Watertown, MA Alcohol and Drug Outpatient Rehab Centers

If you live in the greater Boston area, then you know that Watertown is one of many cities in the area that houses a fantastic selection of alcohol and drug outpatient rehab centers.

This city is known for housing the famous Perkins School for the Blind, where Helen Keller studied and lived with her teacher in the 1880s and 1890s. It’s also known for having one of the largest Armenian communities in the country.

But that’s not all Watertown is known for—like the rest of the greater Boston area, Watertown is invested in the fight against drug and alcohol addiction.

Because substance use disorder affects so many Watertown residents either personally or through a family connection, the city is part of the Boston epicenter for outpatient treatment networks.

Not only do Watertown residents get access to outpatient rehabs in their own city, but Watertown is less than 7 minutes away from Boston and the heart of its other suburbs, including Belmont, Newton, Waltham, Arlington, and Cambridge. That means access to a much larger network of outpatient treatment options.

If you don’t live in Watertown or another Boston suburb, then you can potentially still get outpatient treatment in this area. Watertown is just 90 minutes away from New Hampshire and Connecticut, so you may be able to access treatment here if you live in one of those states and want to commute.

Everyone who enters outpatient rehab has some questions going into the process, so don’t worry, your questions are normal! Learning all you can about alcohol and drug rehab before you start the admissions process can help you ease your mind and know what to expect.

We’ve gathered some of the most frequently-asked questions about alcohol and drug outpatient rehab in Watertown to help ease your concerns.

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

You can find the best outpatient treatment by choosing a treatment center that puts your individual needs first.

There’s no single treatment center that offers the best outpatient rehab in MA, but you can find a treatment center that creates personalized treatment plans for every person who walks through the doors.

That helps ensure that you’re receiving treatment that’s built around what you need. It’s all about finding the treatment that’s best for you as an individual.

What should I look for in an outpatient rehab facility?

Look for an outpatient rehab facility that offers a wide range of evidence-based treatments. Evidence-based treatment has been subjected to scientific scrutiny until it’s deemed effective (in this case, at treating addiction). The scientific and medical communities are in agreement that evidence-based treatment works.

Some examples of evidence-based treatment include:

Is addiction treatment necessary for recovery?

Addiction treatment is a necessary part of recovery. When you don’t get addiction treatment and try to stop using substances alone, your one-year relapse rate is 90%.

Going to addiction treatment (including outpatient) reduces that risk by 40% to 50% by giving you critical coping mechanisms and tools to keep your recovery in check.

Addiction is a lifelong disease that requires treatment for recovery, just like any other chronic illness. You wouldn’t try to recover from diabetes or heart disease without your doctor’s help, so you shouldn’t take the same approach with your mental health.

If you don’t know what kind of outpatient rehab program you should enter, then it’s a good idea to do some research. Even if you do know what you want, you should still make sure you know about all the options in case you end up in multiple programs throughout the course of your outpatient journey.

Many people start with an outpatient program that offers high-intensity care, like day programs or intensive outpatient programs, before moving on to outpatient rehab and medication-assisted treatment clinics that require less oversight and fewer appointments.

Whether you end up attending one program or several, your options include:

Partial Hospitalization or Day Programs

Day programs are the most intensive form of outpatient addiction treatment, also known as partial hospitalization programs.

When you enter a day program, you should expect a full-time commitment, up to 30 or 40 hours per week. You may attend sessions daily or several times a week for up to 8 hours (but commonly 6).

This intensive schedule allows you to get the biggest benefit from your time in outpatient treatment.

Your treatment at a day program may include a combination of:

Intensive Outpatient Programs

Intensive outpatient programs are the next step down from day programs in intensity. These programs are a part-time commitment that varies depending on your needs and history.

Many people attend intensive outpatient 3 days a week, but that’s not the only way to attend. You can go to treatment for more or fewer days depending on what your condition needs.

The sessions at intensive outpatient tend to be shorter as well. Because intensive outpatient is a little more flexible, you may be able to work part-time or attend to other responsibilities at the same time.

Like day programs, intensive outpatient programs include a combination of addiction education, counseling and therapy, and medication.

Outpatient Rehab Programs

Outpatient rehab is a flexible option for people who want to seek treatment on a part-time basis. It’s more flexible than intensive outpatient because you attend treatment for fewer days and the sessions are shorter.

During outpatient rehab, your care may include:

Medication-Assisted Treatment Programs

If you’re moving on from outpatient rehab but you want to continue your treatment, medication-assisted treatment clinical programs can help you with that. These programs are an option for people who are living with opioid use disorder or alcohol use disorder.

When you continue your treatment with MAT programs, you’ll attend regular sessions to receive your medication and monitor your blood work at first. After time as your recovery stabilizes, you may be able to bring home a supply of medication so you can go longer between visits.

The medications used for alcohol use disorder include:

The medications used for opioid use disorder include:

Medication-assisted treatment works best when it’s combined with therapy. Many MAT programs will require that you continue (or start) therapy as a condition of treatment.

12 Steps Programs

12 Steps programs provide community and spiritual support to people in all stages of recovery. It started as a part of Alcoholics Anonymous, but today’s 12 Steps programs often welcome people who are in recovery from every type of substance.

These group programs include regular meetings and “sponsorship,” or matching seasoned members in recovery with members who are less experienced in recovery for guidance

Many people who enter 12 Steps during or after outpatient continue attending for months, years, or even the rest of their lives! This program provides important social connections and support to people in recovery, and you never stop needing support.

The next step to entering outpatient is figuring out how to pay for it! Luckily, your health insurance almost definitely covers addiction treatment in some form. In 2010, the Affordable Care Act made it illegal for insurance companies to deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions like substance use disorder.

The only exception is short-term insurance policies, but the majority of insurance policies are long-term, including insurance through work, self-pay insurance through the Healthcare Marketplace, Medicare and Medicaid.

Coverage specifics are different from plan to plan, so you’ll need to get in contact with your insurance company to learn what’s covered and which providers are in network (and whether out-of-network treatment centers are covered).

You can do this in two ways:

Still have questions about what to expect at outpatient rehab? We have more answers:

Is outpatient rehab as effective as inpatient rehab?

Outpatient and inpatient rehab are both effective! According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, any form of evidence-based treatment program can reduce the risk of relapse significantly.

Is outpatient rehab a good choice for everyone?

Outpatient rehab is a good choice for most people, but not everyone. You should talk to your doctor about the best rehab option if you have a history of relapse or suicide. That may indicate that you would do better in an inpatient facility.

When’s the best time to start outpatient treatment?

The best time to start outpatient treatment is right now! Time is essential when it comes to addiction treatment. The sooner you start, the sooner you can start fast-tracking your life back to where it’s supposed to be.

Do I need a referral to start outpatient rehab?

You might need a referral to start outpatient rehab. Most treatment centers take self-referrals, but your insurance company may request a referral so they can pre-authorize the coverage for treatment. Call your insurance company (or Northeast Addictions Treatment Center can do it for you!)

How do I start outpatient rehab?

Call Northeast Addictions Treatment Center to start outpatient rehab. Our admissions team will help you with collecting your medical history and verifying insurance coverage. From there, we’ll contact you with a treatment plan and the process begins!

If you’re a Watertown local (or from any of the surrounding cities), then Northeast Addictions Treatment Center offers world-class outpatient addiction treatment practically in your backyard!

Northeast Addictions Treatment Center is located in nearby Quincy, just 12 miles from Watertown. Our centralized location means that our outpatient campus is easy to access from any suburb of Boston, as well as nearby states. New Hampshire is just 90 minutes away, and so is Connecticut!

When you choose Northeast Addictions Treatment Center, your care includes:

Watertown isn’t the only city within close reach of Boston that offers outpatient addiction treatment options. Try these nearby cities as well: