Alcohol Rehab and Detox in Houston, TX

Harris County's overdose burden is still high even where totals are falling, and Houston has a dense enough treatment inventory that alcohol care can start with medical detox rather than a waiting list guess. This page covers what alcohol treatment looks like here, why detox needs medical supervision, and how to start.

What alcohol treatment looks like in Houston

The SAMHSA treatment locator lists 79 facilities within 30 miles of downtown Houston (ZIP 77002):

  • 20 offering detoxification (withdrawal management)
  • 14 with residential programs
  • 70 offering outpatient services
  • 57 reporting alcohol medication options (administering/prescribing or accepting clients already on AUD medicines)

The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD is a primary public-network door: Harris County's Local Mental Health Authority crisis/access line. Call 713-970-7000 (toll-free 1-866-970-4770). Counts change as programs open and close, so confirm current options on the locator.

Why alcohol detox needs medical supervision

Alcohol is one of the few substances where stopping suddenly can be life-threatening. Clinical guidance on detoxification describes alcohol withdrawal that can progress to seizures and to delirium tremens (DTs), which can be fatal without medical care. A heavy, long-term drinker should not try to quit alone.

If someone is shaking, sweating heavily, confused, hallucinating, or has had a seizure while cutting back on alcohol, call 911. For a mental health or substance use crisis, call or text 988.

The local picture in numbers

  • Harris County IFS's 2023 annual report lists 1,054 medicolegal accidental drug toxicity deaths among accidental manners.
  • Harris County Public Health previously reported 1,177 substance-involved deaths in 2022, higher than Texas overall rates in that period.
  • Local clinicians have described a 2024 decline in Harris County overdose deaths aligned with statewide CDC provisional drops; use IFS and public-health updates for the latest certified totals.
  • Houston's city population is roughly 2.3 million, with Harris County about 4.8 million.

Paying for alcohol treatment in Houston

Texas has not expanded Medicaid under the ACA, so many adults without children do not qualify. HHSC covers medically necessary SUD treatment through participating providers when eligible. The Harris Center and OSAR partners help uninsured residents find publicly funded and sliding-fee care.

Medications such as naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram may be part of a treatment plan alongside counseling.

How to start today

  1. If this is a medical emergency, call 911. For a crisis, call or text 988.
  2. Call or text (800) 653-9376 to talk through your options with a treatment specialist, or use this form:

Calling is free; the referral service is paid for by treatment providers, and we check your benefits before you commit.

  1. Call The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD at 713-970-7000 (toll-free 1-866-970-4770), or search findtreatment.gov with ZIP code 77002.
  2. Ask about Medicaid eligibility and sliding-fee openings if you are uninsured.

Houston has major-metro facility scale. For alcohol, the part that most often goes wrong is attempting withdrawal alone, and that is the part medical care can make safe.

Call or text (800) 653-9376 Get help online