We talk a lot about drug and alcohol addiction rehab offered by private clinics that charge for their services. And rightly so. These types of clinics boast a very good success rate because of the way they are structured and the therapies they offer. Nevertheless, there is another option that should not be ignored: charity rehab.

As the name implies, charity rehab is provided by charitable organisations funded through private donations from individuals and corporations. The main advantage of charity rehab is that it can offer the same high-quality care as a private clinic, but at little or no cost to the client.

The biggest downside to this type of alcohol or drug rehab is its availability. Keep in mind the charities rely on donations for their funding. By their very nature, there simply are not as many of them as there are private clinics. What’s more, space is sometimes limited if an organisation is experiencing funding challenges.

If you would benefit from charity rehab, and there is one you qualify for, we will help you apply for the service. Otherwise, we can work with you to gain admission to a private clinic or programmes run by the NHS.

Residential and Day Programmes

Charities offering drug and alcohol addiction rehab provide their services under both residential and outpatient models. A professional evaluation is necessary to determine which type of programme is right for the individual. Let’s look at both of them here:

  • Outpatient Programmes – Also known as day programmes, outpatient programmes require clients to report to the rehab facility on a daily basis. Sometimes they will be participating in therapies right alongside residential clients. Other times the two groups will be treated separately. Clients get to and from the facility via private or public transportation.

  • Residential Programmes – As you are probably aware, residential treatment takes place at a facility where clients live throughout the duration of their treatments. Sometimes they remain at the residential facility during the day; sometimes they are transported to separate facilities for treatment.

In a choice between residential treatment and outpatient programmes offered by the NHS, we recommend the former as the first and best choice. NHS outpatient services do not tend to be as successful as private care. However, outpatient programmes offered by charities are another matter. For that reason, we are more willing to recommend day treatment if it is feasible.

Many charities will request clients use outpatient services if they live in the local area. Doing so enables the charities to treat more addicts for the same amount of money. However, clinic staff will usually investigate the client’s home life first to make sure it is properly supportive. If not, residential treatment is recommended.

Motivation of Charitable Organisations

Some people wonder why a charitable organisation would invest so much time and money helping drug and alcohol addicts. That’s certainly a legitimate question. However, the answer can typically be found just by researching the driving forces behind specific charities. Drug and alcohol charities can be operated by:

  • local community groups

  • fraternal organisations

  • former addicts

  • regional or international religious organisations.

When you dig around it quickly becomes clear that those operating drug and alcohol charities are often intrinsically tied to addiction in one form or another. For example, a religious organisation may have started out by offering a local ministry for church members struggling with alcohol. The success of that local ministry quickly outgrew its original founding and went on to become an international charity.

Another example is the former drug or alcohol addict who turns around to help others. This is actually fairly common. Recovering addicts often become part of local support groups as a way of encouraging others still in the recovery process. From time to time they will band together to start their own charitable organisation. Some former addicts are wealthier individuals with the means of starting their own foundations to support drug and alcohol recovery.

The important thing to remember about drug and alcohol charities is that they do what they do out of genuine concern for addicts and their families. This concern leads both charities and their generous donors to do whatever they can to provide proper treatment.

Programme Qualifications

If you think charity rehab might be for you, we urge you to contact us right away. Keep in mind there may be some qualifications involved. We will give you a couple of examples to explain what we mean.

First, consider a charity rehab facility designed for women only. You obviously would not qualify for admission if you were male. So why would a rehab centre be restricted to just one of the sexes?

Female only rehab centres typically segregate because women who suffer from addiction may also be victims of violence at the hands of their male domestic partners. Rehab facilities offering male only programmes do so to eliminate the distractions women might pose during treatment.

Another example would be a charity rehab facility that will not admit anyone with a history of violence. This restriction is sometimes put in place simply because the organisation does not have the resources to deal with potentially violent clients. Rather than taking the risk of something happening, it is better to just restrict access to their programmes.

One of the things we do is investigate charity rehab options and their qualifications. When a client contacts us for the first time, we can assess their situation in light of what is available for treatment. We can recommend whatever is the best course of action, be it charity rehab or a residential programme at a private facility.

It may be that charity rehab is just what you need to overcome a drug or alcohol addiction. However, there is no way to know until you get in touch with us. Our caring and compassionate staff are waiting to hear from you right now. We promise to hear what you have to say, treat you with the utmost respect, and do whatever we can to get you the help you need.