Drug & Alcohol Rehab Centers In Alaska

Despite Alaska’s small population, treatment options are becoming available across the state. There are now almost 100 different Alaska rehabs, each with different specialties, services, and even cultural backgrounds. Facilities treat both alcohol and drug abuse or dependence, and we can help find a rehab that meets your individual needs.

You’ll find mostly outpatient facilities in Alaska. There are residential and inpatient rehab options, though there’s a smaller selection. In general, it’s understood that clients who attend inpatient rehab have better treatment outcomes because of the intensive therapy and 24/7 care available. But, a study on treatment outcomes in Alaska showed that the Alaskans who had greater success in staying sober attended treatment (either inpatient or outpatient) for more hours in general. Building a solid foundation in recovery takes time.

Alaska’s treatment authority is the Division of Behavioral Health, which oversees both mental health and substance abuse services. The state recognizes the link substance abuse can have with mental and behavioral disorders, so its approach to treatment is more progressive. You’ll find that over half of Alaska’s treatment facilities are dual diagnosis rehabs.

Most facilities will accept cash or self-payment, but Alaska’s treatment facilities also accept a wide range of insurance plans: Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, state-financed, federal military. Each rehab will be different, so ask about their payment options. If you can’t afford treatment, over 60% of rehabs in Alaska will try to accommodate you and offer treatment at no charge.

Alcohol and marijuana have been primary substances of abuse in Alaska over the years, as well as big money-makers. While these substances have remained popular in rural regions, in recent years, heroin, prescription opioids, cocaine, and methamphetamine have emerged in the state’s urban areas. Now, Alaska is one of the top ten states nationwide in rates of illicit drug use.

Aleutians East Borough

Aleutians West Census Area

Anchorage Municipality

Bethel Census Area

Bristol Bay Borough

Denali Borough

Dillingham Census Area

Fairbanks North Star Borough

Haines Borough

Hoonah-Angoon Census Area

Juneau City and Borough

Kenai Peninsula Borough

Ketchikan Gateway Borough

Kodiak Island Borough

Kusilvak Census Area

Lake and Peninsula Borough

Matanuska-Susitna Borough

Nome Census Area

North Slope Borough

Northwest Arctic Borough

Petersburg Borough

Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Are

Sitka City and Borough

Skagway Municipality

Southeast Fairbanks Census Area

Valdez-Cordova Census Area

Wrangell City and Borough

Yakutat City and Borough

Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area

Alaska—Treating Addiction, and Its Underlying Causes

Alcohol and drug abuse rates have remained above the national average in Alaska, so the state is working to improve its prevention strategies and treatment efforts. Programs have been put in place to distribute clean syringes to intravenous drug users. There is now a Good Samaritan law to legally protect anyone in Alaska who is overdosing or reporting an overdose.

Rehabs in Alaska continue to adopt evidence-based strategies to improve treatment success rates and help its citizens in need. There is a treatment facility in Alaska that can help you or your loved one find freedom from substance abuse. Call us to talk about the options available to you: 1-866-207-7436.

• Among Alaska’s relatively small population of 735,000 people, almost 60,000 people each year are dependent upon or abusing alcohol and/or drugs
• Around 11% of the people in the state who need treatment receive it.
• The majority of 2015 treatment admissions in Alaska reported alcohol as their primary substance of abuse, or alcohol along with a secondary drug.
• After alcohol, the next most common substance of abuse was heroin, followed by marijuana, and then amphetamines.
• Between 2009 and 2015 in Alaska, heroin overdose deaths have increased by over 400%.

Alaska’s Substance Abuse Statistics

Almost all Alaska rehabs perform these standard services:

• Substance abuse assessments and diagnoses
• Individual, group, and family counseling
• Mental health evaluations
• Relapse-prevention training and motivational interviewing
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and trauma therapy
• Discharge planning and aftercare services.

Alaska’s Recovery Advocates

• Alaska’s Department of Health and Social Services has a Division of Behavioral Health, which is the state’s authority on mental health and substance abuse treatment services. The division handles accreditation for Alaska’s treatment facilities and providers.
• The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services also established the Advisory Board on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (ABADA) to help plan and coordinate quality behavioral health services in the state. The board seeks to evaluate and improve existing programs, as well as advocate for people and communities that are suffering from substance abuse.
• Alaska’s ABADA has established an Alaska Opioid Policy Task Force (AOPTF) to provide recommendations to the state’s policymakers in an effort to reduce the negative impact of opioid dependence and abuse. The task force is representative of Alaskans who are involved in the substance abuse field, as well as the many different cultures and communities in the state.
• Recover Alaska is a statewide coalition focused on helping people find freedom from alcohol abuse and achieve their full potential. The coalition works with other organizations to increase access to treatment and raise awareness about alcoholism.
• Change 4 the Kenai is a community coalition in Alaska, dedicated to understanding the problem of IV drug use and reducing harms related to the issue, like overdoses and the spread of infectious diseases. Their goal is to educate local communities and break down stigmas surrounding addiction.