Substance abuse treatment takes place in a wide range of different treatment settings with a variety of different treatment methods. For example, some substance abuse treatment can be performed on an outpatient basis, where the person will typically participate in treatment during the day but is allowed to return home daily. Other substance abuse treatment requires the individual to reside in a hospital or residential facility during the entire course of treatment, which is especially beneficial in handling more severe cases of addiction. Inpatient and residential substance abuse treatment can be done on a short term or long term basis, depending on unique circumstances which can be different for each individual. Most substance abuse treatment will concentrate on getting the individual physically rehabilitated, and then concentrate on underlying psychological and emotional issues.

Drug or alcohol rehab services which are delivered on an outpatient basis are readily available to addicted people who have circumstances which prevent them from being able to take part in an inpatient rehabilitation center. An outpatient drug treatment facility offers many of the same services as an inpatient program, but allows for flexibility as opposed to an inpatient drug or alcohol rehab program where the individual is required to remain at the rehabilitation center until the treatment process has been fully completed. Outpatient drug or alcohol treatment is also available for individuals who have completed residential or inpatient treatment but also need a thorough aftercare program which will provide further support and therapy to help them avoid relapse.

Native Americans and Alaska Natives have much higher rates of abuse and addiction than other ethnicities, a situation which must be addressed for these cultures to survive. In fact, Native American and Alaska youth have some of the highest rates of alcohol and drug abuse in the country. Though the reasons may vary from person to person, most of the reasons for the high rates of abuse among Native American and Alaska natives are cultural ones. The most obvious obstacles to treating Native Americans and Alaska Natives for substance abuse are culture differences and language. This is why it is crucial that Native Americans and Alaska Natives receive substance abuse treatment in a drug rehab program that is culturally acceptable, but most importantly in one that takes into the account the need to provide treatment in their language.

Medicaid is a type of health insurance which is accessible to individuals in certain low-income tax brackets. Eligibility for Medicaid depends greatly on income and other factors such as whether or not the individual has dependents and if they receive any other assistance. Medicaid may possibly even cover the costs associated with drug or alcohol treatment, and there are a lot of drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers throughout the country which are covered through Medicaid. Many drug treatment facilities which are covered through Medicaid may only provide a limited treatment curriculum and may only provide such treatment on a short term basis, usually 30 days or less. People who have Medicaid should look for which programs cover the greatest amount of treatment for the most amount of time to acquire the full benefits of such a program.

Many drug treatment centers in the United States provide payment assistance to people struggling with drug or alcohol addiction and want to get help. The individual in need of rehabilitation can choose a rehab program which is a good fit, meaning the treatment plan and design of the program would provide them the best results. The addicted individual can then talk to one of the treatment professionals at the drug or alcohol treatment program to talk about what kind of payment assistance options are available or that they qualify for. The financial department in most drug and alcohol treatment programs are more than willing to work with potential clients to get them started by offering payment assistance, and if this is unavailable, treatment professionals will usually work with the individual to find an equivalent or comparable rehab facility which is more affordable or that can offer workable financing options so that they can acquire the rehabilitation they so desperately need.