Our interventionists help Vermont 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 Vermont, from Essex and South Burlington 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 (18 V.S.A. § 4254).
Naloxone. Anyone can get naloxone without a prescription under the state standing order, at no cost through pharmacies and community sites, or free by mail (source).
State agency. Vermont Department of Health, Division of Substance Use Programs.
State treatment line. VT Helplink: 802-565-LINK (5465) or 833-565-LINK (5465).
Emergency. Call 911 if a loved one is in immediate danger. Call or text 988 for an emotional crisis.
Vermont recorded 208 drug overdose deaths in 2024, an age-adjusted rate of 33.6 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.
Vermont has a Good Samaritan overdose law (18 V.S.A. § 4254) 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.
Act 178 of 2024 added 18 V.S.A. § 4256, providing legal protections for approved overdose prevention centers that follow Department of Health operating guidelines (source).
Each one shapes the medical side of detox differently.
Not directly. Vermont 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.
Vermont has no court process for families to commit someone for substance use alone. Police may place an incapacitated person in protective custody for up to 24 hours (18 V.S.A. § 4810). (source) Confirm the current rules with a Vermont attorney before relying on them.
VT Helplink (802-565-LINK), Vermont's alcohol and drug support center, runs 24/7 and its resource specialists help callers find services whether they are seeking help for themselves, a friend or a loved one (source).
See the full steps, how fast someone leaves for treatment and our cost guide.
The state agency that oversees substance use treatment is Vermont Department of Health, Division of Substance Use Programs. For treatment searches, Vermont offers VT Helplink: 802-565-LINK (5465) or 833-565-LINK (5465).
VT Helplink (802-565-LINK), Vermont's alcohol and drug support center, runs 24/7 and its resource specialists help callers find services whether they are seeking help for themselves, a friend or a loved one.
Yes. Vermont has a Good Samaritan overdose law (18 V.S.A. § 4254) 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 Vermont, including Essex and South Burlington. 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.
