Addiction and Substance Use Treatment in St. Louis: Detox, Rehab, and Free Help
Revised October 1, 2026
How do people with no money go to rehab in St. Louis?
Start with BJC Behavioral Health’s Same Day Access walk-in (314-747-7491), the region’s entry point for Medicaid and uninsured adults on a sliding scale. Federally qualified clinics like Affinia Healthcare (314-814-8700) and CSTAR programs through Preferred Family Healthcare and Queen of Peace Center also offer low or no-cost care.
Keep reading ↓If this is an emergency, start here.
Overdose or any life-threatening emergency: call 911 now, then give naloxone (Narcan) if you have it. Missouri’s Good Samaritan law offers limited legal protection to people who call 911 to report an overdose.
Suicidal, mental-health, or substance-use crisis: call or text 988, free and 24/7. In eastern Missouri, 988 is answered by Behavioral Health Response.
St. Louis regional crisis line: 1-800-811-4760 or 314-469-6644, Behavioral Health Response, 24/7.
Free, confidential treatment referrals, 24/7: SAMHSA National Helpline 1-800-662-4357.
It’s a little after 2 a.m. in Affton, and someone is sitting on the edge of the tub with a phone in their hand, typing the same search and deleting it. They already know something has to change. What they don’t know is who to call, whether it costs money they don’t have, or whether the voice on the other end will judge them.
If that’s you, or someone you love, read the box above first. Then take a breath. You’re not too far gone, and you’re not doing this wrong by looking. Reaching out is the hard part, and you’re already doing it.
What follows is a plain, no-shame map of where St. Louis actually offers help: crisis lines, medically supervised detox, residential rehab, outpatient care, medication treatment, and the doors that stay open when you have Medicaid or no insurance at all. It’s part of our larger guide to St. Louis help and assistance resources. Every phone number and address here was checked by hand.
How do people with no money go to rehab in St. Louis?
Start with BJC Behavioral Health’s Same Day Access walk-in at 314-747-7491, the region’s entry point for people on Medicaid or with no insurance. They assess you and connect you to care on a sliding scale. Federally qualified clinics like Affinia Healthcare (314-814-8700) and CSTAR programs through Preferred Family Healthcare and Queen of Peace Center also offer low or no-cost treatment.
Cost is the wall most people hit first, and it turns them around before they ever start. So let’s clear it now. In Missouri, being broke or uninsured does not mean going without treatment. MO HealthNet, the state’s Medicaid program, now covers the full range of care, from outpatient counseling to medication treatment to residential rehab, for eligible members. You apply at mydss.mo.gov.
No insurance and not sure whether you qualify? That’s exactly what the CSTAR programs and the community clinics below are built for. Many use a sliding fee scale tied to your income, and some draw on state Department of Mental Health funds to cover people who can’t pay. For a wider look at care without coverage, see our guide to free and low-cost health clinics in St. Louis.
Who do I call right now for a substance-use crisis?
Call or text 988 for any mental-health or substance-use crisis, free and around the clock. In the St. Louis region, you can also reach Behavioral Health Response directly at 1-800-811-4760 or 314-469-6644. If someone is overdosing, call 911 first and give naloxone if it’s within reach. Minutes matter more than anything else.
Behavioral Health Response covers St. Louis City and County plus St. Charles, Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, Warren, Iron, St. Francois, and Washington counties. Teens can text BHEARD to 31658. For a free, confidential referral to treatment anywhere in the country, the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 runs 24/7 and can filter for Medicaid and sliding-fee options.
Where can I get free naloxone (Narcan)?
Free, and no strings attached. Missouri mails naloxone to your door through getmonaloxone.com (order form at redcap.link/getsupplies), run by UMSL’s Addiction Science team. Prefer to pick it up? All roughly 20 St. Louis County Library branches, county naloxone vending machines, and county health centers hand it out free, with no ID and no cost. Keeping a dose nearby can buy the time an ambulance needs.
What’s the difference between detox, residential, outpatient, and MAT?
These four words get used interchangeably, and that confusion costs people time. Here’s the short version. Detox handles the first few days safely. Residential means you live on site. Outpatient means you live at home and come in for treatment. MAT is medication plus counseling. Most people move through more than one of these, in whatever order fits their life.
Detox
Detox is short-term, medically supervised withdrawal, usually a few days. For alcohol and some other drugs, quitting cold on your own can be dangerous, so this step belongs under medical eyes. Think of it as stabilizing, not curing. It gets your body to a safe baseline so the real work can begin.
Residential and inpatient
Residential, or inpatient, care means living at a facility around the clock while you focus fully on recovery, often for a few weeks. It pulls you out of the triggers and routines at home. This suits people who need structure, a medically supported setting, or simply distance from a situation that keeps dragging them back.
Outpatient and IOP
Outpatient means you live at home and come in for scheduled treatment. Intensive outpatient, or IOP, is a heavier version, often several sessions a week for a few hours each. It lets you keep a job, care for your kids, or stay in school while still getting real, structured help.
MAT (medication-assisted treatment)
MAT pairs FDA-approved medication with counseling. For opioids, that usually means methadone, buprenorphine (Suboxone), or naltrexone; for alcohol, naltrexone and a few others. It isn’t swapping one drug for another, and it’s backed by strong evidence. For many people, MAT is what finally makes recovery hold.
Where do you find medical detox and residential rehab in St. Louis?
Because detox carries medical risk, start by calling a program directly or dialing SAMHSA at 1-800-662-4357 to check current beds and coverage. The nonprofit and hospital programs below offer medically supervised detox and residential care across the metro, and several take Medicaid or will work with you on cost.
Harris House
2706 S. River Rd, St. Charles, MO 63303 (transitional housing at 8315 S. Broadway, St. Louis, MO 63111)
Phone: 314-631-4299
Web: harrishousestl.org
Nonprofit medical detox, residential, PHP, IOP, and sober living. Accepts Medicaid and Department of Mental Health funding.
CenterPointe Hospital
4801 Weldon Spring Pkwy, St. Charles, MO 63304
Admissions: 800-345-5407 (main line 636-723-9306)
Web: centerpointehospital.com
Detox (ages 12 and up), residential, IOP, MAT, and dual-diagnosis care. Accepts Medicare and Medicaid.
Queen of Peace Center
325 N. Newstead Ave, St. Louis, MO 63108
Phone: 314-531-0511
Web: qopcstl.org
Family-centered residential and outpatient treatment for women, children, and families, with housing and child care. Medicaid and DMH funded.
Preferred Family Healthcare (which absorbed Bridgeway Behavioral Health)
4066 Dunnica Ave, St. Louis, MO 63116 (314-833-6155) and 4928 Delmar Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63108 (314-899-0846)
Web: pfh.org
CSTAR outpatient, women’s, children’s, and adolescent residential, and MAT. Medicaid and DMH funded, with a sliding scale.
Where can I get MAT, methadone, or Suboxone?
Medication treatment is more available here than most people realize, and some doors open the same day. The programs below prescribe and manage MAT, from methadone to buprenorphine (Suboxone) to naltrexone. CenterPointe and Preferred Family, listed above, offer MAT too, so ask whichever program you reach which medications they support.
Assisted Recovery Centers of America (ARCA)
1430 Olive St #100, St. Louis, MO 63103, and 10208 W. Florissant Ave, St. Louis, MO 63136 (North County)
Phone: 314-645-6840
Web: arcamidwest.com
Outpatient care, MAT (naltrexone and buprenorphine), medical detox and stabilization, an on-site pharmacy, and naloxone. Walk in with no appointment for a free, confidential assessment, plus help enrolling in Medicaid.
St. Louis Metro Treatment Center (New Season)
Phone: 877-284-7074
Web: newseason.com
MAT and methadone maintenance. Call for the current clinic location and intake hours.
Center for Life Solutions
Phone: 314-731-0100 (crisis line 314-302-6728)
Web: centerfls.org
MAT paired with therapy. Call for the current office location and scheduling.
How do the uninsured and Medicaid members get care?
There is a “no wrong door” way in, and it starts with a walk-in. BJC Behavioral Health runs the region’s Same Day Access, where you can walk in for an assessment of mental-health and substance-use needs without an appointment. They see you whether you have Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, or nothing at all, using a sliding scale and state funds for people who can’t pay.
BJC Behavioral Health
Phone: 314-747-7491 or 877-729-4004
Web: bjcbehavioralhealth.org
The DMH point of entry with Same Day Access walk-in assessments. Serves St. Louis City and County plus St. Francois, Iron, and Washington counties. Call for the nearest site.
Affinia Healthcare
Phone: 314-814-8700
Web: affiniahealthcare.org
A federally qualified health center offering primary care plus behavioral health, substance-use care, and MAT on a sliding fee scale. Serves the uninsured. Call for the nearest location.
Places for People
1001 Lynch St, St. Louis, MO 63118
Phone: 314-535-5600 (crisis 1-800-811-4760)
Web: placesforpeople.org
Case management and substance-use counseling with central intake for serious mental-health and co-occurring needs. Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance.
Prevent+Ed (formerly NCADA)
9355 Olive Blvd, St. Louis (Olivette), MO 63132
Phone: 314-962-3456
Web: prevented.org
Not a detox or residential provider. Think of them as navigation: prevention, a confidential helpline, and free assessment and referral to point you toward the right program.
The Salvation Army Midtown also runs men’s inpatient and outpatient programs; call 314-652-3310 for current details. And if your struggle is tangled up with anxiety, depression, or trauma, that’s common, not a personal failing. Our guide to free and low-cost mental-health and substance-use help in St. Louis covers treating both at once.
Here’s the thing nobody says out loud: the help already exists. What’s usually missing is just the one phone number and the nerve to dial it. You now have both.
Is there help for pregnant women, mothers, and families?
Yes, and this is one area St. Louis does especially well. Queen of Peace Center at 314-531-0511 specializes in family-centered treatment for women, children, and families, combining residential and outpatient care with child care and housing, so a mother doesn’t have to choose between recovery and her kids. Preferred Family Healthcare also offers women’s and children’s residential programs.
The fear of losing custody keeps many mothers from asking for help, which is exactly backward. Getting into treatment is the single strongest step toward keeping or reuniting a family, and these programs are built to protect that bond, not break it. If you’re pregnant, say so when you call, since pregnancy often moves you up the list for a bed.
Frequently asked questions
What number do I call for a substance-use crisis in St. Louis?
Call or text 988 anytime, free and confidential. In the St. Louis region, Behavioral Health Response also answers directly at 1-800-811-4760 or 314-469-6644. If someone is overdosing, call 911 first and give naloxone (Narcan) if you have it. These lines run 24 hours a day, every day.
Where can I get free Narcan (naloxone)?
Order it free by mail at getmonaloxone.com, using the form at redcap.link/getsupplies, run by UMSL’s Addiction Science team. You can also pick it up free, with no ID and no cost, at all roughly 20 St. Louis County Library branches, county naloxone vending machines, and county health centers.
Do you have to pay for drug rehabilitation?
Not always. In Missouri, being uninsured doesn’t mean going without care. MO HealthNet covers eligible members, while CSTAR programs and clinics like BJC Behavioral Health (314-747-7491) use sliding fee scales and state Department of Mental Health funds to cover people who can’t pay. Start with a walk-in assessment.
How much is rehab in Missouri?
Cost varies by program and level of care, and many people pay little or nothing. MO HealthNet (Missouri Medicaid) covers eligible members for outpatient, MAT, and residential rehab. Uninsured? CSTAR programs and clinics use sliding fee scales and state funds. Call a program directly for current pricing and coverage.
Does insurance pay for addiction rehab?
Usually yes. Most private plans, Medicare, and MO HealthNet (Missouri Medicaid) cover substance-use treatment, from outpatient counseling to MAT to residential rehab. Under Missouri’s substance-use waiver approved in December 2023, MO HealthNet covers the full range for eligible members. Apply at mydss.mo.gov, and ask each program which plans it accepts.
How do you pay for rehab without insurance?
Several doors stay open. BJC Behavioral Health’s Same Day Access (314-747-7491) sees you with no insurance on a sliding scale. CSTAR programs through Preferred Family Healthcare and Queen of Peace Center draw on state Department of Mental Health funds. ARCA (314-645-6840) also helps you enroll in Medicaid during a free walk-in assessment.
How to get funding to go to rehab?
Start by applying for MO HealthNet at mydss.mo.gov, since Missouri’s Medicaid now covers the full range of care for eligible members. No coverage? Ask programs about sliding fees and state Department of Mental Health funds. The SAMHSA National Helpline (1-800-662-4357) can filter for Medicaid and sliding-fee options, free and 24/7.
How long does rehab usually last?
It depends on the level of care and the person. Detox is short-term, usually a few days. Residential or inpatient care often runs a few weeks. Outpatient and IOP let you live at home while attending scheduled sessions, often several a week. Many people move through more than one stage over time.
If you read only one line of this, read this one: the first call is the hardest, and it gets easier from there. You don’t need to have it all figured out before you dial. The person who answers does this every day, and their whole job is to take it from here.
Save a couple of these numbers in your phone right now, while you’re thinking about it: 988, and the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-4357. For the bigger picture of local support, from housing to food to health care, browse our St. Louis help and assistance resources hub, and see how a single search can surface dozens of programs in our look at how findhelp.org connects communities to hope.
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