Seeking Treatment for Substance Use Disorder
The First Step
Substance use disorder is a disease that is caused by a combination of behavioral, psychological, environmental, and biological factors. As with other diseases, there are treatments available to help with this illness—recovery is possible!
Contact PA Get Help Now
Call: 1-800-662-HELP (1-800-662-4357)
Text: 717-216-0905
Chat: PA Get Help Now Chat
PA Get Help Now is a confidential helpline that is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Expect an informal conversation with an operator who will ask you for some basic information so they can connect you to recovery resources in your area.
This resource was created to help explain the process of seeking treatment for substance use disorder in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. There are many types and forms of recovery treatment, and we cannot address each variation in this guide. This resource is for general information only and not provide medical, legal, or financial advice. Seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.
Listen to a sample call from someone with private health insurance:
Operator: Pennsylvania Get Help Now. This is Blake. How can I help you?
Caller: Hi, Blake. I think I need some help, some treatment.
Operator: Okay. Before we get started, I do wanna let you know that this call is confidential. Is it okay if I ask you a few questions?
Caller: Sure. That's fine.
Operator: Okay. What's your name?
Caller: My name is Megan.
Operator: Okay. And what's your phone number?
Caller: It's 1-111-111-1111.
Operator: Okay. And what county are you in?
Caller: I'm in Allegheny County.
Operator: Okay. And what kind of health insurance do you have?
Caller: I have a blue Cross Blue. Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Operator: Okay. And Megan, what's your date of birth?
Caller: It is June 9th, 1980.
Operator: Okay. Is there any chance that you could be pregnant?
Caller: No.
Operator: Okay, Megan. You wanna tell me what's going on?
Caller: Yeah, I have been using fentanyl. You know, started a little bit, it's getting worse. I'm probably about, going on six-seven months now.
Operator: Okay. I wanna take this time to tell you that I'm proud of you for making this call today. I know it's not easy to do. When was the last time you used?
Caller: Let's see yesterday. Two days ago.
Operator: Okay. Are you experiencing any withdrawal?
Caller: Just kinda starting to.
Operator: Okay. And are you ready to go to treatment?
Caller: Yes.
Operator: Okay. All right, Megan we have a couple options available for you. We have Recovery Centers of America. They have one in Allegheny County. There's also Banian Treatment Centers. They have multiple locations all over the state. And we have a liaison that we deal with there. Her name is Melissa, and she's great. Do you have a preference on which one that you'd like to try?
Caller: No, I guess just whoever of can get me in.
Operator: Okay, all right, if it's okay with you, Megan, I'll go ahead and put you on hold, and see if I can get a hold of Melissa for you, okay?
Caller: Okay. Yeah, thank you.
Operator: Okay.
Listen to a sample call from someone with medicaid:
Operator: Pennsylvania Get Help Now, this is Blake. How can I help you?
Caller: Hi, I think I need some help. I might need some, I guess, treatment.
Operator: Okay. Before we get started I do wanna let you know that this call is confidential. Is it okay if I ask you a few questions? Sure.
Operator: Okay, what's your name?
Caller: My name's Megan.
Operator: Okay. And what's a good callback number for you?
Caller: 1-111-111-1111.
Operator: Okay. And what county are you in?
Caller: I'm in Allegheny County.
Operator: Okay. And what type of health insurance do you have?
Caller: I have Medicaid.
Operator: Okay. And Megan, what's your date of birth?
Caller: It is June 9th, 1980.
Operator: Okay. Is there any chance that you could be pregnant?
Caller: No, I don't think so.
Operator: Okay. What's been going on?
Caller: I've been just struggling for a while. I've been using meth increasingly on and off, for I would say like the last, I don't even know, like six months and
Operator: Okay.
Caller: I know that it's, that I need, you know that it's not good for me.
Operator: Okay. Well, I wanna take this time to let you know that I am proud of you for making this call. I know it's not easy to do. So when, when was the last time that you used?
Caller: Today.
Operator: Today? Are you experiencing any withdrawal?
Caller: No, not yet.
Operator: Okay. And you're ready to go to treatment, right?
Caller: Yes.
Operator: Okay. All right. so gimme just a moment. We're gonna look at what options we have available for you. The first one I have is called White Deer Run. They have facilities in Williamsburg and Allenwood. Those are the ones that are closest to you. We have UPMC Mercy Detox, in Pittsburgh. We have Gateway Treatment Center, in Aliquippa. There's Greenbrier Treatment Center, in Washington. We also have Gaudenzia. That's located in Erie, and we have Pyramid Healthcare. And the ones closest to you are Duncansville and Wilkinsburg. Do you have a preference on which one you might like to try?
Caller: No. I mean,I don't really know, like
Operator: Okay.
Caller: Like, how do I get in with somebody?
Operator: Okay. So what I'll do is I will put you on hold and I will reach out to one of these facilities whichever one, you, which whichever one that you choose and if they have a bed available, I will bring you on the line and introduce you and let you complete your assessment from there.
Caller: Okay.
Operator: Okay? If you feel more comfortable I can give you the, the numbers of the facilities if you'd rather call on your own.
Caller: No, if you could, if you could transfer, that would be great.
Operator: Okay. Do you, do you have any particular facility in mind?
You can keep it simple. “I’m struggling” or “I think I might need help” is enough to get the conversation started.
Expect an informal conversation. There’s a good chance the person answering has been through what you’re going through. They will ask your name and some basic questions to help them determine which resources are best for you.
The helpline can be used by anyone seeking information about treatment.
The helpline is free, however there are costs associated with treatment. If you have health insurance, it can be helpful to have your insurance card when you call. Many facilities accept commercial insurance providers, but some do not accept Medicaid or Medicare. If you don’t have insurance, the Helpline operator can connect you with funding resources to help pay for treatment.
You will be connected to a treatment provider. The Helpline operator will ensure you are connected to the provider before they hang up – you won’t just get another phone number to call. (This is called a warm-handoff.)
