Missouri addiction treatment programs offer hope to those who need help, providing access to comprehensive treatment services that could change lives.
Missouri Substance Use Statistics
Recent reports estimate that 419,000 Missouri residents have a substance use disorder. Of those, 4 percent, or 17,000 people, are between the ages of 12 and 17.
Of the 38,170 people who received treatment for a substance use disorder in 2016:
- 10,470 people, or 27 percent, were parents with dependent children.
- 17,837 people, or 47 percent, had a co‐occurring mental illness.
These groups and other sections of the population often require specialized addiction treatment that is tailored to their unique circumstances.
Missouri Opioid Use And Overdose Fatalities
As use of opioid painkillers (OxyContin, Vicodin), fentanyl and heroin increases in Missouri, opioid overdose death rates are also rising. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Missouri was one of 26 states to see a significant increase in drug overdose deaths from 2015 to 2016.
In 2016:
- Missouri’s total drug-overdose mortality rate was 23.6 lives lost per 100,000 people, or 1,371 deaths. This was higher than the national average of 19.8.
- One out of every 66 deaths statewide was due to heroin or opioid overdose.
- The state saw 908 opioid-related overdose deaths, a 35 percent increase from 2015.
From 2012 to 2016:
- Heroin overdose deaths rose almost 81 percent, from 210 to 380 deaths statewide.
- Synthetic opioid overdose deaths rose almost 355 percent, from 97 to 441 deaths.
The eastern region of the state has been hit the hardest. St. Louis City and St. Louis County experienced the highest number of opioid overdose deaths from 2012 to 2016.
- St. Louis had the sixth-highest rate of overdose deaths in the United States.
- 7 of every 10 overdose deaths in Missouri were in St. Louis or the surrounding counties.
Experts believe that the rise in opioid overdoses is due to the increased purity of certain opioids, injection drug use, usage patterns of combining drugs and high opioid painkiller prescribing rates. In 2015 physicians wrote 90 opioid prescriptions per 100 people—nearly one prescription per Missouri resident. The national average in 2015 was 70 opioid prescriptions per 100 people.
Missouri Addiction Awareness Campaigns And Prevention Programs
Access to comprehensive drug addiction treatment programs is a key component in the fight against the opioid epidemic. Missouri has several statewide initiatives to decrease and prevent substance use.
Missouri Overdose Rescue and Education Project
The MORE Project seeks to decrease the number of opioid overdose deaths in the state by educating and training first responders in rural regions. The program also distributes naloxone, a drug that can save lives by reversing an opioid overdose.
Missouri Strategic Plan for Prevention
The Division of Behavioral Health uses community-level initiatives and policy change to help reduce substance use in the general population, with a focus on youth and pregnant women.
Partners in Prevention
This coalition is focused on reducing substance use in the college population. Twenty-one public and private college and university campuses participate in this initiative and provide services and support that focus on substance use prevention, underage drinking, mental health issues, and suicide prevention.
School-Based Prevention, Intervention and Resources Initiative
The goal of the SPIRIT project is to decrease substance use in school-aged individuals. Participating agencies use evidence-based methods to achieve this goal, while also improving school performance and reducing violence.
In addition to these initiatives, Missouri also supports a number of needle exchange programs or syringe services that give people who inject drugs an opportunity to receive sterile injection supplies. These programs help to reduce the harm associated with IV drug use, such as disease transmission and improper disposal of used needles.
Missouri Addiction Treatment Programs
Addiction rewires the brain, often causing a person to want a drug more than nearly anything else in their life—including their health and well-being. Instead of practicing self-care and managing important responsibilities, such as a career or family obligations, many people spend large amounts of time and energy on finding and using drugs or alcohol.
Missouri addiction treatment programs work to undo the physical, mental and social damage caused by addiction. From this, a person can begin to heal and learn healthy behaviors that support a balanced, sober life.
Individualized Missouri addiction treatment services begin with a clinical assessment. This evaluation determines the severity of the addiction and the damage it has inflicted on a person’s life. Addiction specialists then use this information to build a customized treatment plan that may include some or all of the following levels of care.
Intervention Services
Many people willingly choose treatment, however, some have difficulty recognizing the need for professional help. An intervention can help motivate a person to seek help and connect them to the addiction treatment services that could change their life.
A professionally trained interventionist supports a person’s family in planning and conducting the intervention. An interventionist can also help family members research treatment options and make arrangements to get a person into rehab.
Drug And Alcohol Detox Programs
Medically supervised detox programs in Missouri provide specialized medical support to keep clients safe and as comfortable as possible during detox and withdrawal. Some drug and alcohol detox programs offer medications to reduce or prevent withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
A medical drug and alcohol detox is frequently recommended as the first step of treatment for people with strong chemical dependencies, such as those caused by alcohol, benzodiazepines or opioid drugs.
Inpatient Addiction Treatment
While a detoxification program centers on breaking the body free from the physical aspects of addiction, a drug rehab program focuses on treating the psychological and behavioral elements to prevent relapse. Through addiction treatment, a person is better prepared to meet the challenges of a newly sober life. For many people, an inpatient drug rehab program offers the best environment to achieve these goals.
An inpatient drug and alcohol rehab program offers a therapeutic community that inspires and supports a person as they work to build a sober life. This community is made up of highly trained clinicians and peers who are facing their own recovery journeys. These relationships enhance the recovery principles learned during therapy and counseling sessions.
High-quality Missouri inpatient drug rehab centers offer individualized treatment programs. These programs teach sober living skills that are tailored to the unique demands of a person’s life.
These skills help a person to build and maintain healthy behaviors and positive mindsets that support a balanced, sober life. This recovery skill set includes coping skills, relapse-prevention tools, and stress-reduction techniques.
Outpatient Addiction Treatment
While Missouri outpatient programs can be used as a standalone treatment for addiction, in many cases, these programs have a more valuable role when used as a supportive service following an inpatient program. In an outpatient drug and alcohol rehab program, clients participate in therapy sessions and group activities during the day and return home or to a sober living facility in the evenings.
Outpatient care helps a person to transition from the structure and support of a residential program to independent living. Both traditional outpatient and intensive outpatient programs can be used this way. The severity of a person’s addiction and the circumstances of their life will determine if a step-down program is appropriate, and if so, which program is best for their needs.
Aftercare And Alumni Services
Newfound sobriety can be intimidating, and the risk of relapse is highest in the time right after treatment. Many people find they’re more successful in their recovery if they participate in aftercare services or an alumni program.
These Missouri recovery support services help a person to remain strong and abstinent in the face of challenges they experience in their day-to-day lives. The goal of aftercare is to keep a person inspired, accountable and active in their recovery so that they’re prepared to cope with circumstances that could threaten their sobriety.
Examples of aftercare and alumni support services include mentorship opportunities, self-improvement programs, peer support groups, and sober-living arrangements.
Specialized Missouri Addiction Treatment Programs
As part of their commitment to individualized care, a growing number of addiction treatment centers offer specialized treatment programs.
In Missouri, these may include:
Medication-Assisted Treatment
While medications used to treat substance use disorders are useful on their own, research shows that they are more effective when paired with behavioral therapies.
A medication-assisted treatment approach may include buprenorphine (Suboxone) or methadone, two maintenance medications for opioid addiction. Disulfiram (Antuse), acamprosate (Campral) and naltrexone (Vivitrol) are often used to deter a return to alcohol use.
Dual-Diagnosis Treatment
Individuals with co-occurring disorders—when a substance use disorder and mental health disorder occur simultaneously—have a better chance of achieving long-lasting sobriety through a dual-diagnosis treatment program.
Dual-diagnosis care integrates treatment of both conditions into one program, most commonly utilizing a personalized combination of behavioral therapies.
Gender-Specific Treatment
Men’s- or women’s-only programs provide services and therapies that respect and address the unique circumstances clients experience in their lives. Certain Missouri facilities may also offer LGBTQ-friendly programs.
Missouri Addiction Treatment Therapies
While many Missouri addiction treatment therapies can be transformative when used alone, more often than not, they achieve their greatest benefit when used in combination with other therapies. These therapies may include research-based behavioral therapies, 12-step programs and complementary or alternative therapies that are holistic in nature.
Addiction can impact an individual on a personal, family and social level. For the best chance of long-term sobriety, treatment must address each aspect of their life that has been impacted by addiction. High-quality programs offer behavioral therapies in individual, family and group settings.
Evidence-based behavioral therapies include:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy
- Dialectical behavior therapy
- Motivational interviewing
Stress is one of the most common triggers of cravings and relapse. Past drug use can destroy a person’s morale and self-confidence, factors which can be equally damaging during recovery. To address all aspects of a client’s well-being in recovery, Missouri drug rehab programs may offer the following complementary therapies:
- Acupuncture
- Adventure therapy
- Art therapy
- Equine therapy
- Journaling
- Meditation
- Mindfulness and stress management practices
- Yoga
To further support whole-body wellness and healing, many programs offer nutritional guidance, exercise programs and access to a variety of engaging recreational activities.
How To Pay For Missouri Addiction Treatment
The price of addiction on a person’s health, well-being, relationships and employment can be immense—far more than the cost of addiction treatment. Many financial options are available to those who seek help for a substance use disorder, the most common of which is health insurance.
Health insurance companies that may provide coverage for addiction treatment in Missouri include:
- Aetna
- Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Missouri
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield Kansas City
- Cigna
- Humana Health Insurance
- UnitedHealthcare
- Out-of-pocket contributions and copays will vary between providers. In addition to insurance coverage, payment options may include:
- Scholarships or grants
- Personal loans
- Payment plans established with the treatment provider
- Sliding-scale fees based on income
Treatment Program Length
Drug and alcohol detox programs may last a few days to a few weeks. While short-term, 30-day inpatient or outpatient addiction treatment programs do help many people get sober, research has shown that the best treatment results are achieved in long-term rehab programs lasting 90 days or more. Aftercare services are often available to former clients indefinitely.
Traveling For Addiction Treatment
Traveling to an addiction treatment center offers many benefits, namely an increased amount of privacy and greater protection from relapse triggers. Seeking treatment close to home can make it tempting for a person to leave treatment, either because they’re overwhelmed or because nearby temptations prove too great. Traveling to treatment gives a person an opportunity to focus on their recovery, without distraction.
Vertava Health offers effective, compassionate treatment in several states across the country, and we can help people find the care they need—wherever they are.
