Drug & Alcohol Addiction Treatment Referrals

It’s never easy when a friend or loved one is struggling with drug or alcohol addiction. You may feel a host of emotions and not know how to help. However, by showing your support and learning how to refer someone to rehab, you may be able to guide your loved one toward recovery.

What Does Referring Someone to Rehab Mean?

A typical medical referral is a written order from a medical or mental health professional so that a person can receive medical or specialty services.¹ A rehab referral can mean that a doctor or other qualified professional provides this type of a referral to someone seeking addiction treatment services, but it can also mean an informal way that family or friends of a person with an addiction (or “substance use disorder”), can refer a person to a rehab. This essentially means that a person helps their loved one find and/or enter treatment by talking to them about it and calling the rehab on their behalf.

Can you refer someone to rehab? Yes, anyone can informally refer a person to rehab. It’s also important to note that a person does not need an official referral from their doctor to enter rehab.²

How to Refer Someone to Rehab

There are many ways that you can recommend someone for rehab. Usually, making a call to the rehab your friend/loved one is interested in attending is the first step in the referral process of helping them enter rehab. The call is free and confidential, and there should be no obligation to enter treatment.

In most cases, treatment centers have rehab referral services and admissions departments that are staffed with experienced, compassionate, and informed professionals who will provide information about treatment, gather necessary details so your loved one can easily enter rehab, and verify their insurance coverage.

Once you’re connected to the admissions department, you may be involved in some or all of the following steps:

• Telling your loved one’s story.
• Completing a pre-screening, meaning that admissions navigators will ask about specific needs or circumstances pertaining to your loved one’s situation.
• Discussing insurance information or other ways to pay for rehab.
• Your loved one will receive a personalized treatment recommendation.
• Arranging for your loved one’s trip to treatment (if they agree with the recommendations).

Please keep in mind that each treatment facility is different, so the steps in the above-mentioned process can vary. At American Addiction Centers (AAC), we have admissions navigators who are available around the clock to discuss your loved one’s situation, take your referral, and help your loved one or friend get started with their recovery. If you’d like to learn more, please call us at any time of day or night.

Are Rehab Referrals Confidential?

Making a call to a rehab is confidential. Calling a rehab on behalf of a friend of loved one is also confidential. Certain protections, such as HIPAA and the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 42 Part 2 are designed to protect people with SUD so that they are not deterred from seeking treatment.⁴

Specifically, these protections state that a person’s records are protected and cannot be released without the knowledge and written consent of the patient.⁴ This means that you can rest assured that your loved one or friend’s privacy will be protected during treatment.

This also means that you should not be deterred from seeking treatment or information about rehab on behalf of your friend or loved one. If you feel more comfortable doing so, you can remain anonymous during the call.

Find Treatment Options Near You

American Addiction Centers is a leading provider of SUD treatment in the U.S., with rehabs located across the nation. We will take your referral if your friend or loved one requires professional help, and we can also help you understand how your friend or loved one can get started with treatment. Below are our facilities. 

California

• Laguna Treatment Center

Nevada

• Desert Hope Treatment Center

Texas

• Greenhouse Treatment Center
• Greenhouse Outpatient

Florida

• River Oaks Treatment Center
• Recovery First Treatment Center

Mississippi

• Oxford Treatment Center
• Oxford Outpatient – Oxford
• Oxford Outpatient – Southaven

Massachusetts

• AdCare Hospital
• AdCare Hospital Outpatient

Rhode Island

• AdCare Rhode Island
• AdCare Rhode Island Outpatient

Locations Nationwide

• Resolutions – Recovery Residences

Your friend or loved one may require different types of care, depending on their unique needs, which can include co-occurring disorders such as depression or anxiety or treatment for Veterans and addiction. Our facilities offer various levels of care, including:

• Medical detox.
• Inpatient drug and alcohol rehab.
• Outpatient addiction treatment programs.
• Intensive outpatient addiction treatment programs.
• Partial hospitalization rehab programs.
• Sober living.
• Rehab aftercare.

If your friend or loved one is struggling, we are here to help them get started on the path to recovery. Please call us at to learn more about available rehab options, discuss your loved one or friend’s situation, ask any questions you may have about treatment, and learn more about using health insurance to pay for rehab. The call is free and confidential, and we are available 24/7.