Residential Alcohol Rehab in Texas

Alcohol is legal, everywhere and easy to hide, which is why many Texans and their families wait until a DWI, a hospital stay or a frightening withdrawal before looking for help. Residential alcohol rehab is a live-in program where you get through withdrawal safely, step away from the routines that keep drinking going, and spend each day in counseling, education and recovery work with staff present around the clock.

This page covers why alcohol withdrawal needs medical attention, what residential alcohol treatment looks like under Texas rules, the medications that help people stay sober, how Texas insurance handles alcohol rehab, and how to find a program near home. Programs are listed by region, county and city below.

Why alcohol is different: withdrawal can be dangerous

Stopping suddenly after long, heavy drinking can be life-threatening. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) notes that alcohol withdrawal drives roughly 260,000 emergency department visits and about 850 deaths a year in the U.S., and that seizures and delirium tremens are among its most serious symptoms. Some people can withdraw safely as outpatients, but NIAAA says intensive inpatient detox is for people at risk of life-threatening symptoms, and benzodiazepines are the first-line medication.

That's why most residential alcohol rehab begins with medical detox, either on site or at a partner program. In Texas, a licensed detox program must have a physician medical director and a physician on call around the clock, a licensed nurse on duty at least eight hours every day, and checks of withdrawal symptoms and vital signs every four hours for the first 72 hours. If someone you love drinks every day and has had shakes, sweats, hallucinations or a seizure when they stopped, don't let them quit cold turkey at home.

What residential alcohol rehab provides in Texas

Texas licenses addiction treatment through HHSC under one set of rules for alcohol and drugs. Residential treatment means round-the-clock clinical care in a residential setting with a structured therapeutic environment. In an intensive residential program, you'd have an average of at least 30 hours of services each week: counseling (at least 10 hours, with individual sessions), education and life skills (10 hours) and planned recovery activities (10 hours, including some evenings and weekends). Counselors carry no more than 10 clients each, and group counseling is capped at 16 people.

Alcohol-focused programming usually covers how alcohol affects the brain and body, triggers and cravings, relapse prevention, rebuilding sleep and nutrition, repairing relationships, and planning for social situations where drinking is expected, which in Texas covers a lot of ground, from tailgates to weddings to the company happy hour.

Medications that help

NIAAA lists three non-addictive medications approved by the FDA for alcohol use disorder: naltrexone, acamprosate and disulfiram. They can be used alone or with counseling. Ask any program you're considering whether its physicians prescribe them and whether they'll help you continue after discharge. Medication isn't a substitute for treatment, but for many people it lowers cravings enough to make the rest of recovery possible.

Check the license

Texas law (Health and Safety Code Sec. 464.002) requires a state license to offer chemical dependency treatment. You can verify a program through the HHSC chemical dependency treatment facility page. Faith-based programs that use only nonmedical methods are registered with HHSC instead of licensed, and they aren't licensed to manage alcohol withdrawal. HHSC also takes complaints about licensed facilities online at any hour.

Residential Alcohol Rehab in Texas at a glance

Counts come from this directory, which combines the SAMHSA National Directory of Substance Use Treatment Facilities with public business listings. "Confirmed" programs are those whose SAMHSA service codes or listings show residential, inpatient or detox care; 55 report accepting private health insurance in the SAMHSA directory. Always confirm services directly.

Paying for alcohol rehab in Texas

Texas Insurance Code Chapter 1368 requires group health plans to cover necessary treatment of chemical dependency, which includes alcohol, on terms no less favorable than coverage for physical illness. State parity law (House Bill 10) and the federal parity law also limit plans from applying stricter copays, visit limits or prior authorization rules to substance use care than to comparable medical care. Residential stays usually require prior authorization; detox may be authorized separately.

Major Texas carriers and residential alcohol rehab

Plan rules vary, and self-funded employer plans can differ. Always confirm benefits with the member services number on your ID card.

If your ID card shows "TDI" or "DOI," your plan is regulated by the Texas Department of Insurance, and you can get help with appeals from TDI's consumer help line. See insurance for rehab in Texas for the appeal steps, including free independent review.

Finding a program close to home

Staying in Texas usually makes insurance simpler and keeps family close enough for family sessions and visits, which matters with alcohol because the home environment is often where the next drink is offered. Many people still choose a program a region away from home to get real distance.

Residential Alcohol Rehab by region

Texas's Health and Human Services Commission organizes services into 11 health service regions. Here's where residential alcohol rehab programs on our list are located.

Questions to ask an alcohol rehab

• Do you provide medical detox on site, and who manages withdrawal at night and on weekends?
• Do your physicians prescribe naltrexone, acamprosate or disulfiram, and will you coordinate a prescriber after discharge?
• Is the program intensive or supportive residential, and how long is a typical stay?
• How do you treat depression, anxiety or trauma alongside drinking?
• Is the program in network with my plan, and have you confirmed precertification?
• What does aftercare look like, and do you help arrange outpatient care and support meetings near my home?

Supporting someone through alcohol rehab

Families are often the ones who make the first call. If you're that person, a few things help. Pick a calm, sober moment to talk, describe specific things you've seen rather than labels, and have a program and an admission time ready, because willingness can fade within hours. If drinking is daily and heavy, don't push for an abrupt stop at home; aim for a supervised detox admission instead.

While your loved one is in treatment, take part in family sessions if the program offers them, and get support for yourself. Many families find that their own routines have bent around the drinking for years. After discharge, a sober home matters: remove alcohol from the house, plan alcohol-free gatherings for the first few months, and agree in advance on what happens if a slip occurs. A slip is a signal to adjust the plan, not proof that treatment failed.

Alcohol and the law in Texas

Many people arrive at alcohol rehab after a DWI. Treatment won't resolve a criminal case, but courts and probation officers often take documented treatment into account, and a program can provide records with your written consent. Ask your attorney how treatment fits with your case before you enroll.

Find residential alcohol rehab near you

Residential Alcohol Rehab in Texas's largest cities

• Dallas (121 within 25 mi)
• Houston (117 within 25 mi)
• San Antonio (38 within 25 mi)
• Austin (67 within 25 mi)
• Fort Worth (69 within 25 mi)
• El Paso (18 within 25 mi)
• McAllen (18 within 25 mi)
• Denton (47 within 25 mi)
• Arlington (102 within 25 mi)
• Corpus Christi (13 within 25 mi)
• Plano (115 within 25 mi)
• Lubbock (12 within 25 mi)
• Laredo (5 within 25 mi)
• McKinney (71 within 25 mi)
• Killeen (12 within 25 mi)
• Garland (114 within 25 mi)
• Irving (148 within 25 mi)
• Brownsville (11 within 25 mi)
• College Station (5 within 25 mi)
• Amarillo (9 within 25 mi)
• Frisco (98 within 25 mi)
• Grand Prairie (119 within 25 mi)
• Waco (10 within 25 mi)
• Odessa (12 within 25 mi)
• Midland (12 within 25 mi)
• Port Arthur (15 within 25 mi)
• Pasadena (107 within 25 mi)
• Beaumont (15 within 25 mi)
• Tyler (14 within 25 mi)
• Mesquite (84 within 25 mi)

Residential Alcohol Rehab programs across Texas

One program from each of several Texas counties, confirmed programs first. Use the county and city links for the closest options to you.

Residential Alcohol Rehab by county

• Harris County (102)
• Dallas County (63)
• Tarrant County (52)
• Travis County (42)
• Collin County (37)
• Bexar County (37)
• Denton County (24)
• Fort Bend County (22)
• Brazoria County (20)
• Hidalgo County (18)
• El Paso County (18)
• Williamson County (18)
• Galveston County (15)
• Jefferson County (14)
• Hays County (13)
• Montgomery County (12)
• Bell County (12)
• Smith County (12)
• Lubbock County (12)
• Cameron County (11)
• Nueces County (11)
• McLennan County (10)
• Wichita County (8)
• Grayson County (8)
• Ector County (8)
• Bastrop County (8)
• Kaufman County (7)
• Potter County (6)
• Johnson County (6)
• Taylor County (6)
• Ellis County (6)
• Parker County (5)
• Kerr County (5)
• Comal County (5)
• Tom Green County (5)
• Brazos County (5)
• Webb County (5)
• Angelina County (4)
• Midland County (4)
• Liberty County (3)
• Bowie County (3)
• Hale County (3)
• Gregg County (3)
• Henderson County (3)
• Rockwall County (3)
• Waller County (3)
• San Patricio County (3)
• Gonzales County (3)
• Randall County (3)
• Harrison County (3)
• Starr County (2)
• Walker County (2)
• Chambers County (2)
• Hamilton County (2)
• Hunt County (2)
• Hutchinson County (2)
• Austin County (2)
• Hill County (2)
• Palo Pinto County (2)
• Bandera County (2)
• Wood County (2)
• Nacogdoches County (2)
• Wilbarger County (2)
• Val Verde County (2)
• Lamar County (2)
• Victoria County (2)
• Zapata County (2)
• Brown County (2)
• Cherokee County (2)
• Howard County (2)
• Matagorda County (2)
• Anderson County (2)
• Gillespie County (2)
• Washington County (2)
• Ochiltree County (2)
• Wilson County (1)
• Brewster County (1)
• Navarro County (1)
• Bee County (1)
• Deaf Smith County (1)
• Rusk County (1)
• Bailey County (1)
• Van Zandt County (1)
• Hardin County (1)
• Upshur County (1)
• Pecos County (1)
• Gray County (1)
• Caldwell County (1)
• Falls County (1)
• Madison County (1)
• Willacy County (1)
• Wise County (1)
• Tyler County (1)
• Moore County (1)
• Cooke County (1)
• Limestone County (1)
• Kendall County (1)
• Kleberg County (1)
• Erath County (1)
• Hardeman County (1)
• Orange County (1)
• Maverick County (1)
• Wharton County (1)
• Burnet County (1)
• Uvalde County (1)
• Panola County (1)
• Fayette County (1)
• Polk County (1)

Don't see your county? Every county has a page with the nearest programs: browse all 254 Texas counties.

Other types of care

Related guides

• What Is Residential Treatment for Addiction in Texas?
• Faith-Based and Christian Rehab in Texas: Licensed vs Registered Programs
• Pet-Friendly Rehab in Texas: What It Means and What to Ask
• Does Cigna Cover Rehab in Texas?
• Does Ambetter Cover Rehab in Texas?

This page is general information, not medical or legal advice. Confirm services, licensing and insurance directly with any program.