Residential rehab gives you full immersion in recovery. You live at the facility, away from the environment that sustained your substance use, and focus entirely on getting well.
Inpatient and residential rehab programs provide structured, 24-hour care in a live-in setting. In New York, these programs are licensed by OASAS and range from short-term 28-day programs to longer stays of 60, 90, or more days. You sleep at the facility, eat there, attend therapy there, and receive clinical support around the clock.
For many people, the residential setting is what makes early recovery possible. It removes you from the people, places, and routines connected to substance use and replaces them with a structured daily schedule built around healing. The consistency of residential care helps your brain begin to stabilize while you develop new habits and coping skills.
Residential programs in New York serve adults, adolescents, and in some cases families. Many facilities offer specialized tracks for specific populations, including people with co-occurring mental health conditions, veterans, and individuals involved in the criminal legal system.
A typical day in residential treatment follows a structured schedule. Mornings often begin with a community meeting, followed by individual therapy sessions and group counseling. Afternoons may include skills workshops, recreational activities, or family sessions. Evenings often involve peer support groups and quiet time.
The structure is intentional. For people whose lives have been organized around substance use, learning to fill time with healthy routines is a core part of treatment. Boredom and unstructured time are significant relapse triggers, and residential programs are designed to minimize both.
Residential rehab is a strong fit for people who have tried outpatient treatment without success, whose home environment is not stable or supportive of recovery, who are dealing with a severe or long-standing substance use disorder, or who need distance from people or places closely tied to their use.
It is also often recommended for people managing both substance use and a serious mental health condition at the same time, since residential programs can provide integrated care for both.
Short-term residential programs run 28 to 30 days and are designed to stabilize you and connect you to ongoing outpatient care. Medium-term programs run 60 to 90 days and allow more time for behavioral therapy and life-skills development. Long-term residential programs, sometimes called therapeutic communities, may last 6 to 12 months and are best suited for people with complex needs.
The right length depends on your situation. Longer stays tend to produce more durable outcomes for people with severe substance use disorder or a history of relapse, though even shorter stays can be meaningful when followed by strong continuing care.
New York Medicaid covers residential rehab at OASAS-licensed facilities. Commercial insurance typically covers short-term residential care, though coverage for longer stays may require prior authorization and periodic reviews. Your admissions team can verify your benefits before admission.
State-funded residential beds are available for eligible New Yorkers without insurance. Many programs use a combination of funding sources, so cost should not stop you from reaching out to find out what is available.
Showing 48 of 254 programs. Browse by location below or call for the full list.