Massachusetts Addiction Treatment Centers, Inpatient, Outpatient, Official Program Addiction Services Massachusetts: 9 Providers

If you are ready for outpatient care, start with New Wave Recovery Center for a linked day treatment and IOP program on the North Shore; if you need an inpatient stay first, look at Recovery Centers of America at Danvers or High Point Treatment Center, depending on where you live.

Quick picks

• New Wave Recovery Center: best outpatient PHP and IOP continuum
• Recovery Centers of America at Danvers: best inpatient-to-outpatient campus north of Boston
• High Point Treatment Center: best inpatient and community services in the southeast
• Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital: best hospital inpatient detox in Boston

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing

You can save yourself time and stress by steering clear of a few common traps.

Do not assume you need inpatient care because it sounds more serious. If you are medically stable and have a safe place to live, outpatient care may give you the structure you need without leaving home or work. Let the assessment decide.

Do not assume you can skip inpatient care, either. If you are in withdrawal from alcohol or certain drugs, you may need medical detox first, and an outpatient program should tell you so.

Do not leave inpatient care without a booked next step. Ask the program to schedule your outpatient intake before you are discharged, so you are not home alone for days with nothing planned.

And do not trust a directory listing alone. Call the program, ask what it runs directly, and confirm that your exact insurance plan is accepted.

1. Recovery Centers of America at Danvers: Best Inpatient-to-Outpatient Campus North of Boston

At RCA Danvers, you can start inpatient and finish outpatient on one campus: detox of about three to seven days, inpatient care of a month or more, then the full-day program and IOP, which you can attend online if you live in Massachusetts.

You can call admissions any time, and case managers will help you with leave forms and MassHealth applications. The campus is large, with 239 beds, and medication for alcohol and opioid use is prescribed on site, so it can continue as you move from inpatient to outpatient care.

2. New Wave Recovery Center: Best Outpatient PHP and IOP Continuum

New Wave gives you a structured week from the start: in day treatment, you attend most of the day on about five weekdays for roughly six weeks, with your own therapist once a week and lunch with your group. When you move to IOP for about three months, you choose a day or evening track and join a weekly men's or women's group, and the center says your primary therapist stays the same.

The Salisbury program is outpatient only, so if you need detox or an inpatient stay first, it will refer you and welcome you afterward. When you call, a co-founder answers, your benefits are usually checked the same day and you can often start the next day. You also get holistic sessions every day, a relapse prevention phase of up to six months if you want it, and a team led by owners who are all in long-term recovery.

3. High Point Treatment Center: Best Inpatient and Community Services in the Southeast

If you live in southeastern Massachusetts, High Point gives you inpatient detox and stabilization in Plymouth and Brockton and then outpatient clinics, methadone treatment and recovery homes in the same region.

GuideStar reports that the nonprofit serves you regardless of your ability to pay. It does not describe a PHP or IOP, so if you want a structured day program after detox, you may need to combine High Point's clinics with another provider. If a court is involved, its Section 35 programs serve women in New Bedford and men in Brockton, and its crisis clinic answers at any hour.

4. Spring Hill Recovery Center: Best Residential Retreat with an Outpatient Track

Spring Hill gives you inpatient care on a quiet 70-acre campus in Ashby, with detox and a stay of about four to six weeks, then outpatient programs in Quincy.

If you belong to a union, ask about the program that helps with benefits and FMLA. Family visits are held online rather than on campus. When you step down, you will move to the Quincy site, which works well if you live on the South Shore and less well if you live further west. Medication is available for alcohol and opioid use, and the website does not say whether MassHealth is accepted.

5. Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital: Best Hospital Inpatient Detox in Boston

Brigham offers inpatient detox on a unit linked to general medicine, which helps if you have other health conditions, followed by outpatient options in the same hospital.

There is no residential stay, so plan on another provider if you need to live on site. After detox, you can join the weekday day program, which includes a psychiatric evaluation and daily counseling, or the short evening program, and you can keep seeing addiction psychiatrists for medication in person or by video. The Bridge Clinic can get you started quickly.

6. Washburn House: Best Single-Building Continuum in Worcester

Washburn lets you move from inpatient to outpatient care without leaving the building, and the company says you can often be admitted the same or next day.

Ask for program hours, since they are not on its official pages. Its insurance list is one of the broadest you will find, so a benefits check is usually quick, and if you are a veteran or first responder, ask about the chain's dedicated track. Directory reviews vary widely, so read more than one source.

7. McLean Hospital: Best for Inpatient Psychiatric Expertise

McLean gives you inpatient care inside a psychiatric hospital, which matters if mental illness is part of your situation. Partial hospital care follows, but no IOP is described.

MassHealth covers only outpatient addiction care there, according to McLean, and insurers usually need to approve inpatient and partial hospital care in advance. You can choose detox and partial hospital care in Belmont, residential care at Naukeag, or the self-pay Fernside residence. If you will need an evening program later, plan it with a provider closer to home.

8. Serenity at Summit Haverhill: Best Merrimack Valley Inpatient Option

Serenity takes you from inpatient detox to outpatient IOP at one Haverhill address, with sober living homes afterward.

Ask for hours and staff details, since they are not published. You also get medication-assisted treatment, a dual diagnosis program and therapies that include yoga and mindfulness, and the company offers payment plans if you have no insurance. Residential stays typically last 30 to 90 days.

9. Spectrum Health Systems (New England Recovery Center): Best Inpatient Option for MassHealth Members

If you have MassHealth and need an inpatient stay, Spectrum's publicly funded detox, stabilization and residential programs in Westborough are designed for you. Outpatient clinics across the state continue your care.

The clinics do not run PHP or IOP, so if you want a structured day program after residential care, you will need to add another provider. If you have private insurance, NERC offers detox of about a week and residential care of up to 28 days on the same campus, and peer recovery centers in five cities offer drop-in support.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if I need inpatient or outpatient care?

A free clinical assessment will tell you. Withdrawal risk and your home situation are the biggest factors, along with any medical or mental health conditions.

Can I go from inpatient to outpatient at a different provider?

Yes. Many people complete detox in one place and outpatient care at another, such as New Wave Recovery Center, as long as the next step is booked before discharge.

Which providers accept MassHealth for inpatient care?

RCA Danvers, Washburn House, Spectrum and High Point accept MassHealth plans for inpatient services.

Can outpatient care be online?

Yes. RCA Danvers offers online IOP to Massachusetts residents, and Brigham offers video visits for outpatient medication care.