About PlainRecovery

Our Mission

Recovery is possible, and access to information is the first step. PlainRecovery exists because individuals, families, and professionals seeking treatment deserve a clear, searchable directory of facilities — not a confusing government database or a pay-to-play directory that prioritizes facilities based on advertising spend.

We believe that finding treatment should be as straightforward as possible during what is often a crisis moment. PlainRecovery organizes SAMHSA data into a user-friendly format so you can search by location, filter by services (MAT, detox, telehealth), and check payment options (Medicaid, Medicare, sliding-fee) — all from one place, for free.

We present facility data without editorial rankings, sponsored placements, or advertising-driven results. Every facility listing shows the same information from the same federal source. Our role is to make the data accessible, not to steer treatment decisions.

Data Sources

All facility data comes from SAMHSA's National Substance Use and Mental Health Services Survey (N-SUMHSS), an annual census-style survey of all known substance use and mental health treatment facilities in the United States. The N-SUMHSS collects detailed information on each facility including:

• Facility location, name, and contact information
• Services offered (detox, MAT, residential, outpatient, telehealth)
• Populations served (adults, adolescents, veterans, pregnant women)
• Treatment approaches (cognitive behavioral, 12-step, trauma-informed)
• Payment options (Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, sliding-fee, self-pay)
• Licensure and accreditation status

The N-SUMHSS is the most comprehensive federal survey of treatment facilities. Unlike directories that rely on self-submission, the N-SUMHSS actively contacts every known facility to verify information. FindTreatment.gov is SAMHSA's official treatment locator, built on the same data.

How We Process the Data

We download SAMHSA's N-SUMHSS survey results and process them through the following steps:

• Geographic organization: Facilities are indexed by state, city, and service type, enabling searches across all 50 states plus the District of Columbia. City pages aggregate all facilities in a given city; state pages show statewide statistics and service availability.
• Service classification: We categorize facilities by key service dimensions — MAT availability, detox services, residential treatment, outpatient programs, telehealth options — based on N-SUMHSS survey responses. These classifications drive the filter functionality on city and state pages.
• Payment normalization: Payment acceptance (Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, sliding-fee, self-pay) is standardized across facilities to enable consistent filtering. Some facilities accept multiple payment types; all are shown.
• Missing data handling: When a facility did not respond to a specific survey question, we show the field as not reported rather than assuming a negative answer. A facility without a reported MAT indicator may or may not offer MAT — the data is simply not available.

Facility details are presented as reported in the survey. We do not add editorial ratings, quality scores, or treatment outcome data — these would require clinical information that the N-SUMHSS does not collect.

Data Currency

PlainRecovery currently displays data from SAMHSA's N-SUMHSS 2024 survey. The N-SUMHSS is conducted annually by SAMHSA, typically collecting facility data in the spring and publishing results later that year. We update PlainRecovery within 30 days of each new release.

Because the N-SUMHSS is a point-in-time survey, individual facility details — services offered, insurance accepted, hours of operation — may change between survey years. We strongly recommend calling facilities directly to verify current information before visiting. Facility closures, service changes, and new openings occur between surveys and are not reflected until the next annual release.

Editorial Independence

Content on PlainRecovery is compiled by our editorial team. Raw data from CMS, HHS, CDC, FDA, and HRSA is transformed into readable profiles by our continuous editorial pipeline, validated against the source before publication. The PlainRecovery editorial team, operating under Kiznis Studio, is responsible for editorial standards, methodology, and corrections.

We do not accept payment, sponsorship, or promoted placement from providers, hospitals, manufacturers, or any healthcare entity. Our only revenue source is contextual display advertising served by Google AdSense — advertisers do not influence which entities we cover or how we present data, and they do not receive preferential placement.

Limitations & Disclaimers

Known limitations of this dataset:

• Facility details are point-in-time survey responses and may not reflect current conditions — always call to verify before visiting.
• The N-SUMHSS does not collect treatment outcome data, wait times, or patient satisfaction scores.
• Not all facilities respond to every survey question — missing data does not indicate a negative answer.
• Private practitioners who prescribe buprenorphine but are not part of a facility may not appear in the data.
• The survey covers the 50 states and DC; territories have limited or no coverage.

Language

PlainRecovery uses person-first, non-stigmatizing language throughout the site. We say "substance use disorder" rather than "addiction," "person in recovery" rather than "addict," and "treatment facility" rather than "rehab." Language matters in reducing stigma and encouraging people to seek help.

Crisis Resources

Contact

Questions about PlainRecovery? Contact us at hello@plainrecovery.com.

We welcome:

• Questions about data sources or methodology
• Reports of facility data errors or outdated information
• Suggestions for additional features or data
• Media and research inquiries

PlainRecovery is published by ", a data intelligence company that builds free, public-interest data portals. We transform complex government datasets into accessible, searchable resources for researchers, journalists, policymakers, and the public.