Top 30 Alcohol & Drug Rehab Centers in Winston Salem, NC & Free Treatment Resources

Located in the northwest part of North Carolina, the Winston-Salem area is home to a variety of residential and outpatient treatment settings. If you or someone you care about is struggling with addiction and substance use disorder, there are over 40 accredited alcohol and drug rehab centers in Winston-Salem that can help put you on the path to recovery.¹ You can find treatment facilities based on age, gender, availability of bilingual staff, faith-based approaches, and more.

Rates of substance use among adults in North Carolina tend to be similar to those of the national average.

The yearly average of substance use disorder in North Carolina was 6.5%, while the regional average was 6.4%.¹

The city of Winston-Salem is located in Forsyth County, where overdose deaths have been steadily rising since 2005.

In October 2005, the total number of overdose deaths in Forsyth County was 15.

Recent numbers for October of 2021 show 108 overdose deaths in Forsyth County.²

The government and local entities have joined forces to address this problem by forming the Forsyth Regional Opioid and Substance Use Team (FROST). This group works on prevention and harm reduction efforts as well as works to eliminate barriers to treatment and recovery support.³

Most rehabilitation programs in Winston-Salem are publicly funded or accept Medicaid. These programs are also accessible to people with private, commercial insurance or who wish to self-pay. Other factors that can impact the cost include the specific insurance plan and deductible if using private insurance. Whether a program is in-network or out-of-network with your insurance company will also impact the cost. Additional funding sources that can be considered when paying for care include Medicare and Federal Military Insurance (such as Tricare).

The cost will also vary depending on the type of program. Medical detox and residential/inpatient treatment are usually the most expensive because of the intensity of services they provide. Programs that don’t require an overnight stay, such as partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and general outpatient, cost less as the intensity of service decreases.

Many rehab programs are willing to work with people who need help paying for services. Some offer payment plans, and others offer financial assistance based on income and other factors.

You can contact the Alcohol and Drug Council of North Carolina. They have a hotline set up to help people navigate the system to find assessment, treatment, and other recovery supports.

Not all programs accept Medicaid and Medicare. However, for those that do, Medicaid in the state of North Carolina covers the cost of services. Specific covered services include assessment, medication management, residential treatment, outpatient individual counseling, group counseling, family therapy, and psychological testing.⁴

Most private insurance plans will cover some of the costs of alcohol or drug rehab in Winston-Salem. The specific services and amount of coverage will depend on the insurance company, the insurance plan that the policyholder has, and whether the program is in-network with the insurance carrier.

Most programs that accept private insurance will ask for the specifics of the insurance plan and additional information about the policyholder to submit verification of benefits. The results of the verification of benefits will tell the policyholder and the staff what can be expected regarding coverage of costs. It is also possible to contact the insurance carrier directly to inquire about coverage.

Whether a program is in-network with a specific insurance company will also make a difference in cost. Generally, insurance premiums have higher deductibles for out-of-network services, and this applies to rehab as well. Insurance premiums may also have rules about how many days (for residential) or hours (for outpatient) of service are covered. These rules don’t always match the recommendations of professionals and can force the policyholder to end treatment or pay the additional cost out of pocket.

The various forms of drug and alcohol rehab exist along a continuum of the intensity of services. The level of care that is most appropriate for someone seeking help is determined through an assessment process that measures a variety of criteria.

A person seeking treatment could enter the continuum of services at any point, if appropriate, and then would move up or down levels as their needs and response to treatment change. For example, someone could begin treatment at an intensive outpatient level and, as they become more stable in their recovery, would move down to a general outpatient level of treatment.

The most accessed levels of care include:

Early Intervention: Usually classes such as those required after a DUI.

Standard Outpatient Services: This can be one individual session per week up to 8 hours per week of a combination of individual, group, and family counseling.

Intensive Outpatient Programs: A minimum of 9 hours per week of treatment services, most of which occur in a group setting with individual and family sessions as needed.

Partial Hospitalization Programs: A minimum of 20 hours per week of treatment services, generally during the day.

Inpatient or Residential Care: Treatment activity occurs every day of the week in a highly structured environment and includes meals and housing.

Medical Detox: A detox is designed to stabilize you as you withdraw from a substance or substances. Once you are medically stable, case management services help with transitioning them to another level of follow-up care.⁵

Aftercare and Relapse Prevention

Recovery is a lifelong process often supported by aftercare services and relapse prevention.

Most rehabs and detox centers in Winston-Salem will assist with identifying the programs and supports that make the most sense for your recovery.

Many ongoing aftercare and relapse prevention supports are informal groups that people can attend throughout their lives. These groups are free and meet either in person, online, or a combination of the two. A few options in Winston-Salem include:

Alcoholics Anonymous

Narcotics Anonymous

Families Anonymous

Smart Recovery

Celebrate Recovery

Ongoing individual therapy

There are many factors to consider when choosing which rehab program is the right one. Some questions to consider might include:

• The cost of treatment
• The ability for family to visit and to be involved in the treatment process
• The number of people who share a room and other amenities, such as laundry facilities
• If the program offers specialized treatment for people with specific experiences, such as women, Native Americans, LGBTQ+, professionals, trauma-informed care
• If the program supports and/or provides medication-assisted treatment (MAT)
• The rules that need to be followed while in the program

Most residential drug rehabs in Winston-Salem cater to residents of North Carolina because they are supported by state funding and/or they take Medicaid. If someone is interested in being admitted to one of these programs from out of state, they would most likely need to have private insurance or the ability to pay for treatment themselves.

Ardmore: This is one of the largest neighborhoods in Winston-Salem and includes many historic residential and commercial structures. It’s located between Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and Forsyth Hospital.

Downtown: Downtown Winston-Salem is home to many bars, restaurants, and art galleries. As a result of efforts to revitalize the area, the nightlife in the downtown area is full of activity.

Old Vinyard: This is another historic neighborhood that includes parks and playgrounds for residents and visitors. This neighborhood also has a large community garden.

West End: This area includes many restaurants and parks among a variety of homes and buildings with architectural styles from the turn of the century.

1. FindTreatment.gov. (n.d.). FindTreatment.gov. 
2. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2020). Behavioral Health Barometer: North Carolina, Volume 6: Indicators as measured through the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health and the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services. HHS Publication No. SMA–20–Baro–19–R10. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
3. State of North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Public health Injury and Violence Prevention Branch. (n.d.). Opioid and Substance Use Action Plan Data Dashboard.
4. Forsyth County. (n.d.) FROST (Forsyth Regional Opioid and Substance Use Team).
5. North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Health Benefits. (2012, July 1). DMA Rate Setting: Medicaid Coverage: Level III and IV Residential Rates.
6. Mee-Lee, D., Shulman, G., Fishman, M., Gastfriend, D., Miller, M., eds. (2013). The ASAM Criteria: Treatment Criteria for Addictive, Substance-Related, and Co-Occurring Conditions. Third edition. Carson City, NV: The Change Companies.
7. The North Carolina Addictions Specialist Professional Practice Board. (n.d.). Credentialing.
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Police. (n.d.). Federal, State and Local Regulations; North Carolina Drug and Alcohol Laws.