You Do Not Have to Figure This Out Alone.
When your child or someone you love is struggling with substance use, mental health, or both, it can be difficult to know what to do first. You may not know what kind of help they need, who to call, what questions to ask, or whether the situation is serious enough to seek treatment.
That is exactly why this guide exists. Peace & Love Recovery is being built to help families slow things down, understand the next step, and work toward real connections with appropriate treatment and community resources.
You Can Start Without Having All the Answers
Start with what you know today.
You do not need to diagnose your loved one or choose a treatment program on your own.
- What are you seeing or noticing?
- Does anyone appear to be in immediate danger?
- What has changed recently?
- What kind of support might make today safer or more manageable?
- Who can help you understand the options?
If the Situation Is Urgent
Safety comes first.
If someone is in immediate danger, has overdosed, is unconscious or having difficulty breathing, or may imminently harm themselves or someone else, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. For a mental health, emotional, suicide, or substance-use crisis, call or text 988. Peace & Love Recovery is not an emergency medical or crisis-response service.
Start Here
What do I do when I know something is wrong, but I do not know what to do next?
You do not have to solve everything today. Start by understanding what is happening right now, then work toward the next appropriate step.
Check Immediate Safety
Ask yourself whether your loved one appears to be in immediate physical danger or experiencing an urgent mental health or substance-use crisis. If the situation is an emergency, seek emergency help first.
Slow the Moment Down
You do not have to make every decision at once. Focus first on what needs attention today. A calm next step is often more useful than trying to create an entire recovery plan in one conversation.
Start a Conversation
Talk about what you have noticed instead of immediately arguing about labels or diagnoses. Lead with concern, listen, and make it clear that your goal is to help rather than punish.
Write Down What You Know
Make a simple list of changes you have noticed, known substance use, mental health concerns, previous treatment, medications if known, and anything else that may help a provider understand the situation.
Gather Practical Information
Age, location, insurance information if applicable, previous treatment, current concerns, transportation needs, and other practical details can make referral conversations easier.
Ask for Help Navigating Options
You are not expected to understand every program or level of care. Referral and resource-navigation support can help you identify appropriate providers and questions to ask.
Starting the Conversation
You do not need the perfect words.
A conversation about mental health or substance use can become emotional quickly. Try to begin with what you have personally noticed and why you are concerned.
The goal of the first conversation does not have to be getting someone to agree to treatment immediately. Sometimes the first goal is simply opening the door to another conversation.
You might start with:
“I have noticed that things seem harder for you lately, and I am worried about you.”
“I am not here to judge you. I want to understand what is going on.”
“You do not have to figure this out by yourself. We can look at options together.”
“What would make things feel a little safer or easier today?”
“Would you be willing to talk with someone who can help us understand what the next step could be?”
What Are You Seeing?
Focus on changes and concerns, not on trying to diagnose them yourself.
Parents and family members are often the first people to realize that something has changed. You may not know why it is happening, and that is okay.
Write down specific things you have noticed. That information may make it easier to explain the situation when talking with a treatment provider, mental health professional, physician, school professional, or referral resource.
Things you may want to make note of
- Significant changes in mood or behavior
- Changes in sleeping, eating, school, work, or daily routines
- Withdrawal from friends, family, or normal activities
- Known or suspected alcohol or drug use
- Major changes after a stressful or traumatic event
- Statements or behaviors that make you concerned about safety
- Previous mental health or substance-use treatment
- Current medications or diagnoses, if known
- Recent hospital, emergency-room, or crisis-service involvement
You do not need to have every answer. Share what you know and be clear about what you do not know.
Understanding the Options
What kind of help might my loved one need?
There is no single treatment path that fits every person. Age, safety, symptoms, substance use, physical health, previous treatment, family circumstances, and professional assessment can all affect what kind of care is appropriate.
You do not have to determine the correct level of care yourself. A qualified provider can evaluate the situation and make recommendations.
Mental Health Support
A family may be looking for therapy, psychiatric support, behavioral health services, crisis support, structured outpatient care, or another mental health resource.
Substance Use Treatment
Depending on the situation, options may include an assessment, detoxification through an appropriate provider, residential treatment, outpatient treatment, recovery support, or other services.
Mental Health & Substance Use
Sometimes both concerns are present. Families can ask prospective providers whether they are equipped to evaluate and support both mental health and substance-use needs.
Outpatient Care
Some people may be able to remain at home while attending scheduled treatment, therapy, groups, medical appointments, or other structured services.
Residential Care
Some situations may lead a provider to recommend a more structured setting where the person lives at the treatment facility while receiving care.
Community Support
Recovery may also involve peer support, family support, healthcare, transportation, housing resources, benefits, support groups, and other practical services.
How Peace & Love Recovery Can Help
You bring us the situation. We help you make sense of the next step.
Peace & Love Recovery is being built around a simple idea, families should not be handed a long list of treatment centers and expected to figure everything out by themselves.
Our goal is to help people of all ages and their families understand possible options, identify appropriate community providers, and work toward a real referral based on the person's needs and available resources.
Tell Us What Is Happening
Start with the situation as you understand it. You do not have to know the diagnosis or the kind of treatment your loved one needs.
Talk Through the Need
Age, location, immediate concerns, mental health, substance use, previous treatment, insurance or payment considerations, and other circumstances can help narrow the search.
Explore Appropriate Providers
The goal is to identify programs or community resources that appear relevant to the situation, including age-appropriate mental health or substance-use services.
Understand Your Questions
Before contacting a program, we want families to feel better prepared to ask about admissions, services, cost, insurance, family involvement, availability, and next steps.
Work Toward a Connection
Whenever possible, the vision is to help move beyond simply giving someone a phone number and instead work toward a warm connection with an appropriate resource.
Keep Moving Forward
If one program is not appropriate or available, that does not automatically mean there are no options. The next step may be exploring another provider or level of care.
An important note about referrals
Peace & Love Recovery can help families understand and navigate options, but receiving treatment providers make their own decisions regarding assessment, clinical appropriateness, admission, insurance acceptance, cost, availability, and placement. A referral or connection does not guarantee admission to a particular program.
Before You Call
What information should I have ready?
Do not delay asking for help because you are missing information. If you can gather a few basic details beforehand, though, conversations with treatment programs may be easier.
If you do not know the answer to something, simply say that you do not know.
Helpful information may include:
- The person's age and current location
- The main reason you are seeking help
- Any immediate safety concerns
- Mental health concerns or diagnoses, if known
- Substances being used, if known
- Current medications, if known
- Previous treatment or hospitalizations
- Insurance information, if applicable
- Transportation or geographic limitations
- Parent or guardian information if the person is a minor
- Any important medical concerns the provider should know about
Choosing a Provider
Questions to ask a treatment center or program.
You are allowed to ask questions. A referral conversation should help you understand what a program does, who it serves, and what happens next.
About the program
- Do you work with someone this age?
- Do you treat the primary concern we are calling about?
- Can you evaluate both mental health and substance-use concerns?
- What services and levels of care do you provide?
- How is the appropriate level of care determined?
- Who completes the initial assessment?
- If detoxification is needed, is that provided here or somewhere else?
- How soon can an assessment or admission happen?
About the practical details
- Do you accept our insurance?
- What costs should we expect?
- What does the person need to bring?
- How are families involved in treatment?
- How does communication with family members work?
- What happens after this level of treatment ends?
- What ongoing or aftercare support is available?
- If your program is not the right fit, can you recommend another resource?
When They Are Not Ready
What if my child or loved one does not want help?
This can be one of the hardest situations for a family. You may clearly see that something is wrong while your loved one does not agree, does not want to talk, or refuses the options you suggest.
Try to keep the door to communication open. Focus on specific behaviors you have observed, explain why you are concerned, listen when they speak, and avoid turning every conversation into an argument about whether they have a problem.
You can still seek guidance for yourself. Learning about resources, understanding potential treatment options, and preparing for the next conversation can help you respond more thoughtfully if the situation changes.
If the situation becomes an immediate safety emergency, seek emergency help rather than trying to manage the crisis alone.
Keep the focus on connection.
- Lead with concern instead of accusation
- Use specific examples of what you have noticed
- Listen without immediately interrupting or correcting
- Avoid trying to solve everything in one conversation
- Continue learning about available resources
- Ask professionals how you can respond appropriately
- Take urgent safety concerns seriously
Help Across the Lifespan
Your child does not stop being your child because they grew up.
Families seek help for people at very different stages of life. Peace & Love Recovery's goal is to help connect people with resources that are appropriate for their age, circumstances, and needs.
Children
Families looking for support for a child can be directed toward appropriate pediatric, behavioral health, mental health, and community resources based on available options.
Teenagers
Adolescents may need providers and programs specifically designed around the developmental, family, mental health, or substance-use needs of teens.
Young Adults
Young adulthood can bring new challenges involving independence, college, employment, relationships, mental health, substance use, and family support.
Adults
Parents, spouses, siblings, friends, and other loved ones may need help understanding options for an adult who is struggling.
Older Adults
Mental health and substance-use concerns can affect people later in life as well. Referral needs may include medical, behavioral health, recovery, or other age-appropriate resources.
The Whole Family
The person struggling is not the only person affected. Families may also benefit from education, peer support, counseling, support groups, and community resources.
“You do not have to understand the entire system before you ask someone to help you navigate it.”
When someone you love is struggling, it is easy to feel like every decision rests on your shoulders. It does not. Your job is not to become a therapist, doctor, treatment professional, or admissions specialist overnight. Your job is to care, pay attention, ask questions, and keep moving toward appropriate help.
While Peace & Love Recovery Is Being Built
You can still reach out for help today.
Peace & Love Recovery is currently in the startup and nonprofit formation stage. Specific drop-in services, hours, programs, and referral-navigation availability will be announced as the organization develops.
The long-term vision is to become a trusted connection point where individuals and families can receive compassionate support while working toward appropriate mental health, substance-use treatment, recovery, healthcare, and community resources.
National Resources
If you need support before the center opens
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988 for mental health, emotional, suicide, or substance-use crisis support.
SAMHSA National Helpline
Call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for treatment referral and information related to mental health and substance use.
If there is an immediate medical or safety emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
Family Questions
You are probably not the first parent to ask.
Do I need to know exactly what is wrong before reaching out?
No. Start by explaining what you are seeing and why you are concerned. A qualified provider can determine what assessment is appropriate.
Do you only help with addiction?
No. Peace & Love Recovery is being designed to help people navigate substance use, mental health, recovery, healthcare, and related community resources.
Can you help families looking for care for a minor?
The goal is to help families identify age-appropriate resources, including providers that serve children and adolescents when those services are available within the referral network.
Can you guarantee that a treatment center will accept my loved one?
No. Admissions decisions, clinical eligibility, insurance acceptance, cost, availability, and placement are determined by the receiving treatment provider.
What if we do not have insurance?
Tell the referral resource or provider about your financial situation. Depending on availability, there may be different payment arrangements, public resources, community programs, or other options worth exploring.
Is Peace & Love Recovery an emergency service?
No. Peace & Love Recovery is being developed as a peer-support and resource-navigation center, not an emergency department, hospital, crisis-response team, detox facility, or residential treatment program.
One Conversation Can Be a Beginning
You do not have to have everything figured out before you ask for help.
Whether you are worried about your child, teenager, adult child, spouse, parent, sibling, or another person you love, start with what you know. Peace & Love Recovery is being built to help people feel less alone while they work toward the next appropriate connection.