Fentanyl has changed what is at stake when someone you love is using. A planned drug intervention gives your Washington, DC family a way to act now, together.
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 Washington, DC, and planning starts right away, because with today's drug supply waiting carries real risk.
Court-ordered addiction treatment. Yes, but the government files, not the family, under the District's commitment law for chronic alcoholics and drug users (D.C. Code § 24-607; §§ 24-702 to 24-715).
Overdose Good Samaritan law. Yes (D.C. Code § 7-403).
Naloxone. Naloxone is free in every ward with no ID or prescription, at pharmacies, health centers and vending machines. Text LiveLongDC to 888-811 for delivery (source).
State agency. DC Department of Behavioral Health (DBH).
State treatment line. DBH Access HelpLine: 1-888-7WE-HELP (1-888-793-4357).
Emergency. Call 911 if a loved one is in immediate danger. Call or text 988 for an emotional crisis.
The District of Columbia recorded 315 drug overdose deaths in 2024, an age-adjusted rate of 43.2 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.
Washington, DC has a Good Samaritan overdose law (D.C. Code § 7-403) 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.
The DC Stabilization Center, run under the Department of Behavioral Health, is open 24/7 to give immediate support to adults in a substance use crisis (source).
Each one shapes the medical side of detox differently.
Not directly. Under the District's commitment law for chronic alcoholics and drug users, the government, not the family, files the petition in Superior Court after a probable cause finding. A family can raise the concern, but cannot start the case on its own. It is a backstop, not a shortcut: a planned intervention is usually the faster and more lasting route, and a Washington, DC attorney can confirm how the law applies to your family.
The law to know is the District's commitment law for chronic alcoholics and drug users (D.C. Code § 24-607; §§ 24-702 to 24-715). Families cannot petition directly. After a probable cause finding, the government files in Superior Court for inpatient treatment. Alcohol commitments run up to 30 days. Laws change, so confirm the current rules with a Washington, DC attorney before you rely on them.
See the full steps, how fast someone leaves for treatment and our cost guide.
We travel to families everywhere in Washington, DC and in the states around it.
The state agency that oversees substance use treatment is DC Department of Behavioral Health (DBH). For treatment searches, Washington, DC offers DBH Access HelpLine: 1-888-7WE-HELP (1-888-793-4357).
Yes. Washington, DC has a Good Samaritan overdose law (D.C. Code § 7-403) 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 Washington, DC. 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.
