Outpatient Rehab Centers in Mississippi

What does outpatient treatment for substance use look like in Mississippi?

Outpatient treatment for substance use disorder in Mississippi usually starts with an assessment and then a set schedule of individual counseling, group sessions and medication where needed, while you keep living at home. For adults, standard outpatient care means fewer than 9 hours a week, less than intensive outpatient or partial hospitalization.

Across the Delta and the rural east, much of the public outpatient care runs through regional community mental health centers. Private clinics cluster around Jackson and on the Gulf Coast, and DeSoto County relies partly on Memphis.

Most of the listed outpatient programs are within 25 miles of a river, and Browns Old River is the one most of them sit near. The median distance from a program to the nearest airport is 22 miles, and Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International is the closest airport for more programs than any other.

Payment for outpatient care can come from Mississippi Medicaid or most private plans, depending on the plan and the program’s network, and MississippiCAN plans from Magnolia Health, Molina Healthcare and TrueCare serve many Medicaid members. Certification comes from the Department of Mental Health, which also oversees the opioid treatment programs that dispense methadone.

Medications and the people programs serve

Outpatient clinics may prescribe buprenorphine or naltrexone for opioid use disorder. Methadone is dispensed only through opioid treatment programs, which the Mississippi Department of Mental Health’s Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Services oversees as the state authority. For alcohol use disorder, a prescriber may discuss naltrexone, acamprosate or disulfiram. Programs that prescribe buprenorphine are gathered under Suboxone clinics in Mississippi.

Pregnant women get preference at all programs certified by the Department of Mental Health. If a program cannot admit a pregnant woman within 48 hours, it refers her for interim services; see rehab for pregnant women in Mississippi. Mississippi law lets teens aged 15 and older consent to treatment by a licensed physician or psychologist for problems related to alcohol or drugs. Veterans can also contact the VA medical centers in Jackson and Biloxi. Listings show the languages spoken and groups served, as each provider reports them.

How many hours a week is outpatient care compared with IOP and PHP?

Standard outpatient care for adults is fewer than 9 hours a week. Intensive outpatient is 9 hours or more, and partial hospitalization is 20 hours or more. These levels come from the American Society of Addiction Medicine. For adolescents the outpatient and intensive outpatient threshold is lower, at 6 hours.

Mississippi providers are certified under the Department of Mental Health’s Operational Standards. You can compare programs on the Mississippi IOP page and the Mississippi PHP page, and read more about each level in the national outpatient guide.

Mississippi Medicaid covers medically necessary telehealth in place of an in-person visit, including sessions received at home; see telehealth rehab in Mississippi.

Does Mississippi Medicaid or private insurance pay for outpatient treatment?

Mississippi Medicaid and most private plans can pay for outpatient substance use treatment, depending on your plan and the program’s network. The Division of Medicaid runs Mississippi Medicaid, and many members are enrolled in MississippiCAN through Magnolia Health, Molina Healthcare or TrueCare, all three of which list behavioral health services as covered. Mississippi has not adopted the federal adult Medicaid expansion. Programs that accept Medicaid are listed on the Medicaid page.

Medicare also covers outpatient care for substance use, and programs that accept it are on the Mississippi Medicare page. Under federal parity law, private plans that cover substance use treatment cannot set tighter limits on it than on comparable medical care.

If you have no insurance, the Department of Mental Health directs federal block grant funds to certified programs, and some clinics charge on a sliding scale. Those options are gathered under state-funded rehab in Mississippi. Each listing shows the payment types and insurers the program reports.

How can I check that an outpatient program in Mississippi is licensed?

You can check a program’s license with the Division of Certification at the Mississippi Department of Mental Health, which certifies agencies that provide substance use disorder services. The department also publishes an Alcohol and Drug Services Resource Directory of the programs it lists.

Accreditation from The Joint Commission or CARF is a further sign to look for, though it is voluntary. A listing on RehabSeekers.com is not a rating or an endorsement.

When is outpatient care not enough?

Outpatient care may not be enough if stopping alcohol, benzodiazepines or opioids could bring on withdrawal. Withdrawal from alcohol or benzodiazepines can cause seizures and can be life-threatening without medical care. If you drink or use daily, an assessment can show whether you should start with medically managed withdrawal in Mississippi.

Unstable housing, a serious mental health condition, or a return to use after earlier outpatient care are also good reasons to ask an assessor about more support. That might mean partial hospitalization or residential treatment in Mississippi.

The Department of Mental Health Helpline, 1-877-210-8513, is answered around the clock. In a mental health or substance use crisis, call or text 988. Call 911 if someone may be overdosing or is in danger.