Alcohol Rehab Centers in Philadelphia

Is it safe to stop drinking without medical help in Philadelphia?

In Philadelphia, stopping heavy, regular drinking without medical help can be dangerous, because alcohol withdrawal can cause seizures and severe confusion. A clinical assessment looks at drinking history, past withdrawal and health, and a clinician then decides whether inpatient, residential or outpatient withdrawal management fits.

Call 911 for a seizure, confusion or hallucinations, and call 988 in a mental health crisis. Philadelphia’s Suicide Crisis and Intervention Hotline is 215-686-4420, around the clock. Pennsylvania’s David’s Law (Act 139) protects people who seek emergency help for an overdose. Withdrawal options are listed on our Philadelphia detox page.

Assessments are available at voluntary centers listed by the city’s Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services, on Spring Garden Street and in Kensington and North Philadelphia. Medicaid members can also call Community Behavioral Health at any hour. After an assessment, care may continue in a residential setting or an intensive outpatient program.

Medication is one option once drinking stops. Naltrexone, acamprosate and disulfiram are prescribed for alcohol use disorder, often in outpatient care, and listings show which programs report offering them. Many people add 12-step fellowship groups, secular mutual-help meetings or a local recovery community organization, though none of these replaces a medical assessment.

Where can I get an alcohol assessment in Philadelphia?

DBHIDS lists voluntary assessment centers on Spring Garden Street near Center City and on Lehigh, Allegheny and Kensington avenues in North Philadelphia and Kensington. Several of the North Philadelphia sites sit near SEPTA’s Market-Frankford and Broad Street lines. CBH’s non-emergency line, 1-888-545-2600, answers 24/7 and can point Medicaid members to care. The state’s PA Get Help Now line, 1-800-662-4357, also takes calls and texts at 717-216-0905. After an assessment, care may continue in residential rehab or intensive outpatient programs.

Medications and mutual support

The FDA has approved naltrexone, acamprosate and disulfiram for alcohol use disorder. These medications can be prescribed in outpatient care, and each listing shows whether a program reports offering them. Alongside treatment, Philadelphians use Alcoholics Anonymous, SMART Recovery and local recovery community organizations. People choose among these by fit, and none replaces a medical assessment.

DUI and court-related treatment

Pennsylvania’s DUI law, Act 24 of 2003, requires Alcohol Highway Safety School after a first or second offense, with treatment when a court orders it. In the city, Philadelphia Municipal Court runs both a DUI Treatment Court and the Philadelphia Treatment Court. Programs that accept these referrals are on our DUI programs page.

How do I pay for alcohol treatment in Philadelphia?

Most Philadelphians on Medical Assistance, Pennsylvania’s Medicaid program, get alcohol treatment through CBH. Pennsylvania expanded Medicaid to more adults in 2015. In the Southeast zone, physical health plans include Keystone First, Jefferson Health Plans EverWell, Geisinger Health Plan, UPMC for You and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan. Adults 65 and over can check Medicare rehab in Philadelphia. The state Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs funds county Single County Authorities. People without coverage can ask DBHIDS how a funded assessment works.

Philadelphia’s alcohol programs nearly all sit within 25 miles of a river, a median of 4.5 miles away, most often the Cooper River and then the Schuylkill. For programs across Pennsylvania, see alcohol rehab in Pennsylvania. Every treatment type in the city is on the Philadelphia rehab page.