Are There Free LGBTQ+ Rehab Centers?

People who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, two-spirit, pansexual, polyamorous, asexual, queer, and all other gender and sexual minorities deserve safe, evidence-based, supportive and affirming addiction treatment, just like their straight and cisgendered counterparts.

For a wide variety of reasons, substance abuse is statistically fairly common among this group of people. But there are a great many options for finding not just substance use treatment locations that will treat you with the respect and dignity you deserve, but for finding free or low cost ones, as well.

How To Find Free LGBTQ+ Drug Rehab Centers

Free addiction treatment resources are out there waiting for you, and many of them were designed specifically with LGBTQIA+ people in mind. Find out where to start your search by reading about just some of these locations below.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

The SAMHSA has information about a wide variety of subjects related to addiction, recovery, and so much more. One of the tools available on their website is for Finding Treatment, which allows you to filter your search results by multiple categories to find just the LGBTQ addiction treatment to meet your particular needs. While it does not currently have a filter for finding specific gender and sexual minority treatment, it does let you sort your results by multiple other factors to help you narrow down your search, such as your state and county, type of care, treatment approaches, and much more.

Veterans Administration (VA)

Despite policies such as Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and the various bans and attempted bans on transgender service personnel, straightness has never been a prerequisite to serving in the U.S. military. In fact, according to the Williams Institute, an independent research center focused on researching sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy, transgender people are about twice as likely to have served in the military as the general population, and there were about 48,500 lesbian, gay, and bisexual service members in 2014.

The number of veterans who have substance use disorder is also high, which means that overlap between these groups is of course fairly frequent. Because of this, the Veterans Administration is there to offer all the support they can to everyone who falls into these categories. If you are a service member who requires substance abuse treatment and is part of this marginalized community, be sure to ask your local VA chapter what services are available to you.

LGBTQIA+ Advocacy Organizations

Around the country, LGBTQIA+ advocacy groups and organizations provide a wide variety of services to a great many people. These facilities can be life saviors for people in multiple ways: many provide educational programs and resources, shelter for queer youth facing homelessness, community meeting and gathering spaces, and much more. Not the least of these services are those that provide treatment for substance abuse disorders.

These facilities can take the form of needle sharing programs, detox centers, outpatient clinics, and all the way up to long term residential treatment facilities. In cases where these advocacy groups do not provide these services directly, they will very often be able to connect you to the locations near you that do offer this type of care. Anyone of a gender or sexual minority would benefit from reaching out to their local Pride center or advocacy organization.

Local Health Departments

Depending on the area you live in, your local health department may be a great place to find free addiction resources that are accepting to gender and sexual minorities. Because these locations are based in your local area, they are tapped into the community in unique ways, allowing them to know exactly where to find the assistance you need on your path towards recovery.

State-Funded Rehab Facilities

Many of the free addiction resources available in the United States are paid for via state-funded means. These facilities are designed to help the most amount of people they can in their state, and usually accept Medicaid, Medicare, and other forms of free public insurance to cover the costs of addiction treatment. Private insurance is also usually accepted here.

Very often, these locations also have programs designed specifically for members of the LGBT+ community. These programs are supportive, understanding, and inclusive, and can be an excellent option for anyone looking for free addiction care. Reach out to one today to see if their LGBTQIA+ program could be a good fit for yourself or a loved one.

Faith-Based Rehabilitation Programs

Despite many common misconceptions surrounding this issue, there is no contradiction in being part of the LGBT community and being a religious person. In fact, according to The Williams Institute, about 40% of LGBT adults ages 18 to 34 are religious, and across all the adult age brackets polled, nearly half of all LGBT adults in the U.S. identify as religious.

Many religious groups throughout the nation are supportive of their queer community members, and that support can often take the form of addiction care. Every faith institution is different, of course, but for those that do provide this service, it can be a wonderful source of support, in multiple areas of life. Be sure to ask what services are offered by your church, synagogue, temple, mosque, or other religious institution in regard to substance abuse treatment.

Factors That Influence The Cost Of An LGBTQ+ Addiction Treatment Program

Just like addiction treatment for people in any other group, the costs of care can add up during treatment for those in the LGBT+ community.

Some of the factors influencing the cost of addiction treatment can include:

• insurance coverage, or lack thereof
• the type of addiction treatment(s) provided
• how long your treatment(s) will last
• living expenses (in the case of residential treatment)
• travel expenses, if needed
• any co-ocurring physical or mental health conditions

In some cases, the costs associated with these factors may be mitigated through adjusted repayment programs, scholarships, or other methods. Be sure to ask your treatment provider about other types of payment options, if you find yourself in need of financial assistance.

Why LGBTQIA+ People Need Specialized Addiction Care

People in the LGBTQIA+ community tend to experience unique kinds of discrimination that many other marginalized people do not. One of the ways this manifests is in the form of familial rejection. LGBT young adults who reported high levels of family rejection during adolescence were 3.4 times more likely to use illegal drugs than their straight counterparts.

On the other hand, strong evidence shows that supporting and affirming LGBTQ youth protects against substance use, depression, and suicidal behavior. It also promotes self-esteem, encourages their social support, and improves their overall health experience, making it one of the best actions that mental health providers, families, friends, school personnel, and community leaders can take.

Common Barriers To Addiction Treatment For LGBTQ+ People

Far too often, people of every sexuality and gender expression will face barriers to treating their substance abuse disorder.

Hurdles that people in the LGBT community may face when trying to access addiction rehab resources can include:

• discrimination
• mental health stigma
• workplace discrimination
• unemployment, frequently caused by workplace discrimination
• lack of insurance coverage, frequently caused by unemployment
• family rejection

Homelessness, which is commonly correlated with substance use, is also statistically common for people in the queer community. This is often a result of familial rejection, especially among young queer people.

What To Expect At A LGBTQ-Friendly Drug And Alcohol Rehab Program

An LGBTQIA+ addiction rehab center will be much like any other addiction rehab center, with a few key additions. These facilities will be much more inclusive in their programming, especially when it comes to issues regarding gender and sexuality. Very often, they will also be inclusive of other self-identity traits, such as race, ethnicity, religion, and more, making space for people from every walk of life.

Most importantly, these facilities will do their best to make you feel comfortable, respected, and included in every step of the recovery process.

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