Our interventionists help Virginia families move a loved one from active drug use into treatment, with a plan built around safety from the first call.
A drug intervention is a structured meeting, prepared with a professional interventionist, in which the people closest to someone who is using ask them to accept treatment that day. We travel to families throughout Virginia, from Richmond, Arlington and Alexandria to smaller towns, and planning starts right away, because with today's drug supply waiting carries real risk.
Court-ordered addiction treatment. No addiction-specific process a family can start.
Overdose Good Samaritan law. Yes (Va. Code § 18.2-251.03).
Naloxone. Pharmacies dispense under a public standing order; local health departments and some Community Services Boards offer it free, and it is sold over the counter (source).
State agency. Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS).
State treatment line. Community Services Board (CSB) locator.
Emergency. Call 911 if a loved one is in immediate danger. Call or text 988 for an emotional crisis.
Virginia recorded 1,552 drug overdose deaths in 2024, an age-adjusted rate of 17.6 per 100,000, according to the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (source). Before anything else, keep your loved one alive.
If your loved one is in immediate danger, call 911. If they are in emotional crisis, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Virginia has a Good Samaritan overdose law (Va. Code § 18.2-251.03) that offers some legal protection to people who call for help during an overdose. Its protections have conditions, but calling 911 is always the right move.
Naloxone (Narcan) reverses an opioid overdose, not stimulants. See our fentanyl family guide.
Virginia's paraphernalia law excludes drug checking products used to detect contaminants, which covers fentanyl test strips (Va. Code § 54.1-3466) (source).
Each one shapes the medical side of detox differently.
Not directly. Virginia has no substance use commitment law that a family can start on its own. A planned, professionally led intervention is the most reliable route to treatment.
Virginia's civil commitment law (Va. Code § 37.2-817) applies to mental illness, which state law defines separately from substance abuse. There is no separate court process to commit someone for substance use alone. (source) Confirm the current rules with a Virginia attorney before relying on them.
See the full steps, how fast someone leaves for treatment and our cost guide.
The state agency that oversees substance use treatment is Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS). For treatment searches, Virginia offers Community Services Board (CSB) locator.
Yes. Virginia has a Good Samaritan overdose law (Va. Code § 18.2-251.03) that offers some legal protection to people who call for help. Its protections have conditions, but calling 911 is always the right move.
We begin planning right away by phone or video, and travel to families throughout Virginia, including Richmond, Arlington and Alexandria. Call (850) 563-9776 to talk through realistic timing.
One confidential conversation with a professional interventionist. No pressure, no obligation. We'll help you find the right next step for your family.
