5 Tips for Choosing a Recovery Center That Prioritizes Mental Health

If you’re trying to recover from alcohol or drug addiction, choosing a recovery center that prioritizes mental health is a vital step to begin the process.

That’s because mental health conditions and substance use disorders often go hand in hand. Recovering from one condition requires addressing the other. 

Here are top tips for how to choose an addiction recovery center that offers high-quality, effective treatment for both SUDs and mental health issues.

1. Understand the Recovery Center’s Treatment Priorities

When searching for providers, look first at their treatment priorities, or the health issues they treat. That is, do they treat both substance abuse and mental health disorders? Or, do they treat primarily SUDs?

The best way to find a recovery center that addresses both your mental and physical health is to look for a dual diagnosis rehab center. A dual diagnosis involves having both an addiction and a mental health disorder at the same time.

These treatment centers work on a holistic approach (whole-body) to treat both conditions together. Leaving a mental health disorder unaddressed can get in the way of your addiction recovery, and vice versa.

To have an optimal chance at lasting recovery and learn to manage both health conditions, find a recovery center that prioritizes both substance abuse treatment and mental health treatment.

2. Look for Master’s Level Clinicians

Your recovery from both addiction and mental health disorders will be as strong as the treatment and support you receive.

To that end, it’s crucial to get care in a facility that offers treatment programs run by master’s-degree level clinicians. To be more specific, you should consider treatment centers that have staff on-site with higher educational degrees in the field of mental health and substance use disorder treatment.

What will this look like? Some of these specialists may include:

• Case managers
• Educational tutors
• Licensed counselors
• Physician Associates (PA)
• Psychiatrists
• Psychologists
• Psychotherapists
• Mental health coordinators
• Peer workers
• Registered nurses
• Social workers

You can ask to tour the recovery center in person, and ask about the staff’s credentials while you are there. 

Then, you can check the licensing and credentials of staff for safety purposes using an online directory of providers, through your health insurance company, or on your state government’s website.

Another sign of a high-quality treatment center is accreditation from a third-party organization, such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Joint Commission, or CARF international. This shows that the facility is dedicated to providing a high standard of care to address your mental health.

3. Consider the Facility’s Specializations

Next, you may want to consider the facility’s specializations, or whether they offer treatment plans tailored to the unique needs of specific groups.

Some examples of specialized addiction and mental health rehab programs include:

• Gender-based treatment
• LGBTQ friendly support groups
• Faith-based treatment tracks
• Youth-based treatment
• Treatment for pregnant women
• Support groups for intimate partner violence

Choosing a rehab facility that offers treatment plans for your specific needs in recovery in a supportive environment can improve your mental health and lend to long-term recovery.

4. Find Out if the Recovery Center Offers Diverse Treatment Options

Getting evidence-based treatment is crucial to your overall well-being. But your success in both treatment and recovery can also be affected by choosing a facility that offers the right treatment options for you.

Each person will respond differently to treatment than the next. So the treatment facility you choose should offer treatments for substance abuse and mental health that include both traditional or evidence-based therapies and programs as well as alternative ones.

Here are some of the most common evidence-based treatments to look for:

• Inpatient programs
• Outpatient programs
• Behavioral therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
• Aftercare
• Detoxification (detox) programs
• Healthcare (in inpatient programs)
• Group therapy
• Family Therapy
• Co-occurring disorder treatment also known as dual diagnosis care
• Treatment for withdrawal symptoms from opioid or alcohol addictions, such as medication-assisted treatment

And here are some useful alternative treatments shown to aid the recovery process:

• Animal therapy
• Art therapy
• Equine therapy
• Massage therapy
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Music therapy
• Recreational therapy
• Tai chi
• Wellness therapy
• Yoga

5. Look at the Dual Diagnosis/Mental Health Treatment Approach

Finally, review the drug rehab center’s treatment approach for both addiction and mental illness. The best addiction treatment programs operate on a holistic approach, meaning they work to restore full-body wellness by the end of your treatment program.

Of course, your recovery journey will continue long after you leave treatment. Yet behavioral health disorders like addiction heal best when physical and mental health are also sound.

To know if the treatment center you are considering offers holistic care, look for:

• Diet and nutrition plans
• Plans that offer therapies specific to your mental health issues
• Plans that offer therapies specific to your addiction
• Relapse prevention treatment tracks
• Plans for aftercare (leaving treatment)
• Self-care encouragement
• The overall quality of care

Essentially, when choosing a dual diagnosis treatment center, you want to ensure that all your health needs are met during treatment. That way, your body has optimal chances for healing and aiding you in lasting recovery.

The top treatment centers will offer inpatient or outpatient treatments to teach you the skills and coping methods to manage your mental health and substance use triggers as they come. 

Find a Recovery Center for Both Substance Abuse and Mental Health

Recovery from addiction and mental health disorders is a delicate process. It requires swift, effective, and high-quality treatment strategies to ensure it lasts.

At Otter House Wellness in North Carolina, you can discover top mental health and substance abuse treatment for you or your loved one.

We offer outpatient treatment options, including both evidence-based and alternative therapies for a holistic approach. 

Our staff are fully licensed and passionate about helping as many people as we can to reach optimal wellness and reclaim their lives. 

Reach out to us today to learn more about how we can help you conquer substance abuse or mental health issues.

Sources

• CARF International. “Our Standards.” Retrieved from: https://carf.org/accreditation/our-standards/. Accessed on July 11, 2025. 
• Cleveland Clinic. “Holistic Psychotherapy.” Retrieved from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/departments/wellness/integrative/treatments-services/holistic-psychotherapy. Accessed on July 11, 2025.  
• Joint Commission. “Behavioral Health Care Accreditation and Certification Options.” Retrieved from: https://www.jointcommission.org/what-we-offer/accreditation/health-care-settings/behavioral-health-care/learn/accreditation-options-certifications/. Accessed on July 11, 2025.  
• National Alliance on Mental Illness. “Types of Mental Health Professionals.” Retrieved from: https://www.nami.org/about-mental-illness/treatments/types-of-mental-health-professionals/. Accessed on July 11, 2025.