How to Find Detox in West Virginia

West Virginia lost 856 people to drug overdose in 2018.[1] The lives lost or hurt by drug addiction are victims of a preventable disease that we at American Addiction Centers are committed to fighting. If we can’t help you in one of our facilities, it’s still imperative that you find help. In this page, we will talk about the types of treatment available to you, how to get in even if you are struggling financially, and licensing and accreditation.

Types of Addiction Treatment in West Virginia

The type of treatment a victim of substance abuse needs depends on the severity of the addiction. Treatment is usually divided into three levels: detox, inpatient/residential, and outpatient.

Technically, both inpatient and outpatient facilities can offer detox services, but the name “detox” facility is usually reserved for hospital inpatient facilities with medical staff available to treat the symptoms of withdrawal.

According to the World Health Organization, alcohol withdrawals cause sweating, anxiety, shakes, depression, nausea, and even seizures and delirium.[2] Opioid withdrawals include runny nose, chills, goosebumps, watery eyes, aches, and muscle and abdominal cramps.[2] Withdrawals make quitting very difficult and can be medically serious, or even fatal. Patients at risk of suffering through withdrawal symptoms should seek out a detox facility.

Residential facilities offer intensive therapy in an environment where patients can stay isolated from use triggers and access to their addictions. Outpatient facilities allow patients to pursue treatment while still having access to the outside world. Some patients are in outpatient treatment as part of their reintegration into society, while others are patients with less severe abuse histories getting treatment before it becomes more severe.

See this table for a breakdown of the different types of treatment in West Virginia:

Type of Care, by number and percent
	Facilities
	No.	%
Outpatient	80	74.07%
Regular	77	71.30%
Intensive	35	32.41%
Day Treatment/Partial Hospitalization	6	5.56%
Detoxification	21	19.44%
Methadone/buprenorphine maintenance or naltrexone treatment	50	46.30%
Residential (non-hospital)	30	27.78%
Short Term	13	12.04%
Long Term	21	19.44%
Detoxification	9	8.33%
Hospital Inpatient	14	12.96%
Treatment	11	10.19%
Detoxification	13	12.04%
Total	108	100.00%

Paying for Treatment in West Virginia

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the cost of, for example, a year of methadone maintenance treatment is $4,700.[3] Not all people who struggle with addiction are financially struggling, but many are, so how can patients afford treatment?

Most patients will pay for treatment using private insurance. Insurance companies are not allowed to turn down members for having an addiction as a preexisting condition, and they are required to offer coverage for treatment of substance use disorder.[4]

If you can’t afford private insurance, you should qualify for Medicaid, which you can apply for here.[5]

Costs of treatment vary wildly depending on whether it is a detox facility, a residential program, or an outpatient program. Other factors include what amenities the facility has and if it offers a more utilitarian or leisurely program, as well as if the facility is state-funded or privately funded.

State-Funded Rehab & Private Rehab in West Virginia

State-funded programs are often free of charge for patients, but admission is often restricted only to those with the most severe addictions and may require a court order. The sheer numbers make private facilities a more accessible option, with 75 percent of all facilities being private non-profits and 17.6 percent being private for-profits.[6]

This chart breaks down the numbers and percentages for the different kinds of private and state funded facilities:

Facility Operation, by number and percent
	Facilities
	No.	%
Private Non-Profit	81	75.00%
Private for Profit	19	17.59%
Local, county, or community government	1	0.93%
State government	2	1.85%
Federal Government	5	4.63%
Tribal Government	0	0.00%
Total	108	100.00%

While only 8 facilities are local, state, or federal government-funded, the majority of private facilities are non-profit.[6] As we will see in the following sections, the low availability of state-funded facilities doesn’t mean financially struggling patients can’t find treatment. There is almost certainly a treatment option for you.

Ways to Pay for Rehab in West Virginia

As we mentioned above, if you can afford private insurance, they must accept you and they must cover addiction services, and if you can’t afford it, you should qualify for Medicaid. That said, as of 2019, 6.7 percent of people in West Virginia do not have health insurance.[7] What are your options if you are one of them?

This table covers the different types of payment options:

Facility Payment Options, by Number and percent
	No.	%
Cash or self-payment	94	87.04%
Private Health Insurance	84	77.78%
Medicare	66	61.11%
Medicaid	90	83.33%
State-financed Health insurance	75	69.44%
Federal military insurance	65	60.19%
No payment accepted (free treatment for all clients)	8	7.41%
IHS/Tribal/Union (ITU) funds	5	4.63%
Other payments	1	0.93%
Sliding fee scale	48	44.44%
Treatment at no charge or minimal payment for clients who can’t pay	73	67.59%
Total	108	100.00%

As long as you can afford to pay in cash, there is certainly no need to be insured, as 87 percent of facilities will accept self-payment.[6] More importantly, 44.4 percent offer sliding scale payments, and 67.6 percent offer no charge treatment for patients who can’t pay.[6] In other words, even if you are penniless, you can almost certainly find treatment.

West Virginia Treatment Center Accreditations

As important as it is to get treatment regardless of your financial situation, it’s also important to make sure the facility you are working with is reputable.

Ideally, any facility claiming to treat drug abuse should be licensed with the state substance abuse agency, in this case, the Division on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, under the Bureau for Behavioral Health, within the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.

Ideally, facilities will also have trained mental health professionals, and these should be licensed with the state mental health department. Those offering medical detox should also be licensed with the state department of health. Important voluntary accreditations also include CARF and The Joint Commission. West Virginia also has a voluntary certification called the West Virginia Certification Board for Addiction & Prevention Professionals (WVCBAPP).[8]

Here are the numbers for licensing and accreditation in West Virginia:

Facility Licensing, Certification, or Accreditation, by number and percent
	No.	%
Any listed agency/organization	96	88.89%
State substance abuse agency	65	60.19%
State mental health department	57	52.78%
State department of health	69	63.89%
Hospital licensing authority	6	5.56%
The Joint Commission	11	10.19%
Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF)	19	17.59%
National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)	4	3.70%
Council on Accreditation (COA)	4	3.70%
Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP)	4	3.70%
Other national organization or federal, state or local agency	2	1.85%
Total	108	100.00%

As you can see, while licensing isn’t universal in West Virginia, 88.9 percent of the facilities are licensed or accredited with at least one relevant agency or organization.[6] Do not settle for a facility that doesn’t have the relevant credentials, there are more than enough to choose from.

Finding Treatment in West Virginia for Addiction

At American Addiction Centers, our goal is to help people find treatment. If you still have questions, that’s okay. We can help. Call our confidential helpline and speak to one of our team members. We can be reached at .

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