6 Free Rehab Centers In Massachusetts

Massachusetts is home to several free drug and alcohol treatment centers designed to help people with low incomes get the help they need.

Free addiction recovery programs may include drug and alcohol detox, support groups, inpatient rehab, outpatient treatment, and aftercare services.

List Of Free Rehab Facilities In Massachusetts

The free drug and alcohol rehab centers listed below offer evidence-based treatment for substance use disorders and mental health issues.

These treatment centers were selected based on their:

• accreditations
• Google ratings
• positive feedback from clients
• other marks of quality care

1. Brightview, Arlington, Massachusetts

Brightview is a nationwide addiction treatment provider offering outpatient services for people with chemical dependency issues. Brightview has locations in Arlington, Attleboro, Brighton, Brockton, Haverhill, Hyannis, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Worcester, and other Massachusetts cities.

This facility provides treatment for people experiencing drug or alcohol addiction. Staff take an individualized approach with each client, meeting them wherever they are in the recovery process.

The evidence-based approach incorporates medication for addiction treatment along with individual counseling, group therapy, social service support, and co-occurring disorder treatment. For people with opioid addiction, the facility prescribes buprenorphine, buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone), and naltrexone (Vivitrol).

Brightview has a toll-free phone number for people interested in learning more or in setting an appointment, with staff available to take calls 24 hours a day.

Trusted Features:

• Joint Commission accreditation
• licensed staff

Treatment services:

• buprenorphine treatment
• case management
• cognitive behavioral therapy
• motivational interviewing
• relapse prevention
• counseling

Payment options:

• Medicare
• Medicaid
• TRICARE
• private health insurance
• self-payment

2. Health Care Resource Centers (HCRC), Woburn, Massachusetts

HCRC is a BayMark Health Services treatment center that has helped people overcome drug addiction for 32 years. Locations include Attleboro, Boston, Chelsea, Chicopee, Greenfield, Jamaica Plain, New Bedford, Northampton, Peabody, Westfield, and Woburn.

HCRC of Woburn offers individualized treatment plans for people facing opioid addiction, specializing in medication-assisted treatment (MAT) with methadone in an outpatient setting. Outpatient treatment allows clients to continue living at home while working on their recovery.

The care team at this facility supports clients with individual and group therapy sessions. Therapy at HCRC of Woburn focuses on abstinence, coping skills, and relapse prevention for long-term recovery. Group therapy allows clients to connect with peers and build community. This facility also allows clients who attend other HCRC clinics to access guest medication services here.

Trusted Features:

• Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) accreditation
• accreditation from the Council on Accreditation (COA)
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) certification
• licensed staff

Levels of care:

• outpatient program (OP)
• medication-assisted treatment (MAT)

Treatment services:

• motivational interviewing
• telehealth
• counseling
• relapse prevention
• individual therapy
• trauma-informed therapy

Payment options:

• payment assistance
• Medicaid
• Medicare
• TRICARE
• private health insurance
• self-payment
• government funding

3. Institute For Health And Recovery (IHR), Boston, Massachusetts

The Institute for Health and Recovery (IHR) in Boston has been helping people find lasting recovery from drug and alcohol addiction since 1990. IHR’s work is focused on addressing and eradicating inequities in healthcare, social, and legal systems.

The treatment center offers a range of programs providing strengths-based, client-centered intervention and treatment services. Care is provided collaboratively, in coordination with primary healthcare providers, state agencies, and formal and natural support systems.

Addiction treatment is fundamentally evidence-based and includes home- and community-based counseling for high-risk individuals and their families, including people who are unhoused, pregnant women, and families involved with the child welfare system. A trauma-informed, family-focused approach acknowledges the importance of building strong relationships and addressing unprocessed trauma in establishing long-term recovery.

Trusted Features:

• Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) accreditation
• licensed staff
• non-profit status
• outpatient program (OP)

Treatment services:

• dual diagnosis treatment
• adolescent treatment
• counseling
• individual therapy
• relapse prevention
• case management

Payment options:

• Medicaid
• Medicare
• government funding
• private health insurance
• self-payment

4. Spectrum Health Systems, Framingham, Massachusetts

The Institute for Health and Recovery (IHR) in Boston has been helping people find lasting recovery from drug and alcohol addiction since 1990. IHR’s work is focused on addressing and eradicating inequities in healthcare, social, and legal systems.

The treatment center offers a range of programs providing strengths-based, client-centered intervention and treatment services. Care is provided collaboratively, in coordination with primary healthcare providers, state agencies, and formal and natural support systems.

Addiction treatment is fundamentally evidence-based and includes home- and community-based counseling for high-risk individuals and their families, including people who are unhoused, pregnant women, and families involved with the child welfare system. A trauma-informed, family-focused approach acknowledges the importance of building strong relationships and addressing unprocessed trauma in establishing long-term recovery.

Trusted features:

• Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) accreditation
• licensed staff
• non-profit status

Levels of care:

• outpatient program (OP)

Treatment services:

• dual diagnosis treatment
• adolescent treatment
• counseling
• individual therapy
• relapse prevention
• case management

Payment options:

• Medicare
• Medicaid
• government funding
• private health insurance
• self-payment

5. Square Medical Group, Watertown, Massachusetts

Square Medical Group was founded in 2009 and offers a comprehensive approach to treating chemical dependency and mental health disorders. The organization offers in-person and telehealth appointments in Watertown, Weymouth, and Woburn and residential treatment in Waltham.

The least intensive level of care offered at the Watertown facility involves a weekly or biweekly meeting with an individual therapist and/or with a psychiatrist or nurse practitioner for medication. A slightly more intensive level of care, the IOP meets Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and includes individual and group therapy options.

Virtual outpatient support groups give clients access to peer support on a wide variety of topics of interest, such as relapse prevention. These groups meet once a week for an hour and can also be combined with individual therapy and medication-assisted treatment.

Trusted features:

• state licensure
• licensed staff
• non-profit status

Levels of care:

• partial hospitalization program (PHP)
• intensive outpatient program (IOP)
• outpatient program (OP)
• medication-assisted treatment (MAT)

Treatment services:

• case management
• telehealth
• individual therapy
• counseling
• 12-step recovery groups
• relapse prevention

Payment options:

• TRICARE
• Medicare
• Medicaid
• private health insurance
• self-payment

6. VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts

This drug and alcohol treatment center in Bedford, MA, is part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) network of healthcare providers. Veterans, active duty military personnel, and their family members can receive help for substance use disorders involving opioids, alcohol, and other substances.

This facility provides both inpatient rehab and outpatient services to help clients on their recovery journeys. The residential facility helps veterans experiencing substance abuse, housing insecurity, mental health issues, and unemployment through its 24-hour therapeutic and educational programs. Highlights of the program include drug and alcohol rehabilitation, health maintenance, and community support.

Evidence-based therapies utilized by this VA facility include CBT, motivational interviewing (MI), and motivational enhancement therapy (MET). Along with therapy, clients may be prescribed different medications to help with drug cravings and other withdrawal symptoms.

Trusted features:

• Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) accreditation
• Joint Commission accreditation
• licensed staff
• non-profit status

Levels of care:

• residential treatment
• inpatient treatment
• detoxification
• partial hospitalization program (PHP)
• intensive outpatient program (IOP)
• outpatient program (OP)
• medication-assisted treatment (MAT)

Treatment services:

• LGBTQ+ services
• veterans treatment
• counseling
• medication management
• individual therapy
• case management

Payment options:

• government funding
• Medicare
• Medicaid
• TRICARE
• private health insurance

Ways To Access Free Rehab In Massachusetts

There are several ways to access free rehab services in Massachusetts if you can’t afford to pay out of pocket or you don’t have a private health insurance plan.

Massachusetts Medicaid (MassHealth)

MassHealth, Massachusetts’ Medicaid program, provides insurance coverage for necessary medical care, including substance abuse treatment. To be eligible for MassHealth, you must be a Massachusetts resident with a low or very low income.

Other eligibility criteria include being:

• a parent living with a child younger than 19 years old
• disabled or taking care of a disabled person
• a breast or cervical cancer patient
• pregnant

If you qualify for MassHealth insurance, an addiction recovery program may be completely free or very low-cost for you at a rehab center that accepts MassHealth.

Treatment options covered under MassHealth include:

• transitional or sober living
• inpatient rehab programs
• holistic recovery methods
• residential addiction treatment programs
• group therapy
• outpatient rehab
• day treatment

Government Grant Funding In The State Of Massachusetts

Below you can find some of the federal grant funds available for substance use disorder treatment programs in Massachusetts.

Federal funding for rehab centers includes:

• Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant (SUBG) — SUBG funding is distributed to all states in the U.S. The grant targets groups at high risk for drug abuse.
• Community Mental Health Services Block Grant (MHBG) — The MHBG program targets adults with serious mental illnesses and children with emotional disturbances.

Rehab facilities that receive federal grant money must use the funds to provide treatment for people in at-risk populations.

State-Run Recovery Centers

State-run rehab centers in Massachusetts are facilities that are partially or entirely funded through the state.

People in need of addiction care can get free treatment if they meet certain income thresholds.

Are There Other Low-Cost Drug Rehab Options In Massachusetts?

Sometimes, people may not meet the eligibility requirements to attend a detox center or treatment program with no out-of-pocket costs, or these facilities may be at-capacity. For people in this predicament, an array of other options can help make treatment at a drug rehab center affordable.

Non-Profit Organizations

Another option for affordable or free drug rehab is attending a donation-based or faith-based facility. These addiction treatment services are often entirely funded through donations and may only require clients to pay a small fee upon admission.

Sliding Scales

Many rehabilitation centers in Massachusetts offer a sliding fee scale based on a person’s income, allowing clients to pay what they can afford. This payment system allows people to pay only what they can afford.

You will typically need to provide pay stubs, bills, and other personal financial information to be eligible for a sliding fee scale.

Other Payment Options

Payment plans are available at many rehab centers in the state. You may be eligible to receive financing directly through the rehab program and pay for the cost of treatment in installments.

Find Drug Or Alcohol Treatment Today

If you or a loved one is seeking long-term recovery, call Addiction Resource today to learn more about treatment options and how to get started.

Updated on July 18, 2024

Written by the Addiction Resource Editorial Staff