Drug & Alcohol Addiction Rehab, Treatment & Recovery Resources in Minnesota

1. Northwestern Mental Health Center

Northwestern Mental Health Center in Crookston earned the highest overall score in our rankings with 8.1 points out of 10 possible points and provides outpatient substance abuse rehabilitation services for adolescents and adults. It scored a perfect 10 points in the category of Rehabilitation Services Provided for its medication-assisted treatment utilizing drugs like naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram. The center also received full points for its wealth of special programs for unique populations, as it caters to veterans, clients referred from the court system, patients with HIV/AIDS, pregnant/postpartum women, victims of domestic violence, and many more. The center scored lowest in the category of Cost, as it does not accept Medicaid or government funding for substance abuse programs as forms of payment; however, it does accept other state-financed health insurance, TRICARE, IHS/Tribal/Urban (ITU) funds, private health insurance, and self-payment.

• Rehabilitation Services Provided: 10
• Treatment Approaches: 8.58
• Cost: 3.34
• Special Programs for Unique Demographics: 10
• Ancillary Services: 7.47

2. Central Minnesota Mental Health Center Outpatient Services

Central Minnesota Mental Health Center Outpatient Services located in Buffalo received an overall score of 6.8 points out of 10 points, earning it the second spot in our rankings. The center offers substance abuse rehabilitation services to adolescents and adults, including accepting patients on opioid medication. Its highest score was in the category of Treatment Approaches for the wealth of modalities offered to clients, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, 12-step facilitation, relapse prevention, trauma-related counseling, anger management, and many more. The center’s biggest weakness was its lack of special programs for unique populations; however, it does offer programs specifically for individuals with co-occurring mental health disorders and who have experienced trauma.

• Rehabilitation Services Provided: 6.66
• Treatment Approaches: 10
• Cost: 5.01
• Special Programs for Unique Demographics: 3.33
• Ancillary Services: 8.3

3. Central Minnesota Mental Health Center Residential Detox

Scoring 5.3 out of 10 points and coming in third in our rankings, Central Minnesota Mental Health Center Residential Detox in Saint Cloud provides residential substance abuse detoxification services to patients that typically last from 12 to 72 hours. It does offer medication-assisted treatment for individuals addicted to alcohol through the use of disulfiram and acamprosate, and it also accepts patients on opioid medication, earning it the highest score in the category of Rehabilitation Services Provided. Since it is a short-term detoxification program, the center doesn’t offer any special programs for unique populations, which led to it receiving the lowest score in that category. The center also provides a gateway to an abundance of ancillary services, such as mental health services, housing and transportation assistance, and health screenings, among many others, giving it another high score in this category.

• Rehabilitation Services Provided: 10
• Treatment Approaches: 2.86
• Cost: 3.34
• Special Programs for Unique Demographics: 0
• Ancillary Services: 9.13

Start by contacting your CARE program location

In Minnesota, the first step in your substance addiction recovery journey is to contact one of the six Community Addiction Recovery Enterprise (CARE) program locations in the state. CARE is a service provided statewide through the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS). Visit the Minnesota DHS website for more information, where you will also find this brochure for the CARE program.

The purpose of the CARE program is to provide a system of services to address substance use disorders for residents across the state who need assistance in beating their addictions. The Minnesota DHS is the first point of contact for anyone who may need assistance paying for treatment. To learn if you qualify for low-income Medicaid services, and to determine eligibility, visit the Minnesota DHS Medical Assistance section of the website.

Use our database to find a treatment center near you

The tool below lists all of the treatment centers in the state of Minnesota recognized by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Input your zip code and select the filter icon to find relevant treatment centers near you.

Minnesota ranks among the top 10 states for veterans engaging in binge drinking

According to the CDC, Minnesota ranked among the top 10 states in 2017 for veterans who engaged in binge drinking, with a reported 18.6% of veterans in the state taking part in the dangerous behavior that is often linked to PTSD. This percentage is among the highest for all 50 states; Hawaii reported the greatest percentage of veterans engaging in binge drinking at 21.5%, while Utah was at the bottom of the rankings at 9.1%.

Additional Resources for Parents and Teachers

Substance Use in Minnesota (SUMN) has been a resource for residents of Minnesota since 2008 and was created by the Minnesota State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup (SEOW), in partnership with the Minnesota DHS and other state agencies. SUMN serves to provide substance abuse prevention resources to the residents of Minnesota, including the parents and teachers of youth. Fact sheets, directed searches, and other pertinent information are available on the SUMN website. The Minnesota Prevention Resource Center, a partner of SUMN, also offers resources concerning youth substance abuse.

Mental Health Resources & Treatment

If you or someone you love is suffering from mental health issues, such as depression, PTSD, eating disorders, or severe anxiety, there are many resources from which to receive help.

Below are a few ways to receive immediate assistance, as advised by MentalHealth.gov:

Emergency Services: If your life (or someone else’s life) is in danger, always start by dialing 911 to gain immediate access to emergency services.

Suicide Prevention: The number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is: 800-273-8255. You can also initiate a private live online chat.

Veterans Crisis Line: Dial the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 and press “1” to talk to someone immediately. You can also access help with a private online chat or text 838255.

Here are two ways to find a provider of mental health treatment in Minnesota:

Minnesota Mental Health Clinics: This website provides a list of the types of mental health therapies available in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro area, with a section specifically for children and adolescents.

Minnesota National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): The Minnesota branch of NAMI has a website that offers resources, education, and support for individuals with mental health concerns. Special sections catering to youth and veterans are available on the website.

Individuals who have both substance use and mental health disorders may benefit from dual-diagnosis rehab facilities. Use the appropriate filter in our tool above to find rehabilitation centers with treatment programs designed to meet the unique challenge posed by co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders.

Contact the appropriate local organization to find an AA or NA meeting near you

The tool below lists the contact information for local organizations that will connect you to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings near you. Since meeting times and locations change periodically, contact the local groups that coordinate the meetings to ensure that the information is up to date.

Over 750,000 Minnesotans suffer from mental illness every year

As discussed earlier in this guide, there is a strong link between substance use disorders and mental health disorders. When an individual is afflicted with both of these issues at the same time, health professionals refer to it as co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders or a “dual diagnosis.” Consequently, the prevalence of mental health issues in a given state can also help us to understand the level of substance abuse.

Suicide rates in Minnesota are similar to the national average

The Centers for Disease Control reports that suicide is the leading cause of death in the United States. The suicide rate has risen in nearly every state from 1999 to 2016, with that rate increasing by more than 30% in half of all 50 states since 1999. Suicide is an act that is often linked to substance abuse. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, substance abuse is a primary risk factor for both adults and adolescents who attempt and/or complete suicide, and this is particularly true for at-risk populations.

Furthermore, the relationship between substance abuse and suicide is multi-faceted and complex. Persons who have substance abuse issues typically also carry other risk factors for suicide, including depression, impulsive behavior, and other struggles with relationships, finances, illness, or unemployment that make them more likely to engage in self-harm. Between 1999 and 2016, Minnesota witnessed a 40.6% increase in the number of suicides. In 2017, Minnesota ranked 38th in the country for the number of suicides per 100,000 residents.

Minnesota has a significantly lower opioid prescribing rate than the overall U.S. rate

Prescription drug abuse – particularly in the form of opioids – has become an epidemic in the United States. While it is difficult to estimate how many individuals use these drugs as prescribed and how many abuse them, the Centers for Disease Control has researched the variation in opioid prescriptions between states, establishing a direct connection between an increased level of opioid prescriptions with a greater potential for dependence and abuse. Across the United States in 2017, 191 million prescriptions for opioids were written by physicians, ultimately leading one in four patients who begins long-term opioid therapy to an addiction.

The rate of homelessness in Minnesota is lower than the national average

A high rate of homelessness in an area indicates a greater potential for substance abuse issues. Homelessness has been shown to be linked to substance abuse as both a cause and a result; some individuals become homeless due to a substance use disorder, while other individuals who are already homeless frequently turn to substance use to dull the pain and desperation of their situation.

The 2018 Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Point-in-Time Count reported approximately 552,830 homeless individuals in the United States, the equivalent of 17 of every 10,000 U.S. residents. This number represents a decrease of 4.1% since 2014 when the number of homeless persons in the U.S. was around 576,450. Furthermore, homelessness across the United States has decreased by 15% since 2007, the year that HUD began collecting data on the homeless population.

The drug- and alcohol-induced death rate is slightly lower in Minneapolis-St.Paul than across Minnesota