Resource Friday. Substance Use Disorder rarely affects just one person. Parents, spouses, siblings, and children all carry a version of the weight, often without a clear place to bring it. These Wisconsin resources exist specifically for the people supporting someone else’s recovery, not just the person in it.
The Wisconsin Addiction Recovery Helpline
The Wisconsin Addiction Recovery Helpline is a free, confidential service available 24/7 by calling or texting 211. You can also call 833-944-4673 directly. Trained specialists can connect family members with treatment options, local support groups, and general guidance. It’s not just the person seeking treatment themselves. This is often the fastest way to get oriented if you do not know where to start.
Al-Anon and Alateen
Al-Anon Family Groups offer support specifically for the friends and family of someone struggling with alcohol use, based on a twelve-step model similar to AA. Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan fall under Area 61, with in-person and virtual meetings held throughout the state. Alateen, a related program for teenagers, gives younger family members a space built for their specific experience rather than an adult-oriented group.
Al-Anon meetings are free, open to the public, and do not require the person struggling with Substance Use Disorder to be in treatment, or even willing to get help, for a family member to attend.
NAMI Wisconsin
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Wisconsin helpline offers support for families navigating both Substance Use Disorder and mental health conditions together, which is common given how often the two overlap. The helpline connects callers with local resources, education, and referrals, available Monday through Friday.
County Human Services Departments
Every Wisconsin county has a human services department that can connect families with local resources, including family education programs, support groups, and referrals to treatment providers. Some counties also offer family-specific case management for households navigating a loved one’s substance use. Reaching out to your county’s department directly is worth doing even if you are not sure what to ask for yet.
Family Therapy and Education Programs
Many treatment centers, including ours, offer family therapy and education as part of the treatment process, not as an afterthought. This can include family sessions during a loved one’s treatment, education about Substance Use Disorder as a condition, and guidance on setting healthy boundaries without cutting off support entirely. Our family therapy program centers on exactly this kind of involvement.
What to Do If You Are Not Sure Where to Start
- Call WisHope Recovery directly and talk to our admissions team about what family involvement could look like: 262-701-7257.
- Call or text 211 for the Wisconsin Addiction Recovery Helpline
- Look up an Al-Anon or Alateen meeting near you, even if you are only curious
- Reach out to your county human services department
The Bottom Line
Supporting someone through Substance Use Disorder is its own kind of hard, and it deserves its own kind of support. These resources exist because families need somewhere to bring the weight they are carrying too. If your family is navigating a loved one’s Substance Use Disorder, call us at 262-701-7257, or fill out our pre-assessment form on our website. Our admissions team can talk through what family involvement in treatment could look like for your situation, and point you toward whichever of these additional resources fits best.