Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders must handle both issues if there is any hope for them to recover completely. Some people take drugs or alcohol to alleviate symptoms of mental health problems, and some individuals take drugs which then, in turn, causes symptoms which mimic mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression. Addiction treatment professionals know how to differentiate between the two, and can work with clients to appropriately treat real mental health conditions in tandem with any other substance abuse treatment that is done with the person. This has proven to be effective in keeping individuals with mental health problems off of drugs and mentally stable and healthy.

Medicaid is a type of health insurance which is offered to people in certain low-income tax brackets. Eligibility for Medicaid depends greatly on income and other circumstances including whether or not the individual has dependents and if they receive any other financial assistance. Medicaid may possibly even cover the costs associated with drug or alcohol rehab, and there are a lot of drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers throughout the country which are covered through Medicaid. Most drug and alcohol rehab programs which are covered through Medicaid may only deliver a limited treatment curriculum and may only supply such treatment on a short term basis, typically 30 days or less. Individuals who have Medicaid should explore which programs cover the greatest amount of treatment for the most amount of time to acquire the full benefits of such a program.

Some people are covered through state financed insurance because they do not meet the eligibility requirements for Medicaid. Some states however offer affordable health insurance to those individuals who cannot afford private health insurance plans. State financed health insurance programs will sometimes cover the costs associated with substance abuse treatment at a variety of drug and alcohol rehab programs around the country. State financed insurance other than Medicaid may cover both outpatient or inpatient substance abuse rehab providers. To find out which treatment facilities will accept state financed insurance, consult a substance abuse treatment advisor.