Drug and Alcohol Use Statistics in Brookhaven, GA
Brookhaven, GA, and surrounding DeKalb County have been affected by the opioid epidemic. Opioid use leads to health problems, including overdose and death. Here are some statistics about drug and alcohol use in DeKalb County and Brookhaven, GA:1,2,3
Finally, 2020 saw 253 DeKalb County county residents visit the ER due to stimulant overdoses.
In 2021, 23% of motor vehicle deaths in DeKalb County involved alcohol use.
Levels of Drug and Alcohol Rehab
Drug and alcohol rehab settings vary in intensiveness and structure. Here’s more about the levels of care:
Detox
When you receive drug detox, a team of doctors and nurses monitor your withdrawal symptoms while the drug or alcohol leaves your body, ensuring your safety and comfort. This usually occurs first before starting formal addiction treatment services.
Residential or Inpatient
You reside at the treatment center for 30 days, 60 days, or 90 days, while receiving a myriad of treatment modalities, such as individual therapy, group counseling, family therapy, support groups, experiential therapies, and addiction treatment medications.
Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHPs)
A step down from inpatient rehab, you live at home while attending between 20 and 30 hours of counseling per week.
Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOPs)
Less intensive than a PHP, IOPs involve living at home while attending between nine and 20 hours of therapy per week.
Standard Outpatient
Standard outpatient involves just a few hours of therapy per week and may not be the best option for someone who doesn’t have a strong support system or who is struggling with a severe addiction. It may be better used as a step-down option after completing an inpatient or PHP.
Aftercare
Once you complete your addiction treatment program, you’ll want to make sure to continue receiving ongoing support to prevent relapse. This can look like joining AA, NA, or SMART Recovery, or attending ongoing therapy. Some people transition into sober living homes before returning home.
How to Pay for Drug Rehab in Brookhaven, Georgia
There are many ways to finance your addiction treatment to reduce the financial burden.
Private Insurance
Health insurance providers are required to cover substance abuse treatment and mental health services to the extent that they do surgical and medical benefits. If you have private insurance, you can likely get partial or full coverage for drug rehab. Contact your provider for more details.
Georgia Medicaid: Peach State Health Plan
Georgia’s Medicaid, or Peach State Health Plan, provides health insurance coverage for low-income Georgia residents. Medicaid covers drug and alcohol rehab, although you will need to find a rehab that accepts Medicaid.
Medicare
Georgia Medicare covers Georgia residents aged 65 and older as well as those with certain medical conditions and disabilities. It covers addiction treatment services, like medication-assisted treatment, outpatient rehab, and inpatient hospitalization. Like Medicaid, you’ll need to find a drug rehab that accepts this form of payment.
TRICARE in Georgia
TRICARE in Georgia provides health insurance coverage for veterans, active-duty military personnel, and their families. Many drug and alcohol rehabs accept TRICARE.
Sliding Scale Rehabs
A sliding scale rehab only charges you what you can reasonably pay based on your income and financial situation, greatly reducing the cost of treatment and increasing access.
IHS-Funded Drug Rehabs
The Indian Health Services funds addiction treatment programs that provide free care to Indigenous people. Most of these IHS-funded rehabs are on reservations, although a few are elsewhere.
Traveling to and Within Brookhaven, GA
If you are considering an alcohol or drug rehab in Brookhaven, GA, or if you plan to visit a loved one attending treatment there, here are some helpful travel planning tips for visitors:
- Brookhaven is located in DeKalb County, to the northeast of Atlanta.
- The nearest airport to Brookhaven is Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which is about a 40-minute drive.
- You can reach Brookhaven by car via Interstate 85.
- There are public buses and light-rail trains in the region provided by Metro Atlanta Transit Authority (MARTA). You can also get around via car or by using a ride-share app.
- Brookhaven and nearby communities offer a vast selection of restaurants, including fast food, national chain casual dining, and locally-owned eateries.
- There are a variety of hotel accommodations available in and around Brookhaven. You can choose from business-oriented hotels, national chains, and luxury properties.
- Brookhaven is home to the Atlanta History center, as well as many local parks and shopping centers. In Downtown Atlanta, visitors can enjoy visiting the Georgia Aquarium, Martin Luther King Jr’s birthplace, Centennial Olympic Park, and the Children’s Museum of Atlanta. Atlanta is home to professional sports teams as well as live entertainment venues featuring music and theatre.
- Brookhaven is close to the campuses of the Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia State University.
Georgia Drug and Alcohol Laws
Here are some relevant drug and alcohol-related laws in Georgia:1
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008: This law requires insurance providers to cover drug rehab to the same extent they cover other medical treatments, increasing access to addiction treatment.
Georgia Naloxone Access Law: In Georgia, you can receive a prescription for naloxone (Narcan) if you know someone who is at risk of an overdose. If you are at risk of an opioid overdose, you can also receive naloxone from a pharmacist without a prescription
The Georgia 911 Medical Amnesty Law: This Georgia overdose law provides limited legal immunity to those who call 911 to seek help for someone experiencing an overdose, meaning they won’t get prosecuted for drug possession.
Resources
- Georgia Department of Public Health. (No date). 2020 Opioid Overdose Surveillance Preliminary County Reports.
- Georgia Department of Public Health. (No date). 2020 Stimulant Overdose Surveillance Preliminary County Reports
- University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. (2022). DeKalb, GA.