PTSD and Addiction Treatment in Louisiana

What does treatment for PTSD and substance use look like in Louisiana?

Treatment for PTSD and substance use disorder in Louisiana means a clinician assesses both conditions at intake and addresses them in a single treatment plan. Louisiana programs that treat both appear among the state’s dual diagnosis listings, across levels from withdrawal management and residential care to day programs and outpatient visits.

A program that calls itself trauma-informed may only train staff to avoid retraumatizing people. Trauma-informed care is not the same as therapy aimed at PTSD itself, so ask intake staff whether a licensed clinician assesses for PTSD and whether trauma therapy is written into the plan.

Trauma-focused therapies that Louisiana listings may name include cognitive processing therapy, prolonged exposure, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, and Seeking Safety, which was built for trauma and addiction together. Ask who delivers each one and whether trauma work starts during residential care or after a stretch of stability.

Veterans can start with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers in New Orleans, Shreveport and Pineville, or ask about a community care referral when VA care is hard to reach. Thoughts of suicide call for crisis care first: call or text 988, where veterans can press 1, or call 911.

Safety during withdrawal and in a crisis

Alcohol and benzodiazepine withdrawal can require medical supervision. Anyone prescribed a benzodiazepine should talk with the prescriber before cutting down. Thoughts of suicide call for crisis care first, not a detox bed. Call or text 988, where veterans can press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line, or call 911 in an emergency. To find substance use services, call the Louisiana Substance Use Helpline at 877-664-2248, or call the national treatment referral line.

Which trauma therapies do programs in Louisiana offer?

Louisiana programs may list trauma-focused therapies such as Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Seeking Safety, which was designed for trauma and substance use together. A therapy named on a listing doesn’t tell you how a provider delivers it. Questions worth asking:

Who delivers the therapy, and what training do they have in it? Does trauma work begin during residential care, or only after some weeks of stability? Can I keep seeing a trauma therapist by video after discharge? A 2023 Louisiana Medicaid bulletin lets licensed mental health professionals provide individual psychotherapy by telehealth in outpatient and intensive outpatient substance use settings. Group sessions in those settings must be in person.

How can veterans and first responders in Louisiana get care for PTSD and substance use?

Veterans in Louisiana can start with the VA: the New Orleans VA Medical Center, Overton Brooks VA Medical Center in Shreveport and the Alexandria VAMC in Pineville are the state’s VA medical centers. If VA care is hard to reach, ask the VA about a community care referral to a private program. Before admission, ask the program whether it accepts VA community care or TRICARE. You can also browse TRICARE listings and veteran-focused programs. First responders can ask whether a program runs groups for police, firefighters or EMS staff. Seven in ten programs listed for PTSD sit within 25 miles of a river, most often the Prairie River. The median program is 14.7 miles from its nearest airport, which is most often Louis Armstrong New Orleans International.

Women, teens and other groups

Louisiana listings can show women-only tracks, LGBTQ-affirming groups, adolescent programs and services for survivors of domestic or sexual violence. See women’s programs for gender-specific care. Louisiana law lets a minor of any age who is, or believes they are, addicted to a narcotic or other drug consent to care from a hospital, public clinic or physician. Language access varies, so ask whether therapy itself, not only intake, is offered in Spanish or another language.

Does Louisiana Medicaid or private insurance pay for co-occurring PTSD treatment?

Louisiana Medicaid pays for specialized behavioral health services through Healthy Louisiana, its managed care system. Louisiana expanded Medicaid in 2016, so many adults with low incomes may qualify. For 2026 the plans are Aetna Better Health, AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana, Healthy Blue, Humana and Louisiana Healthcare Connections. Healthy Blue is set to leave at the end of 2026, so members should watch for plan-change notices. Magellan manages the Coordinated System of Care for children at risk of out-of-home placement. See programs taking Medicaid.

People without insurance can turn to the Office of Behavioral Health in the Louisiana Department of Health. The office oversees community programs run by local human services districts and authorities and administers federal block grant funds. State-funded options are listed separately. Listings also note private insurance, Medicare, sliding-scale fees and self-pay.

How can you look up a Louisiana program’s license?

The Louisiana Department of Health’s Health Standards Section licenses behavioral health providers under the Behavioral Health Service Providers Licensing Standards, LAC 48:I, Chapters 56 and 57. Ask the program for its license number and look it up with the Health Standards Section. Accreditation from the Joint Commission or CARF, where a listing shows it, is a separate, voluntary credential.

Federal confidentiality rules at 42 CFR Part 2 protect substance use treatment records. In most cases those rules require your written consent before a program shares records, though exceptions such as medical emergencies exist.

Getting the most from these listings

Start with the level of care you need, then narrow by payment and by the group you belong to. To compare other kinds of care across the state, return to the Louisiana treatment page.