How to help a loved one get into treatment

By Robby Patrick, President and Founder, The Blackburn Foundation. Published October 19, 2026. Updated October 19, 2026.

To help a loved one get into addiction treatment, learn the options first, talk with them at a calm moment about what you have seen and that you want to help, and have one concrete next step ready: an assessment, a call to SAMHSA’s free National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357, or a scholarship application if cost is the barrier. Research from the National Institute on Drug Abuse shows that family and friends can play a critical role in helping someone enter and stay in treatment.

Can family really make a difference?

Yes. The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that family and friends can play critical roles in motivating people with drug problems to enter and stay in treatment, and that family therapy can be important, especially for adolescents. NIDA also reports that treatment does not need to be voluntary to be effective: encouragement or pressure from family, an employer or the courts can increase how many people enter treatment and how long they stay.

How do I prepare before I talk with them?

• Learn the options. Read levels of care, explained so you know what detox, residential and outpatient care mean.
• Find programs in advance. Search FindTreatment.gov or call 1-800-662-4357. If alcohol is the main concern, the NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator explains the options.
• Know how care could be paid for. See how to pay for addiction treatment.
• Pick the moment. Choose a time when they are sober and you are calm, somewhere private.
• Keep it small. One or two people they trust is often easier to hear than a crowd.

What should I say?

• Start with care: you love them and you are worried.
• Describe specific things you have seen, and how they affected you, without labels or blame.
• Offer one clear next step and your help with it, such as making the first call together.
• Listen. Ask what they think would help, and what is in the way.

What if they say no?

A first no does not have to be the last word. Stay connected, keep yourself and others safe, and come back to it. Some families work with a professional interventionist to plan the conversation. A Blackburn Foundation treatment scholarship can help pay for intervention, decided case by case.

What if cost is the barrier?

Families can apply on a loved one’s behalf. The Blackburn Foundation’s treatment scholarships are open to people across the United States and can help pay for care from detox through aftercare. Apply for someone you love, or read what a treatment scholarship is first.

How do I choose a program?

Ask every program the same questions, including how soon care can start, what it costs, and what support continues afterward. Use our list of questions to ask a treatment program.

How do I take care of myself?

Families need support too. SAMHSA’s National Helpline serves individuals and families facing mental health and substance use disorders, and SAMHSA lists support groups and local programs, including support for family members.

This guide is general information, not medical, legal or financial advice. Talk with a qualified professional about your situation. How we write and source our guides: Editorial Policy.

Sources

1. National Institute on Drug Abuse, Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide (Third Edition).
2. SAMHSA, National Helpline, 1-800-662-4357.
3. SAMHSA, FindTreatment.gov.
4. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Alcohol Treatment Navigator.
5. SAMHSA, Find a support group or local program.
6. 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 988lifeline.org.