with each patient. Individual counseling is essential to recovery treatment, so try to find a facility with a low staff-to-patient ratio.
Payment Options
One of the biggest concerns of people needing substance use disorder treatment is how they will pay for it. You do not have to worry about this because drug rehabs in Columbus exist at all income levels.
Quality treatment programs offer multiple payment options, including financing, scholarships, public and private insurance, discounts, and self-pay.
On-Site Medical Care
Withdrawing from alcohol or other substances can cause changes in the body that lead to physical and mental discomfort. Also, as your body flushes out the toxins, you may realize you have underlying physical or mental health needs. Having on-site medical care means you have access to clinicians who can treat your ailments immediately.
Quality Columbus drug rehabs have one or more of the following clinical staff: physicians or psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and medical technicians.
Aftercare Planning
Preparing for the unexpected after leaving inpatient or outpatient drug rehab in Columbus reduces your risk of relapse. Aftercare planning sets you up for success in all areas of your life.
Alumni Programs
Quality drug and alcohol rehabs in Columbus offer alumni programs that allow you to return to the facility to participate in recovery activities, 12-Step meetings, and other programs to help you maintain recovery.
Family Involvement
Your family is a vital part of your recovery. Your family members must learn how they can help you avoid relapsing. Some family members may be the reason you started misusing substances in the first place. Your loved ones need their own support along the way. Some need to enter their own recovery programs, others need to learn how to stop enabling, and all of them can benefit from meeting with other family members going through the same thing.
Evidence-Based Practices and Therapies
Choosing a quality drug rehab in Columbus means finding one that uses therapies and treatments with a lot of evidence showing they work. Reliable therapy strategies like cognitive behavioral therapy have documented proof they can help you maintain recovery.
Should I Travel to Columbus for Addiction Treatment?
Most people who seek substance misuse disorder treatment could benefit from a break from their home environments, the one with many people, places, and things that trigger cravings and could pose a threat of relapse.
Attending drug or alcohol rehab in Columbus can give you an escape from the chaotic lifestyle that comes with misusing substances. Plus, there are many activities in every Columbus neighborhood in which you can engage that support a sober lifestyle.
Neighborhoods in Columbus to Consider for Rehab
Columbus is home to many lakes. It has Lake Heath, Carver Park Lake, Bartletts Ferry Lake, Moon Lake, Goat Rock Lake, and Lake Harding, to name a few. If you like water activities, Columbus provides ample opportunities.
In the Calloway Gardens area, you can access the Robin Lake beach, a white sand beach that is a mile long. You can rent a paddle boat, go hiking or biking, or just relax on the beach and listen to the sounds of nature. All these activities at Robin Lake beach are therapeutic in their own ways.
Learning is a great recovery activity. Whether you learn a new hobby, take a college course, or dive into the city’s history, you are helping your brain heal from substance misuse. Historical Westville, for example, represents a village from the time between the 1840s and the 1890s. It is a great escape to simpler times, away from the modern world and the chaos that can come with it.
Downtown Columbus is actually called Uptown. It is the business district, but there are also non-business activities, like the Chattahoochee Riverwalk. If you enjoy the arts, you can choose from ballet, orchestra, opera, and performing arts. If you enjoy culinary adventures, you can choose different cultural cuisine every night. There are even outdoor adventures in Uptown, like white water rafting and ziplining at Blue Heron Adventures.
Drug and Alcohol Laws in Columbus
Georgia’s 911 Medical Amnesty Law, also known as the Good Samaritan Law, removes the fear of calling for help when you or someone else is overdosing. The law provides limited immunity, meaning you will not receive civil charges for possessing certain drugs and paraphernalia when you are reaching out for medical help.8
Senate Bill 121 expands Naloxone access to family members of someone who misuses opioids and has a potential for overdosing. It also allows pharmacists to hand out Naloxone kits free of charge.8
Whether you are 100% ready to enter a Columbus drug rehab or any percent less, you can benefit in some way. Your recovery is entirely in your control. However, what you learn in treatment and apply during an average day is what will help you have a long, healthy, sober life.
Let us take the first step with you. By calling our helpline, you can be connected directly to a drug and alcohol rehab in Columbus that best fits your lifestyle and needs. We are available to help 24/7, so don’t hesitate to contact us anytime, day or night.
Resources
- Georgia Department of Public Health. (2022). Drug Overdose Syndromic Surveillance Monthly Reports.
- Georgia Department of Public Health. (2022). Georgia Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).
- Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. (2022). Help With Substance Abuse.
- U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (2022). Welcome to Medicare.
- Georgia Medicaid. (2022). Basic Eligibility.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2020). Principles of Effective Treatment.
- Melemis S. M. (2015). Relapse Prevention and the Five Rules of Recovery. The Yale journal of biology and medicine, 88(3), 325-332.
- Georgia Drugs and Narcotics Agency. (2022). Governor Deal Signs Naloxone Bill Into Law- Expanding Access to an Emergency Tool to Parents to Help Fight the Opioid Epidemic.
