Bakersfield, CA Substance Abuse & Mental Health Treatment Resources

Bakersfield, California is located near the southern point of the San Joaquin Valley, north of Los Angeles on the Kern River. The city is a part of Kern county and it is home to nearly 400,000 residents, putting it in the top ten largest cities in the state. Like other cities across the country, Bakersfield is fighting a war against substance abuse and addiction. While many cities are experiencing seemingly endless problems due to the nationwide opioid epidemic, Bakersfield’s biggest drug concern is with methamphetamines. The number of drug deaths reported in Bakersfield for the year 2018 was 631 per 100,000 people, which is significantly higher than the 533 out of 100,000 that was reported just two years before. While methamphetamine addiction is the biggest problem, Bakersfield also has high levels of addiction for prescription opioids, marijuana, alcohol, and heroin. Fortunately, the city is also home to many drug and alcohol treatment facilities to help addicts get on the path to recovery.

Instead of attending an addiction treatment facility that is close to home, it might be more effective to enter a treatment program in another city or state. There are some potential benefits that you may experience when you travel away from home for your treatment, and it’s always a good idea to consider all of your options. People who attend out-of-town treatment often experience some of the following:

• Fewer distractions, triggers, and negative influences – Getting away physically puts added distance between the individuals and their daily distractions, harmful triggers, and any negative influences in their lives. 
• Better fit with the treatment facility – If you’re looking for something specific in your treatment facility (things like a specific recovery model, a particular type of therapy, or one that specializes in co-occurring disorders), you may have to expand your search to find the best fit.
• Added privacy and anonymity – Some individuals prefer to travel for rehab so they don’t run into anyone they know. Traveling to another locations ensures that their privacy is maintained.
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Finding the right drug rehab may seem daunting, especially because there are so many to choose from. The first step to making a good decision is determining if inpatient or outpatient treatment suits your need best. Inpatient, or residential, treatment is often the first recommendation for people suffering from addiction. It’s an immersive treatment program in which clients essentially live on-site for a period of time (usually 30-90 days). This type of treatment program allows you to place all of your attention on getting well, with no outside distractions. Inpatient treatment is the best option for people who have tried to stop using drugs or drinking alcohol many times unsuccessfully. It’s also ideal for people who have attended outpatient treatment only to relapse.

Outpatient treatment is an option for people who have a need to live at home while still receiving treatment. This may be due to work, school, or childcare requirements. With outpatient treatment, you attend treatment during the day and return to your home in the evenings. Some programs are also offered in the evenings for those who have responsibilities in the daytime.

You will find a wide range of costs for drug and alcohol treatment programs in Bakersfield, it varies from program to program. There are programs that are free and programs that cost thousands of dollars per day. The important thing to remember is that what ever budget you’re working with, you can find a rehab that is right for you.

While the cost of addiction treatment is often one of the major factors that keep people suffering with substance use disorders from seeking help, it doesn’t have to be. It may be helpful to think about drug and alcohol rehab as an investment. Getting clean and sober will give you the time and tools that are necessary to get your life and career back on track. You will find that over time, your investment will more than pay for itself if not financially (you’ll no longer be buying drugs or alcohol), then with your overall physical and mental health.

There are various options you have for paying for your drug and alcohol addiction treatment. The most common is using health insurance benefits. If you have health insurance, then your behavioral health coverage will likely cover part or all of your stay in treatment. The exact amount it covers depends on your particular policy. It’s easy to find out by calling your insurance provider. Some of the types of insurance that typically cover all or part of addiction treatment are:

• Private insurance
• Medicaid
• Medicare
• State-financed insurance
• Military insurance

In Bakersfield, there is no reason to let a lack of health insurance stop you from seeking addiction treatment. The state of California has many free and low-income rehabilitation centers that are available for those individuals who don’t have insurance. Additionally, there are drug and alcohol treatment centers in Bakersfield that offer financing options. Those will allow clients to make monthly payments after completing a treatment program.

It’s also an option to ask friends or family to help you with the financial aspect of rehab. It’s likely that your addiction has impacted them in a negative way, making them as eager as you are to get you to rehab. Failing those options, if you don’t have health insurance, you can apply for a personal loan to cover your rehab costs. Whatever you decide, keep in mind that the financial cost of addiction treatment is worth it because it may be saving your life.