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Reviewed by The state of Wisconsin, known as America’s Dairyland, is home to an estimated 5.8 million people who occupy 54,000 square miles of diverse landscape. Like every state in America, Wisconsin has had its share of problems with substance abuse. In 2016, the Wisconsin Epidemiological Profile on Alcohol and Other Drugs revealed some interesting statistics about illicit substance use in the state.
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Alcohol is the most frequently abused substance in the state and was a factor in more than 2,000 deaths in 2015. Residential treatment centers in Wisconsin are seeing an increasing number of young adults abusing prescription drugs. Nearly 900 residents of Wisconsin died from illicit drug use in 2015, with opioids being the most commonly implicated drugs, followed by heroin and benzodiazepines.
Are alcohol treatment centers in Wisconsin equipped to deal with the problem? What are the challenges of substance abuse in the Badger State? Are there free inpatient drug rehab centers in Wisconsin for people who cannot afford private care?
Read on to learn more about the facts and figures, and types of addiction treatment facilities in WI.
6 Best Rehab Centers in Wisconsin
Residents of the state have many options for the treatment of addiction and substance abuse. Many facilities are accredited by CARF, which ensures adherence to quality standards.
Here are 6 of the top-rated rehab centers in Wisconsin:
Burkwood Treatment Center, Hudson, WI
This drug and alcohol rehab in Wisconsin has been offering effective rehab programs for over 25 years. The CARF-accredited facility is staffed by compassionate therapists who develop customized treatment goals for each recovering addict.
Clients are housed in a 35-bed former mansion located on a serene, rustic campus. The peaceful location allows clients to unplug from daily life, escape from stressors, and rediscover their inner strength. In addition to detoxification and physical treatment, an emphasis is placed on emotional development and spiritual enrichment in a highly structured environment.
The 12-step program is supplemented by the MAAEZ (making AA more accessible) initiative that has proven efficacy in promoting abstinence. Some of the addictions treated at this facility include alcohol, marijuana, heroin, and crack cocaine during a 6-week program.
Koinonia Residential Treatment Center, Rhinelander, WI
Established in 1974, this community-based facility is state certified and licensed to provide addiction recovery services to individuals and families. Using evidence-based treatment modalities, therapists develop individualized programs of varying lengths of stay for each client.
This residential drug rehab center in Wisconsin offers people struggling with addiction a chance to recover with dignity and respect in safe surroundings. Yoga, exercise, nutrition education, and community outings are offered to clients who are housed on a 10-acre wooded site in Rhinelander.
Family involvement is a vital component of the treatment process here. Counseling helps family members understand the effects of addiction and develop healthy coping strategies. This ensures that the recovering addict feels supported and the family knows how to maintain an alcohol- and drug-free environment for relapse prevention.
Call the helpline to learn more about the various treatment components at this center, including individual and group therapy, spirituality, and support groups.
Waukesha Comprehensive Treatment Center, Waukesha, WI
This specialized opioid addiction outpatient drug treatment center in Wisconsin was founded in 2003. Therapists use time-tested, evidence-based modalities to help men and women break free from addictive behaviors.
Medication-assisted treatment with methadone, Subutex, and Suboxone is offered to individuals in the grip of prescription painkillers or heroin addiction. Trained counselors work with doctors and nurses to administer medications that manage the withdrawal symptoms of drug addiction.
On-site physicians make daily dosage adjustments. Individual and group therapy sessions supplement medical management and address the underlying psychological factors that led to addiction.
Roots Recovery Houses – Milwaukee Men’s Sober Living, Milwaukee, WI
The Roots prides itself in its cause-led approach to addiction treatment. This rehab employs a holistic, strength-based approach that deals with the underlying causes of addiction first, before any other steps such as medication-assisted treatment.
Roots Recovery House offers various levels of care, including inpatient, outpatient, and intensive outpatient care, each one recommended according to the condition that each person is dealing with. The center’s treatment programs address addiction to substances such as alcohol, heroin, opioids, benzodiazepines, methamphetamines, cocaine, and other controlled substances.
Treatment services available at this rehab center in Wisconsin include Individual Counseling, Group & Family Counseling, 12-Step Program, Dual Diagnosis, Life Skills, and Alumni Fellowship.
Beacon House, Fond du Lac, WI
This facility, founded in 1993, provides compassionate, professional, individualized help to women battling alcoholism and other chemical dependencies. Located in a charming four-story Victorian-style home in a safe residential neighborhood, this drug and alcohol rehab in Wisconsin helps women, including those with children, rebuild their lives in a safe, supportive environment.
The daily schedule during the 90-120-day program includes personal hygiene, meditation, chores, and therapy. Clients cook their own breakfast and lunch in an open-plan kitchen, while dinner is prepared collectively by all the residents.
Parenting classes and education on nutrition and health are available to recovering addicts. Individual and group therapy sessions, 12-step programs, spiritual therapy, family education, and anger management classes are conducted.
The facility offers safe indoor and outdoor play areas for the children, and volunteers are available to watch them. Arrangements for child care are discussed before admission, and Beacon House helps clients find child care providers in the community.
Rogers Behavioral Health, Oconomowoc, WI
RBH offers various levels of addiction care, including intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, and residential care. The center provides treatment for children, teens, and adults in a serene environment.
Rogers adopts medication-assisted withdrawal management for alcohol and opioid addiction, and their outpatient center provides a conducive environment for individuals who are placed on the daytime treatment plan.
To find out what the financial implications of receiving treatment at this rehab center in Wisconsin will be, one can reach out to their Patient Financial Services department. More information about other services can be found by calling the toll-free helpline.
Addiction Treatment: Are There Free Drug Rehab Centers in Wisconsin?
Perhaps the saddest thing about drug-related deaths is that they are completely preventable. The government is aware of the alcohol and illicit drug epidemic in the state. In partnership with the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, the Department of Health has created the Strengthening Treatment Access and Retention Program to reduce waiting times, increase admissions to drug treatment centers in Wisconsin, and improve treatment continuation between sessions.
Drug rehab centers in Wisconsin offer a range of programs and specialized treatment plans to address the unique needs of each recovering addict. Some facilities address co-occurring addiction and mental health disorders.
There are also gender-specific centers that admit women only and centers that specialize in caring for adolescents struggling with substance abuse. Outpatient and residential treatment facilities are available at low cost for those with limited resources.
It is well known that the effectiveness of substance use services is highest when participants complete the rehabilitation program. In 2016, Clark County had one of the best treatment completion rates at more than 86 percent, while Waupaca County fared poorly with a less than 2 percent completion rate.
Each county has different resources and levels of funding, but Menominee County had the highest annual rate of participants in substance abuse services at 29.8 per 1,000 people in 2016.
Over the years, admissions for alcohol and cocaine have reduced, but unfortunately, admissions for opioid abuse almost tripled in the decade following 2005. Alcohol is the primary substance of abuse in more than 60 percent of admissions, followed by heroin (about 12 percent), marijuana (about 10 percent), opiates (6 percent), and crack cocaine about 4 percent.
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Drug Abuse Statistics In Wisconsin
With a population that is predominantly white (86 percent), the state of Wisconsin has urban areas, such as Milwaukee County, with a density of almost 4,000 people per square mile, as well as rural areas with only eight people per square mile.
Do these demographic characteristics affect substance abuse? Is America’s Dairyland the drunkest state in America? What are the most common addictions treated at drug rehab centers in Wisconsin? Let’s look at some facts and figures.
Alcohol Abuse
- Binge drinking in adults is one of the highest in America.
- Alcohol consumption in the state is 660 standard drinks per resident, well above the national average of 513.
Methamphetamines in Wisconsin
- In 2019, there were 166 meth-related deaths in the state.
- Methamphetamine use costs the state an estimated 424 million dollars each year.
Wisconsin Drug Abuse: Opioids, Heroin, and Other Drugs
- The percentage of drug deaths involving heroin increased dramatically from 5 percent in 2006 to 33 percent in 2014.
- 15 percent of high school students in the state admitted to misuse of prescription opioids.
- 285 heroin-related deaths were recorded in Wisconsin in 2019.
- 298 cocaine-related deaths were recorded in the same year.
In 2020, 3099 deaths were related to excessive alcohol intake in the state.
There was a 1592 percent increase in methamphetamine seizures by the State Patrol from 2010 to 2014.
916 deaths in 2019 were related to some form of opioid
Wisconsin Drug Laws
The schedules of controlled substances under drug laws in Wisconsin are as follows:
- Schedule I: heroin, LSD, mescaline, marijuana, and peyote
- Schedule II: opium, cocaine, methadone, amphetamines, and methamphetamines.
- Schedule III: Anabolic steroids and Naline
- Schedule IV: Valium, Xanax, and other tranquilizers and sedatives
- Schedule V: cough medicines with codeine and other drugs with small amounts of codeine or other narcotics in them
Aside from the possession of these substances, possession of drug paraphernalia is also illegal and can also lead to jail time and a fine.
The full details of maximum penalties for drug possession in Wisconsin are as follows:
| Substance | Detail | Sentencing (Potential Imprisonment) | Sentencing (Potential Fine) |
| Marijuana | First offense (misdemeanor) | 6 months in jail | $1,000 |
| Marijuana | Second or subsequent offenses (felony) | 3.5 years in jail | $10,000 |
| Cocaine | First offense (misdemeanor) | 1 year in jail | $5,000 |
| Cocaine | Second or subsequent offenses (felony) | 3.5 years in jail | $10,000 |
| Methamphetamine | First offense (misdemeanor) | 1 year in jail | $5,000 |
| Methamphetamine | Second or subsequent offenses (felony) | 3.5 years in jail | $10,000 |
| LSD | First offense (misdemeanor) | 1 year in jail | $5,000 |
| LSD | Second or subsequent offenses (felony) | 3.5 years in jail | $10,000 |
| Heroin | First offense (felony) | 3.5 years in jail | $10,000 |
Wisconsin Weed Laws
Under Wisconsin law, the possession or use of marijuana is illegal, with the exception of using CBD oil for medicinal purposes. The Controlled Substances Board under Wisconsin’s Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) regulates the dispensation of CBD oil, and there is no exhaustive list showing clearly which medical conditions qualify a resident of the state for possession/use of the substance.
Instead, every case is treated independently as each person using CBD oils for medicinal purposes must have a doctor’s certification that clearly references the medicinal purpose of the substance for that person, and express permission to use it for treatment.
At the moment, possession of the substance is treated as a misdemeanor for first-time offenders and is punishable by jail time or a fine. Repeat offenders will face stricter penalties, as will people that cultivate, sell or deliver cannabis in the state.
Beating Addiction in Wisconsin: Help is on Hand
For many people battling substance use disorders, being able to afford treatment is the biggest hurdle in getting on the path to recovery. There are a few low-cost or free inpatient drug rehabs in Wisconsin that provide addiction treatment and housing at no cost.
Recovering addicts can also benefit from vocational drug rehabs such as The Robby Dawson Home for Women that offers faith-based addiction recovery programs in downtown Milwaukee.
Dual diagnosis therapy addresses both addiction and mental health issues for an all-encompassing approach to substance abuse. There are plenty of residential treatment centers in Wisconsin that offer such programs.
Adolescents with substance use disorders can obtain care at centers that combine addiction treatment with fun activities to make the path to sobriety easier for young people.
Are you looking for drug rehab in Wisconsin? Advisors are available to answer your questions, give you more information on the best effective addiction treatment, and guide you in developing a plan to beat addiction.
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Addiction Resource team has compiled an extensive list of the top drug rehabilitation facilities around the country. Click on the state you are interested in, and you'll get a list of the best centers in the area, along with their levels of care, working hours, and contact information. Haven't found the rehab you need? Call the toll-free helpline below for professional assistance.
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Page Sources
- Substance Use: Drug Overdose Deaths Dashboard. (2021, January 25). Wisconsin Department of Health Services. https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/aoda/drug-overdose-deaths.htm
- Wisconsin: Opioid-Involved Deaths and Related Harms. (2020, July 2). National Institute on Drug Abuse. https://www.drugabuse.gov/drug-topics/opioids/opioid-summaries-by-state/wisconsin-opioid-involved-deaths-related-harms
- W. (2021, June 22). Strengthening Treatment Access and Retention-Quality Improvement (STAR-QI). UW Family Medicine & Community Health. https://www.fammed.wisc.edu/star-qi/