Your ultimate guide to rehab in Arizona

Located in the southwestern part of the US, Arizona is the 6th-largest state in the union, and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Perhaps best-known for its hot desert climate and national parks (including the Grand Canyon), Arizona's population comes in at just over 7 million.

But Arizona also has its share of mental health challenges and their often-accompanying drug addiction, alcohol addiction, and/or other substance abuse issues. The Covid-19 pandemic only exacerbated feelings of stress, anxiety, uncertainty, and loneliness that often accompany problematic thoughts or actions, and Arizonans were hit just as hard as others.


According to the Centers for Disease Control, as of 2019 Arizona ranked 14th in suicide rate in the nation. The Arizona Department of Health Services reported a loss of 1,429 Arizonans in 2019 due to suicide, with even more people experiencing suicidal thoughts. And in 2020, Covid-19 killed more people in Arizona than even heart disease and cancer, taking the lives of more than 12,000 Arizonans.

In terms of drug and alcohol addiction, 2019 was a record year in Arizona for deaths due to drug overdose. According to provisional data from the National Center of Health Statistics, there has been a year-over-year increase of 36.5% in drug overdose mortality in Arizona (compared to the national average of 29.4%).

One of the most alarming Arizona substance abuse trends is the staggering jump in opioid overdose deaths — over three Arizonans a day have perished due to opioid overdose in the last two years. While all types of opioids have contributed to this (including prescription drugs), fentanyl was the main culprit — it was the most commonly-used opioid painkiller used in Arizona in both 2019 and 2020. Both inpatient and outpatient treatment programs and treatment centers are much-needed resources to help curb the opioid epidemic in Arizona.

Treatment Centers in Arizona

Arizona has a number of different kinds of treatment centers to help those suffering from both substance abuse and mental health issues. Places like Scottsdale and Tucson are home to high-end, luxury treatment facilities, and behavioral health clinics and recovery centers abound, in Phoenix and elsewhere around the state. There are also Arizona rehab treatment options for those with co-occurring disorders and/or mental health issues outside of addiction treatment programs.

If you need to get help for addiction recovery or dual diagnosis treatment, there are myriad options. Arizona drug rehab centers support inpatient treatment, outpatient recovery programs, support groups to supplement other wellness initiatives, and holistic rehab programs. Finding the best treatment option for you or a loved one is important, and very possible.

How to Find Drug Addiction Treatment in Arizona

Addiction treatment centers in Arizona offer help to those seeking drug or alcohol treatment, and clinicians around the state specialize in supporting those recovering from opioid addiction — whether to fentanyl or prescription drugs. There are also substance abuse treatment programs in Arizona for those seeking to overcome addiction to methamphetamine, marijuana, and more.

Many Arizona rehab centers helping those with addiction recovery provide treatment plans that include medical detox, therapy (both individually and in group), and medication-assisted treatment. A number of recovery centers and addiction treatment programs now take a holistic approach, as well, offering treatment services such as hiking, yoga, massage, and meditation to improve behavioral health and support long-term recovery.

In addition to luxury inpatient treatment facilities, almost all of which include supervised detoxification, there are treatment facilities that offer both outpatient as well as intensive outpatient programs (IOP) treatment options in Arizona. While residential inpatient drug rehab is often good for those needing to get help for substance use disorder, it can also be useful to participate in an outpatient alcohol abuse or drug abuse center, given that you can maintain your schedule at home. This can be the difference between getting help and not, especially for those with needs around parenting, attending school, or caring for a loved one who can't be left alone.

Due to the natural beauty in Arizona, a number of rehab facilities incorporate wilderness into their recovery programs. Located in Flagstaff, Arizona, Back2Basics Outdoor Adventure Therapy is one such rehab facility and treatment center for young men (aged 18-30), combining holistic outdoor exploration with comprehensive addiction treatment. Its experiential therapy model includes outdoor adventures like hiking to treat those with alcohol addiction and/or substance abuse issues. They also offer medically-assisted detox, group therapy, individual therapy, and support with relapse prevention (including aftercare). Back2Basis is dedicated to helping people get to the joys and vibrancy of sober living.

Photo by Colin Lloyd on Unsplash

Get Treatment for Substance Abuse in Phoenix

Phoenix is the both the largest and, according to the latest census data in 2020, fastest-growing city in Arizona. Its population comes in at 1.6 million, making it the 5th-largest city in the US. When you include the surrounding metro area’s population, that number rises to 5 million, a full 42.6% of which is Latinx.

In south Phoenix, there's serious concern around young people abusing prescription drugs (usually obtained at home). According to a 2018 Arizona Youth Survey, nearly half of 8th- to 12th-graders in south Phoenix reported misusing prescription drugs to "have fun," and ~25% said they misused prescription drugs at home. This is particularly disquieting considering that in Phoenix's Maricopa County, opioids (both prescription opioids and heroin) killed 939 people between October of 2018 to September of 2019. Around 75% of all opioid overdose deaths in Arizona now involve prescription opioids, including fentanyl.

If you or a loved one requires either residential treatment or some other kind of support for a substance use issue, know that there is help available in Phoenix. The city has addiction treatment, mental health support, and physical therapy options, some of which accept Medicaid.

One option for outpatient addiction treatment in Phoenix is Community Medical Services, a CARF-accredited substance use disorder treatment program. (CARF is the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, which provides oversight and ensures that rehab centers in Arizona provide high-quality care.) Community Medical Services provides outpatient medication-assisted treatment for alcoholism, opioid addiction, and more, as well as counseling and community-based services. The rehab center employs clinicians that offer cutting-edge treatment modalities that include trauma therapy, Rational Behavior Therapy (a form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT), as well as Motivational Interviewing (MI).

Get Help with Drug Addiction in Tucson

As of 2021, Tucson's population is 992,000, or just under one million. And those million people get a lot of sun — with an average of 350 days of sunshine a year, Tucson is the sunniest city in the United States.

But all that sun can't hide Tucson's drug and alcohol issues. Tucson's Pima County, for example, has seen a 59% hike in fentanyl-related deaths from 2020 to 2021. If that trend keeps pace, the projected number of deaths in 2021 will break the record set in 2020 (of 207 lives lost to fentanyl). What's particularly alarming is that of accidental overdoses, young people (those 29 and under) have the highest fentanyl involvement.

For those seeking a drug rehab center in the Tucson area, America's Rehab Campus (ARC) Arizona Rehab Campus is a private facility that offers state-of-the-art treatment programs, along with a variety of addiction recovery therapies. With a fully integrated facility designed for dual diagnosis drug & alcohol abuse patients, treatment at ARC begins with a biopsychosocial and medical evaluation by a physician and psychologist/psychiatrist. Services at ARC include medical detox, inpatient rehab, intensive outpatient therapy (IOP), and residential treatment. When appropriate, they also offer medication-assisted treatment (MAT), which can include the use of Suboxone, Vivitrol and Naltrexone.

Photo by Jared Murray on Unsplash

Find Drug and Alcohol Rehab in Flagstaff

At an elevation of around 7,000 feet, Flagstaff is a lovely city surrounded by ponderosa pine forests. More mountainous than one might expect in Arizona, it's close to the San Francisco Peaks, which boasts Arizona’s tallest mountain (Humphreys Peak) and the Snowbowl ski resort.

Flagstaff is not exempt from alcohol and drug abuse issues, however, and has also fallen prey to the opioid epidemic wracking the state (and nation). In 2020, the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission reported that a state task force seized an incredible 4,192 pounds of fentanyl and 155,572 fentanyl pills, for a combined value of over $6.4 million. This was an over 5,000-percent increase over the previous year, suggesting that fentanyl use is skyrocketing in counties like Pima County, Coconino County, Pinal County, and Navajo County.

Flagstaff's Southwest Behavioral & Health Services (SB&H) is no stranger to treating those working to overcome opioid addiction and more. It offers both outpatient mental health treatment as well as intensive inpatient care, services for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and has four opioid replacement clinics throughout the state.

Availability of Physical Therapy in Arizona

As of 2003, Arizona is a direct access state, meaning you don't need a doctor to refer you to a physical therapist — you can just choose to get physical therapy.

When you think of physical therapy, most people think about Orthopedic Rehabilitation, which helps you recover from muscular or bone-related injuries (learning to walk again after a skiing accident, for example). If you're seeking this kind of rehab in Arizona, you may want to consider Larson Rehabilitation Services in Flagstaff, which specializes in orthopedic rehab and sports medicine.

In addition, there's a host of other reasons you or a loved one might want physical therapy. For example, if one of your loved ones recently had heart surgery, they likely need Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy. Older demographics can benefit from Geriatric Physical Therapy, which helps with conditions like osteoporosis, balance disorders, joint replacement, arthritis, and more. Finally, anyone that has undergone brain surgery or has any other kind of spinal cord or nerve damage may require Neurological Physical Therapy, which addresses the brain, spinal cord, and nerves.

Where To Find Mental Health Treatment in Arizona

While many substance abuse rehab centers in Arizona also provide mental health care (this is particularly helpful for those requiring dual diagnosis treatment or who have co-occurring disorders), still other facilities specialize in supporting those with mental health concerns.

Havasu Behavioral Health is a private rehab center located in one of the most beautiful parts of Arizona — Lake Havasu City. Havasu Behavioral Health specializes in treating mental health disorders like clinical depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and more. In addition to outpatient and intensive outpatient (IOP) treatment options, this rehab center also offers aftercare support. Aftercare involves making a smart and doable plan for recovery that extends beyond the rehab program itself, and can include things like career counseling, and setting oneself up with community programs like Codependents Anonymous (CODA). Receiving ongoing support is part of a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Helpful Addiction Treatment and Mental Health Resources

Changing your life is hard, and recovering your health after a cycle of either substance abuse or mental health challenges is doubly so. If you're not sure whether you or your loved one needs rehab, we can help.

Rehab.com can help you determine both how to identify and treat substance abuse disorders like alcohol dependency and opioid addiction, and find recovery programs in your area. Whether you're looking for individual therapy for mental health in an outpatient setting, or residential inpatient programs for substance abuse, we empower you to find the right place for your needs and budget.

Get Help in Arizona Now

If you need to find the right addiction treatment center, alcohol treatment center, mental health treatment center, or physical therapy treatment provider in Arizona, Rehab.com can help in the following ways:

  • Call our 24/7 helpline and speak with a care coordinator immediately: 1-888-702-1717
  • Use our match-with-care feature to find the right treatment center near you. Narrow your search based on your location, timeline, budget, and specific needs.
  • Book directly with a health care provider. If you already know which treatment center you'd like to book, visit their Rehab.com page to be connected to them directly.
  • Explore the 32,000+ facilities listed on Rehab.com to find the right one for you or a loved one.
This article first appeared on Rehab.com.
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