Medford, MA Alcohol and Drug Rehab Centers

If you’re looking for drug and alcohol rehab that’s accessible from a nearby New England epicenter, then Medford, MA could be the location you’re seeking.

This modest-sized city of 50,000 is known for being a college town with Tufts University attracting over 20,000 students per year. But its close proximity to Boston makes it an ideal place to find rehab for drug and alcohol addiction, too.

People living in Medford enjoy easy access to all the drug addiction treatment centers in the greater Boston area.

Still, you don’t have to live in Massachusetts or even New England to attend rehab in Medford. Medford is just 6.7 miles away from the heart of Boston, so it’s accessible to people commuting in for treatment from nearby New England states and cities.

Like the rest of Massachusetts, Medford is no stranger to the substance abuse epidemic that’s been rocking New England and the rest of the country for decades. That’s why Medford and the surrounding area have a high concentration of rehab options.

Read on to learn the lowdown on outpatient rehab for drugs and alcohol in Medford, MA:

Because it’s part of the greater Boston area, most regional organizations that report on drug and alcohol

Medford-Specific Drug Statistics

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reports on drug statistics for Medford, but they’re limited to the number of opioid-related overdose deaths by town. In 2019, 10 people died from opioid overdoses in Medford, MA.

Treatment Facts

The Massachusetts Department of Health also reports on admissions statistics for Medford. In 2018, there were 539 people who entered treatment for a total of 508 treatment admissions.

In 2017, the primary substances reported at treatment admissions included:

Most people have questions before they go into rehab, and it’s normal to want answers. Learning all you can about detox and rehab beforehand helps you enter treatment prepared and ready.

The most commonly asked questions about alcohol and drug detox and rehab in Medford include:

Where should I go to receive the best outpatient alcohol and drug treatment in Medford, MA?

The best outpatient alcohol and drug treatment in Medford, MA depends on your needs as a patient and as a person. There isn’t really a best outpatient program because it’s different for each person, but you can get the care that’s best for you individually by choosing an outpatient center that offers patient-focused care.

That means instead of giving you the same care as every other patient, your care team tailors the outpatient care plan to meet your needs.

The intake process should include a review of your medical and mental health history, as well as your family history and any history of relapse. From there, the team will create a game plan to help you reach your recovery goals.

What should I look for in an outpatient rehab facility?

You should look for an outpatient rehab facility that has the following at minimum:

Is addiction treatment necessary for recovery?

Yes, addiction treatment is a necessary part of recovery! Most people who try to stop using drugs or alcohol alone relapse within a year—90%, in fact!

The reason is that substance use disorder is a chronic disorder that requires treatment for long-term management, just like any other health condition. If you had diabetes or asthma, you wouldn’t try to recover without medical intervention, so you shouldn’t treat your substance use disorder the same way.

Attending a treatment program for addiction equips you with valuable coping skills, tools, and addiction education to fight your substance use disorder and maintain recovery. Treatment can reduce your odds of relapse by up to 50%!

If you’re wondering which type of outpatient rehab program may be right for you, you should also know that you will most likely go through multiple tiers of rehab. Many people who go to rehab start with a high-level outpatient program and “graduate” to levels with less intensive treatment as they become stable.

Because you might end up attending different programs than you expect, it’s a good idea to learn about all the types of outpatient rehab programs before you get started with intake and admissions. That way you can enter outpatient rehab feeling confident about what to expect, which makes a better experience and outcome.

The tiers of outpatient rehab programs include:

Partial Hospitalization Day Programs

Also known as day treatment, partial hospitalization is the most intensive level of outpatient care.

When you attend a day program, you generally make a full-time commitment to attend treatment for 30 hours a week or more. You attend treatment at a facility while living at home, which can help you benefit from your support systems.

While you’re at the outpatient facility during the day, you’ll receive evidence-based, custom care that may include:

The length of your day treatment program varies based on your individual needs and drug use history. The National Institute on Drug Abuse recommends that you attend treatment for at least 90 days.

Intensive Outpatient Programs

An intensive outpatient program is a step down from day treatment programs. These programs offer intensive treatment on a part-time outpatient basis.

The amount of time you dedicate to intensive outpatient depends on factors like your drug use history, medical history, and relapse history. Most people attend for at least 3 days a week, and sessions can be 4 to 6 hours.

During an IOP session, you should expect your care to include a combination of:

Like other types of treatment, the length of an intensive outpatient program varies. The shortest recommended treatment length is 3 months.

Outpatient Rehab Programs

The next tier of treatment is outpatient rehab programs. An outpatient rehab program is a lower level of care for patients who have achieved stability in partial hospitalization or intensive outpatient programs.

There’s greater variation in how often you might attend outpatient rehab. Some people attend only one day per week, while others attend up to 3 days a week (or more!) Additionally, the sessions are shorter than intensive outpatient or partial hospitalization sessions.

Outpatient rehab programs at this level are flexible and let you work your life around them, since the time commitment is less. That makes them a great choice for people who have to continue working or taking care of their children while attending treatment.

At this tier, your care includes:

Even though each session is shorter and each week has fewer sessions, outpatient rehab programs should be at least 90 days in duration, like all types of rehab programs.

Medication-Assisted Treatment Programs

Some people with opioid use disorder or alcohol use disorder graduate from outpatient rehab but want to continue the medication-assisted treatment aspect of their care.

For people who are good candidates for MAT and who respond well to it without complications, MAT programs let you continue your care as long as you need to, even if that means indefinitely!

You attend MAT programs on an outpatient basis. By itself, it’s the least-intensive version of treatment, but it’s best used as part of a comprehensive treatment plan if you’re not in the stable stages of recovery. Your sessions consist of a few types of appointments:

The frequency of your appointments depends on factors like how long you’ve been in recovery and how long you’ve been managing your care in this type of program.

Early in your time with the program, you’ll probably have to attend daily sessions to get your medication. Once you’ve been stable for a while, you may be able to reduce your appointment frequency and take a supply of medication home.

12 Steps Programs

12 Steps programs originated with Alcoholics Anonymous, but you don’t have to be recovering from alcohol use disorder for it to be a good fit.

Modern 12 Steps programs come in different varieties such as Narcotics Anonymous and Stimulants Anonymous, and many programs welcome everyone regardless of their exact disorder.

The 12 Steps program is based on a set of 12 pillars, which include concepts like accepting your disorder, finding remorse for the wrongdoings that resulted from your substance use disorder, and communicating with a spiritual higher power. Sessions take the form of a structured support group with a close-knit community of long-term participants.

Aftercare Programs in Medford, MA

Before you leave any kind of outpatient treatment, your care team will help you come up with a discharge plan to manage your long-term recovery. This plan will include a mix of lifestyle changes, coping tools, and continuing followup to make sure that your recovery lasts. It may also include therapy and medication to manage your condition long-term.

We have good news: your insurance plan probably covers addiction treatment!

That’s because the Affordable Care Act of 2010 mandated that insurers cover people with pre-existing conditions (like substance use disorder) and cover essential medical care for those conditions (which includes outpatient rehab).

The one exception is short-term plans, which aren’t subject to the same rules. But the vast majority of plans are long-term plans through workplaces, the Healthcare Marketplace, or Medicare and Medicaid.

To find out your exact coverage, call the Member Services phone number for your insurer, which you’ll find on your Member ID card.

If you still have questions about outpatient treatment, it’s definitely not too late to get answers. Here are the most common questions about outpatient treatment in Medford:

Does treatment cure addiction?

Treatment doesn’t cure addiction because addiction is a chronic disorder and you can’t cure it. Someone who has substance use disorder will have it for the rest of their life, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t get your condition into remission by attending treatment.

Going to treatment reduces the risk of relapse by up to 50%, making it much easier to manage your condition.

How long does recovery take?

The length of treatment it takes before you’re “in recovery” is different for everyone, but the National Institute on Drug Abuse says that treatment should last at least 90 days to be effective.

What does a treatment plan include?

Your treatment plan should include evidence-based treatment based on your medical and mental health history. That treatment may include a combination of therapy and counseling and medication-assisted treatment. It also includes addiction education and aftercare planning to help protect your recovery after treatment ends.

Northeast Addictions Treatment Center offers evidence-based treatment for addiction in our Quincy, MA outpatient facility. It’s our mission to provide the finest continuum of care for people fighting substance use disorder in the greater Boston area.

Because Northeast Addictions Treatment Center provides a multi-tiered care system that starts with day treatment and ends with outpatient rehab, it’s the right place to begin recovery no matter what stage of recovery you’re in or what type of rehab you think you’ll need.

Medford, MA isn’t the only place for people in the greater Boston area to get addiction treatment. New England is small and well-connected, so commuting for outpatient is easy. Look for treatment in nearby New England cities within a few minutes’ drive, such as: