MN Department of Human Services

Get a comprehensive assessment to determine what services are best for you. This is an evaluation performed by an alcohol and drug counselor that determines the kind of treatment needed by someone with a substance use disorder.

To find providers in your area, consult one of the following links.

• FastTracker: This website helps you find substance use disorder services near you. It also provides a list of tribal and out-of-state providers.
  
  
• DHS Licensing Information Look-up: This is a database of all Minnesota Department of Human Services-licensed programs. Select the appropriate substance use disorder license type to find providers. The database also includes licensing review information.
  
  
• Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP) Provider Directory: This directory lists health care providers that serve MHCP members (such as Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare).

• Findtreatment.gov: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) treatment locator includes tribally licensed programs, DHS licensed programs, and substance use disorder professionals in private practice. 

If you don’t have insurance, or if you have inadequate insurance, call your county or tribal office (PDF) to ask if you’re eligible for financial help to get substance use disorder treatment services, such as a comprehensive assessment. You may be eligible for funding depending on your income. 

If you have health insurance coverage, contact your insurance provider to learn about your benefits and to find providers who can help. Individuals with Medical Assistance can find health plan member services phone numbers on the health plan member services phone numbers webpage.

DHS works with communities across Minnesota to prevent alcohol and drug abuse before it starts.

Traditional Healing for Native Communities

A substance use assessment includes an interview with a counselor to review a person's substance use and its impact on their daily life and relationships. The assessment may also include:

• A diagnostic test
• Review of medical, legal, mental health and treatment records
• A physical screening
• Assessment of need for detox services
• Interviews with other people in the person's life

Assessments should address each person's unique needs.

Check the Getting help page to find out who to call to get an assessment.

Treatment services include:

• Residential and outpatient programs
• Detox centers
• Withdrawal management programs
• Opioid treatment programs

Many insurance policies will pay for substance use disorder treatment. No insurance? People who qualify can get help paying for treatment.

You can search for substance use disorder treatment programs near you at the DHS Licensing Information Lookup.

• Recovery community organizations are non-profit groups led by members of local recovery communities. They provide education about recovery, outreach and peer recovery support services. Minnesota Recovery Connection is a recovery community organization with a mission of strengthening the recovery community through peer-to-peer support, public education and advocacy.
• Peer-based recovery support services include activities not generally offered by treatment providers. These include recovery coaching, phone support, support groups and social activities. They also help people get housing, transportation, vocational training and jobs.
• Support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are where people can talk about their experiences, strengths and hopes with each other to solve the problems they share.

Help is available for people who have a gambling problem, and many people qualify for free treatment.

Tobacco is a highly addictive drug, one that is a leading cause of death in Minnesota. Learn how DHS is helping tackle the problem.

Traditional healing is an approach to mental health and substance use disorder treatment designed and delivered by American Indians, for American Indians. Research has found that traditional healing practices to be very successful, having outcomes equivalent to conventional treatment for non-American Indians.

Ten Tribal Nations are receiving grants to support traditional healing. Legislation also includes funding for five urban American Indian organizations to be awarded based on a competitive process.

Grantees include seven Anishinaabe nations:

• Bois Forte Band of Chippewa
• Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
• Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
• Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
• Red Lake Nation
• White Earth Nation

And three Dakota nations:

• Lower Sioux Indian Community
• Prairie Island Indian Community
• Upper Sioux Community

Five urban Indian organizations were awarded grants:

• American Indian Community Housing Organization
• American Indian Family Center
• Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center
• Northwest Indian Community Development Center
• Native American Community Clinic

Contact a grantee for more information about services.

The Minnesota Legislature recently approved funding for Safe Recovery Sites run by independent organizations. The primary function of these sites is to save lives through overdose and disease prevention. Learn more about these new sites, and Minnesota’s plans for establishing them, in these Frequently Asked Questions about Safe Recovery Sites. 

Visit these FAQs for more information about chemical dependency, assessments and treatment.

Programs and services are available for family and friends of people with substance use disorder. These programs can be formal, organized through treatment facilities or informal community-based programs.

Treatment providers sometimes offer family services. These are generally programs that explore relationship issues common among families and friends who live with or are close to a person who has a substance use disorder. The programs are usually based on the Al-Anon principles and work to strengthen an individual's skills to build healthy relationships.

Several self-help groups also may be available in your area. Well known programs include Family Anonymous, Al-Anon and Co-Dependents Anonymous. These Twelve Step groups meet in the community, generally for an hour or more. The focus is to support one another in developing healthy relationships.

DHS Licensing Information Lookup: Substance use disorder treatment programs are residential treatment and outpatient treatment centers licensed through DHS. Their staff can answer questions and help get you connected with assessment services. If you want to contact a treatment facility to learn more about assessments and treatment, please use the DHS Licensing Information Lookup to find one of the Department of Human Services licensed facilities.

Find Web resources for people with substance abuse, their families and friends.

Mental illness and substance use disorder affects some communities more than others due to social factors such as racism and historical trauma. One way to address these inequities is to offer services that acknowledge and support the needs of people in a culturally specific, trauma-informed way. You can look up culturally specific providers.

Information page (PDF)

DHS has three programs designed to support women and families in recovery: Women's Culturally Responsive Recovery Services (WCRRS), Women's Recovery Services (WRS) and Culturally Responsive Family SUD Treatment for Parenting People with Children. These community programs help women remain alcohol and drug free, get and keep a job, stay out of the criminal justice system, have stable housing, get physical and mental health services for themselves and their children and deliver babies who test negative for substances at birth.