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NC Medicaid Behavioral Health and Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities Tailored Plans (Tailored Plans) will launch July 1, 2024.

Effective February 1, 2024, citizens of Harnett County are being served by Alliance Health. Access more information for health plan participants or for providers.

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Substance Use Disorder Recovery Services

This page provides information about who can access help managed by Alliance Health for substance use issues, what kinds of help are available, and how to get care.

African American woman

Who Can Get Help?

Alliance Health manages public funds for services for both children and adults, which are provided by a large network of private providers in an office setting or in your home or community.

You may be eligible for substance use services through Alliance Health if:

  • You have Medicaid from Cumberland, Durham, Johnston, Mecklenburg, Orange or Wake county, OR
  • You live in Cumberland, Durham, Johnston, Mecklenburg, Orange or Wake count and do not have insurance

Alliance has limited state funds available for those without Medicaid so entry requirements and benefit maximums may be different than the Medicaid requirements for the same service. Most requests for these services require a review to make sure they are the most appropriate service for you.

How Can I Get Help?

You can call the Alliance Health Access and Information Center 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (800) 510-9132 to find out how to obtain services and support for mental health and substance use disorders, and intellectual/developmental disabilities. If needed, the Access and Information Center may direct you to a crisis center, behavioral health urgent care center in your community, or connect you with mobile crisis services.

If you are insured by Medicaid from Wake, Durham, Cumberland, or Johnston County or are uninsured and live in Wake, Durham, Cumberland, or Johnston County in North Carolina, you can find a service provider in your area using our online Provider Search.

Also, Alliance offers a screening tool that is the quickest way to determine if you or someone you care about should connect with a behavioral health professional. The screening is completely anonymous and confidential, and immediately following the brief questionnaire you will see your results, recommendations, and key resources that are available to you. Think of our free screening tool as a checkup from the neck up! Take a screening.

What Kinds of Help are Available?

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), more than 20 million people in the United States struggle with substance use, including 8 million people who also have a mental health disorder. Recovery-oriented care and recovery support systems help people with mental and substance use disorders manage their conditions successfully. According to SAMHSA, recovery is a process of change through which people improve their health and wellness, live self-directed lives, and strive to reach their full potential.

There are four major dimensions that support recovery:

  • Health – overcoming or managing one’s disease(s) or symptoms and making informed, healthy choices that support physical and emotional well-being
  • Home – having a stable and safe place to live
  • Purpose – conducting meaningful daily activities and having the independence, income, and resources to participate in society
  • Community – having relationships and social networks that provide support, friendship, love, and hope

People with addiction (severe substance use disorder) have an intense focus on using a certain substance(s), such as alcohol or drugs, to the point that it takes over their life. They keep using alcohol or a drug even when they know it will cause problems. Yet a number of effective treatments are available and people can recover from addiction and lead normal, productive lives.

People with addictive disorders may be aware of their problem, however, they may be unable to stop without the help of providers or others. The addiction may cause health problems as well as problems at work and with family members and friends. The misuse of drugs and alcohol is the leading cause of preventable illnesses and premature death.

Symptoms of substance use disorder are grouped into four categories:

  • Impaired control – a craving or strong urge to use the substance; desire or failed attempts to cut down or control substance use
  • Social problems – substance use causes failure to complete major tasks at work, school, or home; social, work or activities are given up or cut back because of substance use
  • Risky use – substance is used in risky settings; continued use despite known problems
  • Drug effects – tolerance (need for larger amounts to get the same effect); withdrawal symptoms (different for each substance)

Many people experience both mental illness and addiction. The mental illness may be present before the addiction, or the addiction may trigger or make a mental disorder worse.

Services and Supports

Here are some services and supports that may be available to individuals experiencing difficulties related to alcohol and/or drug use.

SU Disorder Services for Adults

Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) – A program for adults with severe mental illness who may also have a substance use disorder that includes a team of professionals to work with individuals to help them achieve their goals, and address their needs related to therapy, health, housing, substance use, medication support, and employment.

Community Support Team (CST) – A program providing a team approach for adults with mental illness and/or a substance use disorder, who have complex needs, designed to assist them in meeting their recovery goals.

Peer Support – Service for adults that promotes recovery, use of natural supports, coping skills, and the development of independent living skills to improve housing, employment, and community involvement. The service is provided by trained peers, who are people that have been in similar situations in their past.

SU Disorder Services for Children and Adolescents

Day Treatment – A service for children and adolescents and their families focused on providing support and structure in a therapeutic setting to support the child/adolescent’s integration into the school setting.

Respite – An in-home service that provides temporary support and relief for the family or loved ones caring for a child/adolescent with a substance use disorder

Intensive In-Home Services (IIH), Family Centered Treatment (FCT), Intercept Services – A team and family approach that provides intensive services for children/adolescents who have serious emotional disturbances, complex family challenges, or serious behavioral problems that could result in out-of-home placement if not treated.

Multisystemic Therapy (MST) – A team and family-based intervention designed to enhance the skills of youth and their families who have aggressive behaviors or delinquency issues, including involvement with the juvenile justice system.

Day Treatment – A service for children and adolescents and their families focused on providing support and structure in a therapeutic setting to support the child/adolescent’s integration into the school setting.

Respite – An in-home service that provides temporary support and relief for the family or loved ones caring for a child/adolescent with a substance use disorder.

Intensive In-Home Services (IIH), Family Centered Treatment (FCT), Intercept Services – A team and family approach that provides intensive services for children/adolescents who have serious emotional disturbances, complex family challenges, or serious behavioral problems that could result in out-of-home placement if not treated.

Multisystemic Therapy (MST) – A team and family-based intervention designed to enhance the skills of youth and their families who have aggressive behaviors or delinquency issues, including involvement with the juvenile justice system.

SU Disorder Services for Adults and Children/Adolescents

Evaluation and Testing – Collecting information about an individual’s history, strengths, needs and abilities in order to better develop a plan of services and supports. This can include an evaluation by a therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist.

Housing Assistance – Once an individual is receiving services, their provider can help them decide which residential supports they will need to achieve their goals. This can include various kinds of assistance, like rent subsidies and help with start-up expenses, to help ensure safe, stable housing.

Medication Management – Evaluation of medication options by an approved provider to help determine which medicine might be best for you, how it should be taken, and whether it is working.

Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) – Offers people the opportunity to make changes in their lifestyle by using methadone or other medications, alongside therapy services, to treat opiate addiction.

Outpatient Therapy (OPT) – Professionals teach new skills or ways to cope with problems in individual, family, or group settings. Our providers offer many different evidenced-based practices within outpatient therapy, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT) to name a few.

Residential Services – Provides short-term, structured, communal living (such as a halfway house) to help with the rehabilitation of individuals who have a substance use disorder. While in this setting, residents attend work, school and treatment services.

Substance Abuse Detoxification – Monitored services designed to achieve safe and comfortable withdrawal from drugs/alcohol and to ensure the transition into ongoing treatment and recovery.

Substance Abuse Intensive/Comprehensive Outpatient Treatment – A program that provides an individual multiple sessions per week to learn new behaviors, and to learn how to begin and then maintain recovery.

Supported Employment – Helps people with disabilities get jobs that pay at least minimum wage and that are not set aside for people with disabilities while providing the level of professional help the individual needs to get and keep the job.

This page was last reviewed for accuracy on 07/06/2021