Wisconsin Group Sews Quilts for Free Faith Based Recovery Program
If cost or distance is standing between you and help, a small story out of northern Wisconsin is worth knowing. It shows how free addiction recovery in Wisconsin often runs on community goodwill rather than big budgets.
A church quilting group in Park Falls has begun donating handmade quilts to people in a local faith based recovery program, adding one more thread to the safety net for people who cannot afford private treatment.
A Local Group Filling a Local Gap
The Women’s Group Quilt Project at Christ the Servant Lutheran Church in Park Falls has been making and donating quilts for more than 20 years, according to reporting in the Price County Review.
Their handiwork has gone to many charitable groups and families over the years. More recently, that giving has reached members of a nearby addiction recovery program in the Park Falls and Phillips area.
This matters because in much of rural Wisconsin, treatment and recovery resources are thin on the ground. When a community program can lean on donated goods and volunteer time, it can keep its doors open to people who arrive with little or no money.
Why Free and Low-Cost Rehabs Matter
For many people, the first question about treatment is not which program is best. It is how they will pay for anything at all.
Free rehabs, low-cost rehabs, and community recovery programs exist precisely so that cost does not become the reason someone goes without help.
Faith based and nonprofit programs often provide housing, peer support, and structure at little or no charge, funded by donations, volunteers, and local partners like these quilters.
How to Find Affordable Help
If you or someone you love needs care and money is tight, a few steps can open doors:
Check whether your state offers Medicaid coverage for rehab, which can pay for a wide range of treatment services.
Search for free and low-cost treatment centers, sliding-scale clinics and nonprofit or faith based recovery programs in your area.
Contact SAMHSA’s national helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for free, confidential referrals to local programs, available around the clock.
Free Resources to Ask About
Recovery support does not always come with a price tag. Rehabs.org lists free and low-cost treatment options nationwide, so you can find affordable care close to home. To speak with someone about local options, call
800-914-7089
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Sponsored)
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Illinois Invests $2 Million in Free Recovery Housing
For people who cannot afford the high cost of private treatment, recovery housing can be the difference between staying sober and slipping back.
Illinois has committed $2 million in its FY2027 budget to a nonprofit recovery housing project in Crete, expanding a low-cost, community-based option for people rebuilding their lives after treatment.
The Second Story Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, will use the funding to develop its 2nd Story Ranch Recovery Home and Jobs Program.
Because the project is nonprofit and publicly funded, it is meant to reach people who might otherwise be priced out of long-term support.
Who Recovery Housing Helps
Recovery housing serves people who have completed or are leaving treatment and need a stable, substance-free place to live while they get back on their feet.
The 2nd Story Ranch model is built for men in early recovery from severe substance addiction, combining housing, employment, peer support and daily structure on a 68-acre property.
Residents live, work, and grow through service, equine care, and skill-based training. The lodge and residences will house up to 14 men and include space for counseling, education and community events.
The Foundation already operates residential recovery homes in Chicago’s south suburbs. Its founder and executive director, Jim O’Connor, CADC, said people leaving treatment often need stable housing, meaningful work, and ongoing support, and that the ranch is designed to provide all three.
He described the state investment as recognition that recovery housing belongs in the continuum of care.
Why Affordable Options Matter in Illinois
Illinois recorded nearly 17,000 opioid-related overdoses in 2024, including 1,838 fatalities. While overdose deaths have declined, thousands of residents still face challenges tied to addiction, housing instability, and finding work.
Recovery housing addresses all three at once, which is why advocates treat it as part of the continuum of care rather than an optional extra.
State investment matters here because it keeps costs low for the people who use these programs.
Publicly funded and nonprofit recovery housing is often the most affordable route for someone without savings or generous private insurance, and it can bridge the gap between leaving treatment and living independently.
Paying for Treatment and Recovery Support
If cost is a barrier, there are more options than many people realize. Medicaid insurance covers many addiction treatment services, and some states use settlement and budget funds to support recovery housing, sober living, and workforce programs.
Sliding-scale clinics, nonprofit programs, scholarships, and faith-based organizations can further lower the cost of getting and staying well.
Finding Affordable Care
Anyone searching for low-cost help can start by checking Medicaid eligibility, asking programs about sliding-scale or scholarship options, and looking for nonprofit recovery housing nearby.
Recovery housing is one of the more affordable ways to protect early sobriety, especially when paired with employment support and peer community.
Rehabs.org lists low-cost and free treatment options nationwide. Call
800-914-7089
(Sponsored)
to find affordable care, or contact SAMHSA’s national helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for free, confidential support any time.
Kansas City Library Hosts Free Secular Addiction Recovery
If cost or a religious requirement has ever kept you from a recovery meeting, a new program in Kansas City is worth knowing about.
It offers free, secular addiction recovery support inside the public library, with no fees and no faith requirement to take part.
A Free Program Built Around Access
Michael DePriest, founder and director of the nonprofit recovery community organization MyRecoveryKC, teamed up with the Kansas City Public Library to run a weekly 12-step program that is open to people of any faith or none.
Meetings are free and take place in public library branches rather than a church basement or a clinic.
DePriest says holding meetings in visible public spaces helps reduce the stigma around substance addiction and recovery.
The library’s health and well-being specialist, Jamie Placht, asked DePriest to adapt the traditional 12 steps so they feel welcoming regardless of religious background.
Most well-known 12-step programs lean on Christian themes, which Placht says does not fit the diverse community the library serves. Few groups offer a secular alternative, so the partnership set out to create that space.
Who the Meetings Are For
The meetings are new in 2026 and free to attend. Alongside people with substance use disorders, DePriest says the group has drawn people dealing with eating and gambling concerns.
Twelve-step fellowships have long been open to anyone, and this one keeps that low barrier, so you do not have to wait until you have built up recovery time to walk in.
That low barrier matters for a practical reason. Access to inpatient treatment is not always immediate, and DePriest notes that waiting a week or two for a bed can give someone time to lose momentum or change their mind.
A free, drop-in meeting can act as a bridge while someone waits for treatment, and as a place to maintain recovery afterward.
Rebuilding Community Without a Price Tag
Loss of community is one of the harder parts of early recovery. When substance use has been at the center of someone’s social life, stepping away can mean losing friends and support at the same time.
Placht describes the library as a valuable partner precisely because it sits outside a clinical setting and can act as a triage point, connecting people to the right services alongside peer support.
Free and Low-Cost Recovery Support Near You
Public libraries are one of the most overlooked free resources for recovery. Beyond meeting space, many libraries connect visitors to social workers, community programs and local health services at no cost.
If you are looking for free addiction recovery options in your area, it is worth asking your local library what health and wellness programming it offers.
Free Resources
- Secular 12-step meetings run Saturdays from noon to 1 p.m. at the Kansas City Public Library Central Library, 14 W. 10th St., Kansas City, Missouri, and Mondays from 3 to 4 p.m. at the North-East Branch, 6000 Wilson Ave. Details are posted on the library’s online calendar.
- SAMHSA’s national helpline offers free, confidential referrals 24/7 at 1-800-662-4357.
- Many communities have a 211 line that connects callers to free and low-cost treatment and recovery services.
Finding Affordable Treatment
Free and low-cost recovery support exists in most communities, whether through nonprofits, public libraries, harm reduction programs or Medicaid-covered treatment.
Rehabs.org lists free and low-cost treatment options nationwide to help you find affordable care. You can also check whether your state’s Medicaid program covers rehab and search for free treatment centers near you. Call
800-914-7089
(Sponsored)
to speak with a treatment advisor today.
Opioid Settlement Funds Free Naloxone Machines in Maryland
If cost or stigma has kept you from picking up naloxone, a new program in Maryland removes both barriers.
Howard County has installed two vending machines that dispense free naloxone around the clock, with no appointment, no ID, and no payment required.
Free Naloxone, No Questions Asked
The Howard County Health Department placed two Naloxone and Safe Choice Vending Machines in Columbia and Jessup.
Each dispenses two-dose boxes of free naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal medication also sold as Narcan, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The machines also stock condoms and test strips for fentanyl, xylazine, barbiturates, and medetomidine, plus QR codes linking to naloxone training and treatment resources. To receive items, a person enters a ZIP code and age; a gender prompt can be skipped.
The outdoor machines are located at the Grassroots Day Resource Center at Leola Dorsey, 10390 Guilford Road in Jessup, and outside the Howard County Health Department at 8930 Stanford Boulevard in Columbia.
Who Qualifies and How to Access These Resources
Anyone can use the machines. There is no income test, insurance requirement, or paperwork. That design is deliberate.
County health officer Dr. Maura Rossman said expanding access to naloxone lowers the barriers of stigma, cost, and access, and that wider access is tied to fewer overdose deaths.
The county reported 13 opioid-related deaths between June 2025 and May 2026, and local fire and rescue crews administered naloxone to 163 people during that same period.
Paid For by Opioid Settlement Money
The machines were funded by the Howard County Opioid Restitution Fund, the local channel for money paid by companies held responsible for the opioid crisis.
Directing those dollars toward free, low-barrier harm reduction is a model other communities are watching.
Nearby, Baltimore City runs a similar free, anonymous harm reduction vending machine, and Baltimore County stocks free naloxone machines in public libraries and government centers.
How Naloxone Fits Into Getting Help
Naloxone reverses an opioid overdose and has no effect on someone who does not have opioids in their system, so it is safe to carry and to use.
It is a first, life-saving step, and many people who survive an overdose later look for ongoing care. If that is you or someone you love, affordable options exist even without insurance, including Medicaid-covered treatment, sliding-scale clinics, and state-funded programs.
Finding Affordable Treatment
Free and low-cost rehabs are available nationwide. To take the next step:
- Check whether your state offers Medicaid coverage for rehab
- Search free and low-cost treatment centers near you
- Contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357
Rehabs.org list low-cost and free treatment options across the nation. Call
800-914-7089
(Sponsored)
to discuss affordable treatment options today.
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New Bill Would Add Medicare Rehab Coverage for Seniors
If cost is the reason someone has put off treatment, a bill now before Congress could change the math for older adults.
Lawmakers have reintroduced legislation that would expand Medicare rehab coverage to residential addiction treatment, a level of care Medicare does not currently pay for.
For seniors and families who have been quoted out-of-pocket prices, the change would remove a major barrier to care.
The American Society of Addiction Medicine welcomed the reintroduction of the Residential Recovery for Seniors Act (H.R. 9538) on July 6, 2026.
The bipartisan measure would create a Medicare Part A benefit for non-hospital residential programs that meet nationally recognized quality standards, and it would set up a payment system for them.
Who Would Benefit
Non-hospital residential addiction treatment is the only level of care Medicare does not cover today. That gap falls hardest on seniors, who make up most Medicare beneficiaries.
According to figures cited by ASAM, more than six million Medicare enrollees had a substance use disorder in 2023, yet fewer than one in four received treatment. About one in three people who went without care pointed to cost as a reason.
ASAM’s president said the bill would lower the cost barrier for seniors and, by tying payment to quality standards, help ensure the care people receive is evidence-based.
Untreated addiction can lead to more expensive hospital and emergency visits later, so widening coverage may reduce costs elsewhere in the system.
How Medicare and Medicaid Coverage Differ
Understanding which program pays for what can be confusing. Medicare is federal coverage mainly for people 65 and older and some younger people with disabilities.
Medicaid insurance is a joint federal-state program based largely on income, and in many states it already covers a broad range of addiction treatment.
If this bill passes, Medicare rehab coverage would move closer to what Medicaid already offers for residential care. Until then, it is worth checking exactly what your plan covers before assuming a program is out of reach.
Finding Affordable Treatment While the Bill Moves
You do not have to wait on legislation to find care you can afford. Ask any program whether it accepts Medicare, Medicaid, or sliding-scale payment, and whether scholarships or state-funded beds are available.
Rehabs.org lists thousands of affordable rehab centers across the country. Call
800-914-7089
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to get your recovery started today.
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Free Addiction Support Reaches Atlanta Restaurant Workers
For restaurant and bar workers who worry they cannot afford to step away from a shift, free addiction support can be the difference between staying stuck and finding a way forward.
In Atlanta, a chapter of the national group Ben’s Friends is offering exactly that: no-cost peer meetings built for people in the food and beverage industry, as reported by CBS News Atlanta.
Ben’s Friends provides free peer support and has more than 40 chapters across the country. The Atlanta chapter is helped along by Jonah Jacobson, a sous chef at Pricci in Buckhead who has been sober for five years.
He described how quickly things unraveled during active addiction, including losing a job, and how recovery gave him a sense of belonging he had been missing.
Who Ben’s Friends Is For
Co-founder Mickey Bakst, who has been sober for 43 years, said the industry’s culture makes alcohol and drugs easy to reach and hard to walk away from.
That environment is why a group aimed specifically at food and beverage workers matters. Anyone in the industry is welcome to attend, and the Atlanta chapter meets Mondays at 11 a.m. at Pricci on Pharr Road.
Peer support like this is free, which removes one of the biggest barriers people name when they avoid getting help. You do not need insurance, a diagnosis, or money to attend a meeting.
How Free Peer Support Fits With Treatment
Adam Mauk of Edge Treatment Center in Roswell told CBS News Atlanta that peer groups such as Ben’s Friends often work best after someone completes an initial inpatient or outpatient program.
He noted that many workers talk themselves out of that first step because they feel they cannot take time off. His point was blunt: putting anything ahead of recovery can cost you that too.
The encouraging part is that free and low-cost options exist at every stage, not just peer meetings. If cost is the wall standing between you and care, there are ways over it.
How to Access Free and Low-Cost Care
Start with what you can reach today. Check whether your state’s Medicaid program covers addiction treatment, since Medicaid pays for a wide range of services in most states, from outpatient counseling to inpatient care.
Ask local clinics about sliding-scale fees, which adjust the price to your income so care stays within reach even without insurance.
Look for community nonprofits and faith-based programs that offer free groups, and dial 211 to reach a local resource line that can point you toward nearby options.
Veterans may qualify for VA or TRICARE coverage. And a peer group like Ben’s Friends can be a same-week starting point while you sort out longer-term care, so you are not waiting alone in the meantime.
Finding Affordable Treatment in Georgia
Free and low-cost help is out there if you know where to look. You can search free and low-cost treatment centers near you, confirm Medicaid coverage for addiction treatment in Georgia, and connect with peer support that costs nothing to join.
Rehabs.org lists free and low-cost treatment options nationwide so cost stops being the reason you wait. Call
800-914-7089
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to get started with recovery today.
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Maryland Recovery Ministry Offers Free Peer Support
If cost or shame has kept you or someone you love from getting help, a recovery ministry in northeastern Maryland is a reminder that support does not have to come with a bill.
Free and low-cost recovery support in Maryland extends well beyond traditional rehab, and a church in the town of North East has built one model worth knowing about.
As Episcopal News Service reports, a congregation in the Diocese of Easton runs a recovery ministry centered on a free monthly Faith and Recovery Service, along with weekly Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon, and Narcotics Anonymous meetings held throughout the week. None of it requires insurance, a diagnosis, or money.
What the Ministry Offers
The heart of the program is a monthly evening service open to people in recovery from addiction, their families and anyone who wants to attend.
It is informal by design. Instead of a sermon, people in recovery share their own stories for as long as they need to, and the evening ends with a shared meal in the parish hall. Some attendees stay for the nightly NA meeting.
The rector who started the service in 2018 told ENS that the goal was to move 12-step groups out of the church basement and into the life of the congregation, so people in recovery know a whole community is behind them.
Free Recovery Housing and Peer Support
The ministry also partners with two local recovery houses, one for men and one for women, that provide peer support, family support and living space for a small number of residents each.
Residents and alumni of those houses volunteer at the church’s food pantry and annual garden festival, and lasting friendships have formed between longtime parishioners and people newer to recovery.
A co-manager of the houses told ENS that the partnership gave residents a place where they would never be judged, which she described as one of the hardest things to find in recovery.
Who Qualifies for Free or Low-Cost Support
Programs like this one are open to anyone, regardless of income or insurance status. Faith-based and community recovery services, peer-support groups and recovery housing often fill gaps that paid treatment does not.
This especially true for people who are uninsured, underinsured or not ready for a clinical program. You do not need to belong to a particular faith, or any faith, to take part.
How to Access These Resources
You can find similar free and low-cost recovery support in Maryland and nationwide by starting with a few simple steps:
- Contact SAMHSA’s free, confidential national helpline at 1-800-662-4357, available anytime, no insurance required. You can also text your ZIP code to 435748.
- Ask local churches, community centers, and recovery community organizations about no-cost recovery services, peer support, and recovery housing.
- Check whether your state Medicaid program covers rehab if you decide you want clinical treatment later.
If you or a loved one needs access to peer support, Rehabs.org lists low-cost and free treatment options nationwide. Call
800-914-7089
(Sponsored)
to find affordable care.
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Free Recovery Forum Comes to Statesboro Georgia
Cost is one of the biggest barriers to getting help for addiction, which is what makes a free event in Statesboro, Georgia worth flagging.
On Saturday, July 18, the nonprofit Healthy Boro will host a no-cost community discussion on addiction recovery, harm reduction and healing, open to anyone in Southeast Georgia who wants to learn what local support looks like.
The session, titled ‘Hope, Healing, and Harm Reduction: Recovery in Statesboro and Beyond,’ runs from 9 a.m. to noon at 62 East Main Street. It is free to attend, and organizers ask community members to register in advance.
Who the Forum Is For
The discussion is aimed at people in recovery, people seeking recovery, and families affected by a substance addiction.
It will be led by Catherine Tootle, executive director of Freedom Through Recovery, a Statesboro-based nonprofit that supports people at each of those stages.
The event is co-hosted by Healthy Boro alongside Georgia Southern University’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology, its Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, and the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health.
Organizers say the focus will be local approaches to recovery, harm reduction strategies, and the resources available to individuals and families in the region.
Why Free and Low-Cost Resources Matter
Events like this one are part of the wider recovery safety net that exists outside private-pay treatment.
Harm reduction services, including naloxone access and overdose prevention education, are evidence-based tools that meet people where they are and reduce deaths.
For someone who is uninsured, underinsured, or simply not ready for a formal program, a free local forum can be a first, pressure-free point of contact.
How to Access These Resources
Attending is as simple as registering and showing up. Beyond this single event, people looking for affordable care in Georgia have several no-cost starting points.
Finding Free and Low-Cost Rehabs in Georgia
If the forum points you toward next steps, you can keep going. Check whether you qualify for Medicaid coverage for rehab in Georgia, search free and sliding-scale treatment centers near you, and connect with local nonprofits that support people in recovery.
Rehabs.org lists free and low-cost treatment options nationwide. Call
800-914-7089
(Sponsored)
to find affordable care.
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Missouri Fireworks Sale Raises $25,000 for Nonprofit Recovery
A Fourth of July fireworks stand in Missouri has turned into an unlikely fundraiser for a nonprofit recovery program.
Since June 24, the stand has raised $25,000 for women leaving homelessness and incarceration, money that goes directly toward free recovery support.
If cost is the first thing standing between you and treatment, this kind of community fundraising shows what a free safety net can look like, and how to find one.
According to KCTV5, a nonprofit in Lee’s Summit, Missouri runs the fireworks stand and uses the proceeds to support women rebuilding their lives after homelessness and incarceration, at no cost to the women it serves.
Who Qualifies for Free or Low-Cost Support
The program focuses on women transitioning out of homelessness and incarceration, groups that are frequently uninsured, underinsured or unable to privately pay for treatment costs.
Board secretary Amber Kellison, who said she was living on the streets of Kansas City four years ago, told the station the funds help cover a woman’s first few weeks in housing while she looks for work.
If you or someone you love is leaving jail, exiting a shelter or living without stable income, community nonprofits like this one are often designed specifically for you.
Where the Fireworks Money Goes
The funds also pay for transportation to probation and parole appointments, doctor visits and treatment centers.
Reliable transportation is a quiet but common barrier to care and free rides to appointments can keep someone connected to addiction treatment and in compliance with court requirements.
Since 2023, the organization has helped 37 women, and this summer’s fireworks sale is set to extend that support to more women in Missouri.
One woman was set to move into her own place in early July, and another recently obtained her own vehicle.
Paying for Treatment When You Have Little or Nothing
Community programs are one piece of a larger picture. Depending on your situation, you may also qualify for free or low-cost care through:
- Medicaid coverage for addiction treatment, which many states extend to low-income adults
- Sliding-scale clinics that set fees based on income
- State-funded treatment slots and scholarships
- Nonprofit and faith-based recovery housing
You do not need private insurance or savings to start. Many people begin with a free assessment through a state helpline or a Medicaid-enrolled provider.
Free and Low-Cost Rehabs in Missouri
If you are searching for affordable help in Missouri, a few concrete next steps:
- Check whether you qualify for Medicaid coverage for rehab in your state
- Search for free treatment centers and recovery housing near you
- Contact SAMHSA’s national helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for free, confidential referrals
Rehabs.org lists low-cost and free rehab options nationwide. Call
800-914-7089
(Sponsored)
to find affordable care and recovery support near you.
Free Addiction Treatment in Roanoke Reaches 1,000 People a Year
People in Roanoke who cannot afford rehab have a free route to addiction treatment that now reaches close to 1,000 people a year.
A decade-old program based at a free clinic connects residents to care and pairs them with a peer who has lived through recovery, with no insurance or payment required to get started.
The program, the Hope Initiative, marks its 10th anniversary in 2026. In its first year it helped about 45 people enter treatment. Today it serves nearly 1,000 participants a year, according to Cardinal News.
How the Free Program Works
The initiative is housed at Bradley Free Clinic rather than a police department, a deliberate choice because many people with substance addiction have had difficult experiences with law enforcement.
Participants do not have to bring in drugs or fear arrest. They call, ask for help and a peer recovery specialist helps them find a treatment option that fits their needs.
That peer support is the heart of the model. Specialists who have been through recovery themselves help participants arrange transportation, access programs and stay on track, often for months at a time.
Who Qualifies for Free or Low-Cost Treatment
Because the program is based at a free clinic, it is built for people without insurance or steady income. One peer specialist featured by Cardinal News entered rehab treatment after years of addiction and jail stays, needing a facility that would accept an uninsured patient.
Free and low-cost rehabs and navigation programs like this one exist specifically to remove that barrier.
How to Access These Resources
People looking for affordable care can call a local free clinic or peer recovery program and ask how to connect with treatment.
Checking whether your state Medicaid plan covers rehab is another practical first step, since Medicaid often pays for substance use treatment.
What Keeps Free Programs Running
Funding is a constant challenge. The initiative runs on federal grants, corporate sponsorships and community donations.
This year the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority awarded 207,800 dollars to support it. The program’s leaders continue to seek grants to keep the free help available.
Finding Affordable Treatment
Rehabs.org lists free and low-cost treatment options nationwide so people can search affordable care near them, compare programs and understand which facilities accept Medicaid or offer sliding-scale and no-cost support.
Call
800-914-7089
(Sponsored)
to speak with a treatment specialist and learn more about affordable treatment options.
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Pennsylvania Launches Free Overdose Prevention for Seniors
If cost or stigma has kept an older adult in your life from getting help, a new free overdose prevention program in Pennsylvania is worth knowing about.
It is built specifically for adults 55 and older, and it costs participants nothing. The Shapiro Administration launched the Wellness Initiative for Senior Education, known as WISE, through the state departments of Drug and Alcohol Programs and Aging.
The community-based program aims to lower overdose deaths among older Pennsylvanians and is being piloted in four counties, Berks, Chester, Lawrence, and Lehigh, throughout 2026.
Who Qualifies for This Free Program
Older adults who live in the four pilot counties can join at no charge by contacting their local Area Agency on Aging.
Each county will hold six weekly sessions of about two hours at senior centers and with older adult groups.
Topics include medication management, alcohol use disorder, the aging process, prescription drugs, stress management and healthy living. Participants can learn about the hidden risks of opioids.
Why This Matters for Older Adults
Overdoses among older adults have been rising. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, nearly 600 residents age 55 and older died from an overdose in 2024, about 18 percent of all drug overdose deaths in the state.
Risk factors specific to this age group include changes in metabolism, chronic health conditions and coping with grief and loss.
How Opioid Settlement Funding Keeps It Free
WISE is paid for with money from the Big Four opioid settlement, secured for Pennsylvania when Governor Josh Shapiro was Attorney General.
Most of those dollars go directly to counties to meet local needs, which is what allows the harm reduction program to be offered to participants for free.
Finding Free and Low-Cost Treatment
If you or a loved one needs treatment, cost does not have to be the barrier it once was. Check whether your state offers Medicaid coverage for rehab.
Rehabs.org has a list of free and low-cost treatment options in Pennsylvania and nationwide. Call
800-914-7089
(Sponsored)
to find affordable care.
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Houston’s Free Housing Program Aids Homeless Addiction Recovery
Houston’s free housing-first program has cut homelessness by roughly 63 percent since 2011, more than any of the ten largest U.S. cities.
They achieved this by pairing free permanent housing with voluntary support services, including addiction treatment, for people experiencing homelessness. It is becoming a model for how free housing and low-cost rehabs can work together.
What Houston Did
Houston’s housing-first system moves people from the street into permanent housing as quickly as possible, then wraps voluntary services around them, including mental health care, case management, and substance use treatment.
Since 2012 the model has housed more than 26,000 people, with about 90 percent still housed two or more years later.
The region has also reported large drops in family and chronic homelessness and effectively ended veteran homelessness by 2015.
The region did this largely with federal funding rather than city dollars, and officials say it spends less per person than other major cities.
Other cities using housing-first approaches, from Salt Lake City to Columbus, have reported similar declines.
Why Housing and Recovery Go Together
Stable housing is not a reward for getting sober. For many people it is what makes recovery possible. It is hard to keep appointments, take medication or stay connected to a support group while sleeping outside or moving between shelters.
Housing-first programs recognize this and do not require sobriety as a condition of getting a roof overhead, an approach grounded in harm reduction and public health evidence.
Who Qualifies for Free or Low-Cost Help
Publicly funded housing and treatment programs generally serve people who are uninsured, on Medicaid, or living on very low incomes. If you are priced out of private rehab, these are the systems built for you.
Coordinated entry systems in many cities assess need and connect people to housing, and Medicaid often covers the addiction treatment that accompanies it.
Many communities also fund the work through federal grants and the safety net of nonprofits, so the help does not depend on being able to pay out of pocket.
How to Access These Resources
You do not need to untangle this alone. Start with your local 211 line, which can point you to housing assistance, coordinated entry and free or low-cost rehabs in your area.
Call SAMHSA’s national helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for free, confidential referrals to treatment, including programs that accept Medicaid insurance or offer sliding-scale fees.
Finding Affordable Treatment
Cost should not decide whether you get care. Rehabs.org lists free and low-cost treatment centers near you.
You can ask about sliding-scale fees, scholarships and coordination with housing support. Call
800-914-7089
(Sponsored)
to speak with a treatment specialist to discuss affordable care options.
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