Skip to Content

6 Tips for Parents Trying to Afford Teen Addiction Rehabilitation

As a parent, it goes without saying that you want the very best for your child.  In fact, many parents work tirelessly to provide their kids with everything they need.  However, when it comes to addiction, the cost of providing teens with adequate care and rehabilitation can be a huge financial burden.  With this in mind, here are a few tips for parents trying to afford teen addiction rehabilitation.

Do Your Research

If you have a teen needing rehabilitation for addiction, you’re probably already learning about treatment for teens and which options are the best for your child.  While choosing the right rehab options, it’s important to determine if treatment centers offer financial assistance.

Most treatment facilities accept major insurance.  However, some parents don’t have the luxury of insurance.  If this is the case, some treatment programs offer discounts, payment plans, or sliding-scale options for payment.  It’s important to determine if these options are available when trying to pay for teen addiction rehab.

Contact Your Insurance Company

Once you have done your research, contact your health insurance provider (if you have one) to confirm if your insurance plan will cover the treatment you’ve chosen for your teen.  If not, you may need to rethink your choice and seek a different rehabilitation treatment center.  Your health insurance provider should be able to provide you with a list of treatment facilities they work with in getting your teen the help they need.

Look Into Grants or Scholarships

The state of Texas has several grant and scholarship programs that can help parents offset the cost of teen addiction rehabilitation and treatment.  You can begin by contacting the Texas Department of Behavioral Health and see if they have any scholarships or grants that pertain to your teen’s situation.  There are also federal assistance programs that may help you cover the cost of teen rehabilitation.

Consider Virtual or Combined Treatments

While residential treatment is certainly comprehensive and can be effective, virtual therapy and/or a combination of treatment programs can be equally effective.  In many instances, online therapy is significantly cheaper than inpatient rehabilitation for teens. It can also be more affordable because there are no transportation costs involved with virtual therapy.

Furthermore, online counseling offers the added convenience of eliminating the need for commuting, making it a viable and cost-effective option for parents and guardians seeking accessible and affordable mental health support for their teenage children.

Combining treatments can also be an affordable option. For instance, you can utilize online therapy from a certified therapist for your teen in addition to taking your teen to a regular 12-step program such as an Alcoholics Anonymous group in Austin – which may ask for donations but does not cost money.  This dual approach can be very beneficial for teens and parents in treating addiction.

Ask Friends and Family

While this might be a blow to a parent’s pride – there is no price on the best treatment for a teen needing help with addiction.  Therefore, there is no shame if you ask friends or family members to help finance your teen’s treatment.  In many cases, friends and families understand the pain and consequences of addiction and are willing to rally and support your efforts to pay for teen addiction rehab.  Additionally, you might consider setting up an online fundraising account such as Go Fund Me or Kickstarter for the purpose of paying for your child’s treatment.

Reassess Your Budget

Another way to help you afford your teen’s treatment needs is to take a hard look at your family budget.  You might be surprised at how many expenses you can cut out of the budget in order to pay for treatment.  Additionally, begin to employ money-saving strategies so you can save as much money as possible to go toward your teen’s treatment.  You might also want to establish a savings account specifically for rehabilitation expenses.  Place any additional funds in this account. This dedicated account can help you keep track of rehabilitation costs, as well as help you keep a firm grip on expenses.

In conclusion, we hope these tips on how to pay for your teen’s addiction rehabilitation provide you with insights into affording your child’s treatment.  While addiction is heartbreaking and potentially devastating, lack of finances should not impede you from providing the help your child needs to live a long, healthy life well into adulthood.  With the right research, resources, and budgeting, you can afford treatment for your child.

Jeff Campbell