Finding Recovery Support Services: A Guide for Individuals and Families

Looking for recovery support can feel like a big step, especially when you’re trying to find help for yourself or someone you care about. You don’t need to have every answer before you begin. A first call, a conversation with a trusted person or a search for local services can help you see what options are available.

Recovery support services offer practical and personal support alongside a person’s recovery journey. Services vary, but may include peer support, counseling referrals, recovery groups, help navigating community resources or connections to housing and employment support. The right combination depends on the person, their goals and what is available nearby.

This guide shares ways to find reliable substance abuse recovery resources, questions to ask and practical steps for individuals, families and people returning to the community after incarceration.

Start with one next step

There is no single path to recovery, and asking for support does not commit you to a particular program. It gives you a chance to learn what is available and decide what might be useful.

A good starting point is FindTreatment.gov, a confidential, anonymous locator for substance use and mental health services in the United States and its territories. You can search by location and explore options that may fit your needs.

You can also call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). It is free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day, every day, in English and Spanish. The helpline offers referrals to treatment facilities, support groups and community organizations. Learn more on the SAMHSA National Helpline page.

If you’re unsure where to begin, start with the option that feels easiest. You can ask a health care provider, community organization or trusted person to help you make a call or look up local services.

Know what support can include

Recovery support services can help people connect with resources and keep moving toward goals. They are not all the same, and not every program provides every kind of help. Ask what a service offers and whether there are costs or eligibility requirements.

Depending on the provider, support may include:

• Peer support: Encouragement and practical guidance from someone with lived experience of recovery.
• Treatment connections: Referrals or help finding clinical care, including options for co-occurring mental health needs.
• Recovery groups: Regular opportunities to connect with others and build supportive relationships.
• Case management: Help coordinating services, appointments, and practical next steps.
• Everyday needs: Referrals for housing, transportation, employment or other community resources.
• Family support: Counseling or groups that help loved ones learn, communicate, and care for their own well-being.

Peer support can be a useful bridge between formal care and everyday life. SAMHSA explains how peer support workers help people in recovery, including by building relationships, sharing resources, and supporting people’s own recovery goals.

Ask questions before you choose

It’s reasonable to ask a program how it works before sharing personal information or deciding to participate. You deserve clear answers and respectful treatment.

Consider asking:

• What kinds of recovery support do you provide?
• Is there a fee, and do you accept insurance or offer financial assistance?
• Are peer support, counseling or family services available?
• Can you help with transportation, housing referrals or other practical needs?
• Do you offer in-person and virtual options?
• How do you handle privacy and personal information?
• What happens if I need a different service or the program isn’t a good fit?

Write down the answers, along with the name and contact information of the person you speak with. If the first option does not feel right, that does not mean support is out of reach. You can ask for another referral or try a different approach.

Support the whole family

When someone is working through substance use challenges, the effects can reach across the family. Loved ones may want to help but feel uncertain about what to say or do. Support for family members matters, too.

A helpful first step is to listen without judgment and ask what kind of help the person wants. You might offer something concrete: making a call together, arranging a ride or going along to an appointment. Small offers can make a difficult next step feel more manageable.

It can also help to set clear, caring boundaries and seek support for yourself. Ask a provider about family counseling or support groups. SAMHSA offers guidance and resources for families affected by mental health and substance use disorders.

Treatment providers have privacy obligations. You can ask how releases of information work and what staff are able to share. A provider may be able to receive information from a family member even when they cannot disclose a person’s private details.

Plan for reentry with practical support

Returning home after incarceration can bring hope and many practical tasks at once. A plan made before release, and continued support afterward, can make the transition easier to navigate. If possible, involve a reentry case manager or other trusted support person.

Useful items to discuss include:

• Health care: Treatment appointments, prescriptions, medication access and health coverage.
• A place to stay: Safe housing options and referrals to recovery housing, if appropriate.
• Getting around: Transportation to appointments, work and essential services.
• Documents and benefits: Identification, insurance paperwork, and applications for eligible benefits.
• Community connections: A named contact at a treatment provider, recovery group, or reentry organization.

Ask whether an appointment can be scheduled before release and whether someone can make a direct connection with a community provider. SAMHSA provides information on reentry and connections to community services.

Make a simple plan for today

When there are many things to consider, choose a few manageable actions rather than trying to solve everything at once.

1. Name the need. Is the first priority treatment, peer support, housing, transportation, family guidance or something else?
2. Find a starting point. Search FindTreatment.gov or call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
3. Make one connection. Contact a provider, community organization, or trusted person who can help you explore options.
4. Write down the next step. Note an appointment, a follow-up call or a question you still need answered.
5. Stay open to adjusting the plan. Needs can change. It is okay to ask for a different resource or another kind of support.

If someone is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services. In the United States, call or text 988 for behavioral health crisis support.

Rebuilding happens together

Recovery is not a test of willpower, and asking for support is not a sign of failure. People deserve dignity, useful resources, and the chance to move forward at their own pace. Families, peers, community organizations, and service providers can all help make that possible.

At Rebuild and Rise, we share practical tools, mentorship and community support for people rebuilding after addiction, incarceration and other difficult setbacks. We are not a substitute for clinical treatment, but we believe steady encouragement and accessible resources can help someone take the next step. If you’re looking for support, reach out to our team to start a conversation.

If a message of hope and practical reflection would be helpful, you can explore Michael Hanks’s Rebuild and Rise book. You can also listen to the Rebuild and Rise podcast for conversations about setbacks, resilience, and moving forward. These are optional companions, not replacements for professional care.

One call, one conversation, one new connection: each can be a beginning. We can rebuild and rise, one step at a time.