Journey guide
Substance-Use Help or Harm-Reduction
This guide helps organize help-seeking questions; it does not diagnose, direct withdrawal, change medication, or promise admission or housing.
Your plan
3 steps, in the order that works. Select any step for the full instructions.
- Do this first. Overdose now: call 911 and give naloxone. More info.
- Do this first. Get naloxone before you need it. More info.
- Do this first. Do not use alone. More info.
- Step 1 of 3. Search current treatment openings. More info.
- Step 2 of 3. Get harm-reduction supplies. More info.
- Step 3 of 3. Contact Seven Counties for intake. More info.
Not in your numbered plan
How your answers changed this plan
- Removed from your numbered plan because of your answers: Plan for lower tolerance.
- Moved to the front of the plan: Search current treatment openings.
This is the ordered plan for Substance-Use Help or Harm-Reduction. Each step links to its full instructions further down this page.
Answer these to shorten your plan
Optional. Nothing is stored and no answer decides eligibility. Skipping every question gives you the full plan above.
Start here
Your first action
Do this now
For an overdose or immediate medical emergency, call 911. For a substance-use crisis or to ask about help, call the Seven Counties addiction recovery line.
Next: Seven Counties addiction recovery hotline
Ask: Ask what level of care, harm-reduction, or treatment option the line can confirm. Whether a placement, bed, or program is available is the provider's determination.
Situation: Help with substance use, harm reduction, or treatment. Medical help, harm reduction, and longer-term treatment are separate routes.
What you need to startUse what you have. Missing items do not block the first call.
Have ready if available
- Current substances and any medications in use
- Insurance or Medicaid coverage information, if available
- Safe contact information for follow-up
- Any legal, housing, or medical needs that affect the plan
Missing something? Ask what can be reviewed; do not wait to call.
If the first route fails
If the local line cannot be reached or a national option is needed: Call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline). Published as available 24/7 nationally. It connects to crisis support and can help identify local resources.
Keep the regional line active for local referral options.
Last checked 2026-08-05 · Jurisdiction-neutral · official source: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
What remains uncertain: Bed availability, program eligibility, insurance coverage, and treatment options are determined by the provider. This page does not direct medication, withdrawal care, or placement.
Universal preparation guidance · checked 2026-08-05 · Kentucky
Programs under one organization can differ. Provider information · Methodology
Public Beta limitation
Reviewed Public Beta guidance only. Fees, timelines, eligibility, document substitutes, capacity, and provider practices are not published unless a named source has been verified. Confirm current requirements directly.
How to read checked, listed, and unknown informationA listing can stay useful without being provider confirmed.
- Checked fact or route
- NOLO matched the fact to the named source on the date shown. This is not proof of current availability or provider confirmation.
- Directory lead
- A listing that may still help remains visible with an honest status such as Possibly active or Needs verification.
- PROVIDER CONFIRMED
- Only named fields backed by linked first-party provider evidence, integrity checks, and attributed human approval may carry this state. NOLO never infers it from a website, import, likely fit, or contact attempt.
- UNKNOWN / Needs verification
- NOLO does not know the answer yet. Confirm it directly; this is not a claim that the resource or option does not exist.
Each step in full
The same steps as the plan above, with the instructions for each one.
Do firstOverdose now: call 911 and give naloxone
Do this
Call 911 first, give naloxone, and stay. Kentucky law protects the person who calls.
- Kentucky's Good Samaritan protection is KRS 218A.133. It exempts a person from prosecution for possession of a controlled substance or drug paraphernalia where medical assistance with an overdose is sought in good faith.
- Kentucky's Office of Drug Control Policy publishes that statute as the answer to the fear of arrest that stops some witnesses calling.
- Naloxone reverses an opioid overdose. It does not work on benzodiazepines or on stimulant overdoses involving cocaine or amphetamines.
- Get medical help as soon as possible after giving it — the effects of naloxone do not last long.
Why this step is here
First and unnumbered. Nothing else on this page applies while somebody is not breathing.
What was checked, and what is still unknown (2)
- Kentucky's Good Samaritan protection for seeking help with a drug overdose is KRS 218A.133, which exempts a person from prosecution for possession of a controlled substance or drug paraphernalia where medical assistance with an overdose is sought in good faith.Kentucky General Assembly — KRS 218A.133 — Exemption from prosecution for possession of controlled substance or drug paraphernalia if seeking assistance with drug overdose. Read on 2026-09-07.
- Kentucky's Office of Drug Control Policy publishes KRS 218A.133 as the law that protects people from prosecution when they report a drug overdose, and says fear of arrest is why some witnesses do not call.Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy — Stop Overdoses. Read on 2026-09-07.
Still unknown
- The limits of that statutory protection in any particular situation. It is a statute, not legal advice, and NOLO has not verified how it applies to a specific set of facts.
Do firstGet naloxone before you need it
Do this
A Kentucky pharmacist can dispense it without a prescription written for you.
- Kentucky's statewide physician protocol lets a pharmacist certified by the Kentucky Board of Pharmacy initiate dispensing of opioid antagonists. Eligible candidates named in the protocol include a person with a suspected history of substance use or non-medical opioid use, and a person with a history of receiving medical care for acute opioid poisoning or overdose.
- The protocol is renewed annually; the copy read for this page was signed on 24 June 2026.
- Naloxone nasal spray has been available over the counter since March 2023, and SAMHSA says it is available in many pharmacies, through community distribution programmes, and from local public health organisations or health departments at no cost.
- Getting it for somebody else is the point of the protocol, not a workaround of it.
Why this step is here
Also unnumbered, because the moment it is needed is not a moment you can shop in.
What was checked, and what is still unknown (2)
- Kentucky's statewide physician protocol lets a pharmacist certified by the Kentucky Board of Pharmacy initiate dispensing of opioid antagonists without a patient-specific prescription; eligible candidates include a person with a suspected history of substance use or non-medical opioid use, and a person with a history of receiving medical care for acute opioid poisoning or overdose. The protocol is renewed annually and the copy read was signed 24 June 2026.Kentucky Department for Public Health — Kentucky Statewide Physician Protocol to Initiate Dispensing of Opioid Antagonists for Opioid Overdose Prevention and Response. Read on 2026-09-07.
- SAMHSA states that naloxone nasal spray was approved as the first over-the-counter opioid overdose reversal medication in March 2023 and is available in many pharmacies, through community-based distribution programmes, and from local public health organisations or health departments at no cost.U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration — Opioid Overdose Reversal Medications (OORM). Read on 2026-09-07.
Still unknown
- Which pharmacies near you participate, what any one of them charges, and what your own coverage pays. NOLO confirms none of those.
Do firstDo not use alone
Do this
An operator stays on the line and calls EMS to your location if you stop responding.
- Never Use Alone publishes 800-484-3731 and 877-696-1996, staffed 24 hours a day every day of the year.
- You give your exact location and the number you are calling from. If you stop responding for more than 30 seconds, the operator alerts EMS to an unresponsive person at that location.
- Its own contact page says an overdose already in progress goes to 911, and a mental-health crisis goes to 988.
Why this step is here
The third of the three, because it is the one that turns using alone into something survivable rather than something nobody finds out about.
What was checked, and what is still unknown (1)
- Never Use Alone publishes 800-484-3731 and 877-696-1996 as its national overdose prevention line, staffed 24 hours a day every day; an operator takes the caller's exact location and alerts EMS to an unresponsive person at that location if the caller stops responding for more than 30 seconds. Its contact page directs an overdose already in progress to 911 and a mental-health crisis to 988.Never Use Alone — Never Use Alone: Home. Read on 2026-09-07.
Still unknown
- Wait times and operator availability at any given hour. NOLO does not operate or monitor the line.
Step 1Search current treatment openings of 3
Do this
One place lists what actually has space, instead of ringing round a list.
- Find Help Now KY publishes current openings from hundreds of Kentucky mental health treatment, substance use disorder treatment, naloxone, and recovery housing organisations.
- Call to confirm before travelling. An opening listed this morning is not a bed this afternoon.
- Its own page directs a crisis to 988 rather than to a treatment search.
Move on when: you have a named place that says it has space, and you have confirmed it by phone.
Why this step is here
First of the numbered steps when treatment is what somebody wants, because the search is what turns a decision into an appointment.
What was checked, and what is still unknown (1)
- Find Help Now KY publishes current openings from hundreds of Kentucky mental health treatment, substance use disorder treatment, naloxone, and recovery housing organisations, and directs a crisis to 988.Find Help Now KY — Find Help Now - KY. Read on 2026-09-07.
Still unknown
- Whether any listed opening is still open, who it accepts, and what it costs. Confirm each directly.
Step 2Get harm-reduction supplies of 3
Do this
Syringe services and supplies through your local health department.
- Ask the local health department directly what it currently offers and when.
- SAMHSA lists syringe services programmes, drug checking, and naloxone provision among harm-reduction supports.
- Using this step does not require any decision about treatment.
Move on when: you know what your local health department offers and when it is open.
Why this step is here
Last, and deliberately not conditional on wanting treatment. It is the step that stays useful whatever anybody decides about the others.
What was checked, and what is still unknown (1)
- SAMHSA names people who have had a period of abstinence as candidates for opioid overdose reversal medication, and lists returning to drug use after leaving a healthcare setting or a period of abstinence as an overdose risk factor because previous tolerance has decreased.U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration — Opioid Overdose Reversal Medications (OORM). Read on 2026-09-07.
Still unknown
- What any Kentucky health department currently offers, and its hours. NOLO does not confirm local harm-reduction services.
Step 3Contact Seven Counties for intake of 3
Do this
Local crisis evaluation and a route into residential or outpatient care.
- Seven Counties Services publishes its Crisis & Information Center on (502) 589-4313, staffed 24 hours a day every day of the year, and operates a local 988 team.
- It publishes that it serves everyone regardless of diagnosis or insurance status.
- Ask what the intake process is and how long it takes, rather than assuming a call is the appointment.
- Choose a safe contact method, name who owns the next action, and write down when to check again.
- Keep a safe copy or reference number for each notice, submission, referral, and instruction so the work can resume without starting over.
Move on when: you know what the intake step is and when it happens.
Why this step is here
After the search, because the search tells you whether there is anywhere to be referred to.
What was checked, and what is still unknown (1)
- Seven Counties Services publishes its Crisis & Information Center on (502) 589-4313, staffed 24 hours a day every day of the year, and operates a local 988 team of trained Crisis Intervention Counselors.Seven Counties Services — Crisis Support. Read on 2026-09-07.
Still unknown
- Wait times, what any intake will decide, and what any particular programme costs.
Not in your numbered plan
Your answers say these do not apply to you. They are kept here in case that changes.
Already handledPlan for lower tolerance
Do this
After any break from using, the amount that was survivable before may not be now.
- SAMHSA lists returning to drug use after a period of abstinence — leaving treatment, detox, jail, or a healthcare setting — as an overdose risk factor, because previous tolerance has decreased.
- It names people who have had a period of abstinence as candidates for opioid overdose reversal medication. That is this step's whole point: have naloxone, specifically now.
- Start with the lowest possible amount, use slowly, and do not use alone.
- Tell one person what you are doing and where you are, or call an overdose prevention line.
Move on when: naloxone is within reach and somebody knows where you are.
Why this step is here
Promoted to the front the moment somebody says they have had a break, because that is exactly when the risk is highest and least obvious.
What was checked, and what is still unknown (1)
- SAMHSA names people who have had a period of abstinence as candidates for opioid overdose reversal medication, and lists returning to drug use after leaving a healthcare setting or a period of abstinence as an overdose risk factor because previous tolerance has decreased.U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration — Opioid Overdose Reversal Medications (OORM). Read on 2026-09-07.
Still unknown
- How much anybody's tolerance has changed. Nobody can measure that, which is why the advice is to assume it dropped.
Emergency overdose safety · 24/7 toll-free
Never Use Alone
Overdose-response spotting when using alone. If you are using substances alone, a peer operator will stay on the line with you. If you stop responding, they will call emergency services to your location.
Toll-free 24/7: 800-484-3731 or 877-696-1996
If an overdose is already happening right now, call 911 immediately.
Build a handoff packet for a case managerFor a worker, advocate, or outreach team preparing a referral on someone's behalf.
Case manager packet
Build a Substance-Use Help or Harm-Reduction handoff
Choose the sections you can review together in under five minutes. The handoff starts with the first action and ends with a fallback. NOLO does not ask for or store a client name, answers, case notes, or checklist progress.
First action plus 4 selected sections
Document prompts are preparation—not a verified agency checklist. UNKNOWN means “confirm this,” not “no.” A source link does not confirm eligibility or current availability.
Before the appointment ends
- 1. Name the next official contact.
- 2. Choose one UNKNOWN to confirm.
- 3. Agree on a fallback if the first route fails.
Routes whose sources publish 24/7 access
These sources describe the route as available around the clock. A route may be a staffed phone, text, or chat line, a self-service form, or a local process. This is not a live check that someone will answer or that a service has capacity. Read each availability note and confirm the current route when you can.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Mental-health distress, emotional distress, suicide, or substance-use crisis — for you or for someone you are worried about.
Call or text 988988lifeline.org
Chat at chat.988lifeline.org. Text and chat are published in Spanish, and there is a Deaf and hard-of-hearing route.
988 publishes that it is available 24/7/365, free, and confidential.
Source: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — checked 2026-08-05.
Kentucky 211
Housing, food, utilities, transportation, and community services — when you need to know what exists near you tonight.
Or text your ZIP code to 898211.
Kentucky 211 answers 24 hours a day.
Source: NOLO emergency contact policy (SOURCE_OF_TRUTH §11) — checked 2026-08-05.
VA National Call Center for Homeless Veterans
Any veteran who is homeless or at risk of it. Family, friends, and case managers may call on a veteran's behalf.
Call 1-877-4AID-VET (1-877-424-3838)va.gov/homeless
VA publishes a free, confidential online chat with a trained counselor, any time of day or night.
VA publishes that this line is available 24/7.
Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — National Call Center for Homeless Veterans — checked 2026-08-05.
4 more routes whose sources publish 24/7 access
National Domestic Violence Hotline
Confidential support if someone is hurting you or you are helping someone who is being hurt.
Call 1-800-799-7233thehotline.org/get-help
Text START to 88788, or use the live chat. There are Spanish, StrongHearts, and video-phone routes.
The Hotline publishes phone, text, and chat routes to an advocate. It also warns that internet use can be monitored and is impossible to erase completely — if this device may be watched, use a different one.
Source: National Domestic Violence Hotline — Get Help — checked 2026-08-05.
Seven Counties Services crisis lines
Local crisis support for the Louisville area, staffed at any hour. Separate lines for adults, children, addiction recovery, and developmental-disability crisis.
Adult crisis (502) 589-4313sevencounties.org
Child crisis (502) 589-8070. Addiction recovery (502) 583-3951. Developmental-disability crisis (502) 459-5292.
Seven Counties Services publishes all four lines as available 24/7, 365.
Source: Seven Counties Services — Crisis Number Directory — checked 2026-08-05.
Kentucky protective order
Filing a petition for an emergency protective order, if someone is hurting you or threatening you.
How protective orders work (Kentucky Court of Justice)
Petitions are filed with an Office of Circuit Court Clerk; the court publishes contact details for all 120 counties.
Kentucky courts are required to provide a 24-hour access process for orders of protection in every county. The after-hours location or procedure can vary by county. Contact the local circuit court clerk, law enforcement, or a domestic-violence program to confirm the local process. The Kentucky Court of Justice also states that there are no fees or costs for filing a petition. Whether to seek an order is your decision, and an advocate can help you think it through.
Source: Kentucky Court of Justice — How to Obtain a Protective Order — checked 2026-08-05.
Legal Aid Society online application
Eviction, housing conditions, benefits, and other civil legal problems in Jefferson County and fourteen surrounding counties.
Legal Aid Society publishes an online intake application available twenty-four hours a day. Its phone intake is Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed on Fridays — so at night the form is the way in.
Source: Legal Aid Society — Frequently Asked Questions — checked 2026-08-05.
If someone is in immediate danger or having a medical emergency, call 911.
Forms, portals, and instructions by step (2)Official forms and portals placed where they become relevant, each with its owner, check date, and what it does not prove.
Documents inside the process
Forms, portals, and instructions by step
These are placed where they become relevant. NOLO does not imitate the form, collect answers, submit anything, or know whether you completed a step.
- 1
Benefits portal route
Apply for Medicaid substance use treatment coverage
Kentucky Medicaid covers detox, residential treatment, intensive outpatient, and medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD).
- Application portalPortalSource checked
Kentucky Benefits application portal
The official online starting point for Kentucky benefit applications and account management.
- Who completes it
- The applicant or a person the applicant authorizes; confirm current account and assistance options in the portal.
- Gather before opening
- Requirements vary by benefit and situation; use the portal or agency instructions for the current list.
- Access or submission
- Online portal
- Signature
- Not confirmed by NOLO; follow the portal’s current attestation steps.
What this does not prove: The state may ask you to create or sign in to a kynect account.Official owner: Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Checked 2026-08-04. NOLO has not completed an accessibility conformance review of the external portal. English interface observed; confirm other language and interpreter options in the portal.
Next in the process: Find Casey's Law involuntary treatment petition forms
- 2
Legal-document directory
Find Casey's Law involuntary treatment petition forms
Use the Kentucky Court of Justice legal forms directory to locate official AOC petition forms for involuntary substance use treatment under Casey's Law (KRS 222.430).
- Official directoryInstructionsSource checked
Kentucky Court of Justice Legal Forms Directory
The live official directory for Kentucky court forms, including forcible-detainer and protective-order records.
- Who completes it
- Use the directory to match an exact form number or language; seek qualified help for case-specific legal advice.
- Gather before opening
- Varies by form and case; the directory is not a filing checklist.
- Access or submission
- UNKNOWN — confirm with the official owner.
- Signature
- Varies by form; follow the current form and court instructions.
What this does not prove: A form directory is not legal advice or proof that a particular form is appropriate for a case.Official owner: Kentucky Court of Justice. Checked 2026-08-04. Ask the court for an accessible format or assistance when needed. The directory lists multiple language versions for some forms; availability varies by form.
Next: continue with the guide's fallback and agency questions.
What NOLO cannot promise
- NOLO does not decide eligibility.
- NOLO does not submit applications, renewals, appeals, or documents.
- NOLO cannot guarantee approval, a timeline, an appointment, or a fee waiver.
- NOLO is not a legal or benefits advisor.
- NOLO is not affiliated with any agency named on a journey page.
- This guide does not make a legal, medical, safety, eligibility, or discharge decision.
- A search result does not confirm funding, capacity, acceptance, or availability.
Documents and what replaces them (2)Every document this journey covers, what each one proves, and the accepted substitutes.
Documents and recovery questions
Anything marked “confirmed” below has a named source and a check date. Everything else is a question worth asking, not a rule — ask before relying on it.
Medication and health information, if safely available
Medication and health information, if safely available
A qualified medical provider may ask about current medication, conditions, allergies, and recent care.
If it is missing
Ask the prescriber, pharmacy, or prior provider how information can be confirmed safely.
Possibilities to ask about
- Ask the receiving clinician what is needed for immediate screening.
Official details not yet verified — ask the agency for current instructions · checked 2026-08-01 · Kentucky
Coverage and identity information, if requested
Coverage and identity information, if requested
Programs may use different coverage, identity, or funding processes.
If it is missing
Ask what screening or care can begin while records are unavailable.
Possibilities to ask about
- Ask the specific program what it can verify; no universal substitute is claimed.
Official details not yet verified — ask the agency for current instructions · checked 2026-08-01 · Kentucky
If something is blocking you (3)What commonly stops people here, and what has worked around it.
If something is blocking you
The first program has no confirmed opening or does not fit the requested care.
Things to try
- Ask for another qualified current option and preserve harm-reduction and medical-safety support in the meantime.
Medication, withdrawal, cost, transportation, or housing needs complicate access.
Things to try
- State each need during qualified screening and open the matching parallel journey.
The normal route stalls, gives conflicting instructions, or cannot confirm the next step.
Things to try
- Record who said what, when, and through which channel.
- Ask what escalation or alternate channel exists, then keep a separate fallback route open.
Things that may help today
- Use emergency medical help for overdose or immediate danger.
- Seek qualified harm-reduction or medical support while treatment admission or longer-term recovery options are being confirmed.
Where to go — official routes (5)Named offices and services, each with its own source, check date, and published limits.
Verified official route
Seven Counties Services, the regional community mental-health provider for the Louisville area, publishes four crisis lines it states are available 24/7, 365: an adult crisis line at (502) 589-4313, a child crisis line at (502) 589-8070, an addiction recovery hotline at (502) 583-3951, and a developmental-disability crisis line at (502) 459-5292. It publishes a Crisis Prevention and Response Program for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, intended to help someone stay in their home and community. Whether a specific service is offered, what it costs, and who is eligible are Seven Counties' to answer.
Open the verified official sourceLast checked 2026-08-05 · Kentucky · official source: Seven Counties Services — Crisis Number Directory
Verified official route
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline publishes that it supports people in mental-health distress, emotional distress, and substance-use crisis, that it is available 24/7/365, and that it is free and confidential. It can be reached by calling 988, texting 988, or chatting at chat.988lifeline.org, and it publishes a Deaf and Hard of Hearing access route. It states that text and chat services are available in Spanish. 988 does not dispatch on NOLO's behalf and NOLO does not monitor it.
Open the verified official sourceLast checked 2026-08-05 · Jurisdiction-neutral · official source: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Verified official route
Kentucky’s Division of Substance Use Disorder page links state treatment, recovery-housing, naloxone, and 988 starting points. It does not confirm same-day admission, availability, payment, medication approach, or clinical fit.
Open the verified official sourceLast checked 2026-08-05 · Kentucky · official source: Kentucky CHFS — Division of Substance Use Disorder
Verified official route
Kentucky CHFS’s Harm Reduction Service Programs page describes services and provides the state program starting point. Current location, hours, supplies, participant rules, and accessibility must be confirmed with the responsible local program.
Open the verified official sourceLast checked 2026-08-05 · Kentucky · official source: Kentucky CHFS — Harm Reduction Service Programs
Official details not yet verified
The routes above are the ones NOLO has checked against a named source. Other Kentucky and Louisville routes for this situation are not verified yet — confirm them with the responsible agency or provider.
No official link is published until it is verified. Ask the agency for current instructions.
Official details not yet verified — ask the agency for current instructions · checked 2026-08-01 · Kentucky
Preparation and practice guidanceGeneral advice that applies to most appointments and calls, not only to this journey.
Practitioner and helper guidance
Preparation ideas for the person and anyone helping
Use person-directed language and ask what support is wanted.
Coercive or stigmatizing routing can reduce safety and engagement.
Confirm medication approach and clinical scope directly with the provider.
A generic treatment label does not establish appropriate care.
Separate documents, client statements, agency instructions, and unconfirmed assumptions in the record.
Clear labels let the next helper reuse what is known without turning an inference into a fact.
End each handoff with a named owner, safe contact method, next check date, and fallback.
A referral is easier to resume when responsibility and the failed-route response are visible.
Practitioner guidance from field experience — not agency policy. Checked 2026-08-01 · Jurisdiction-neutral.
Immediate safety and ongoing recovery support
This comparison does not recommend one option.
Medical or harm-reduction support
- Documents
- Ask what information this route currently requires.
- Cost
- Unknown — confirm before choosing this route.
- When it may matter
- Use this for immediate safety, lower-risk support, or medical concerns.
- When it may not
- Do not use it when it creates a safety or care risk.
Treatment and recovery pathway
- Documents
- Ask what information this route currently requires.
- Cost
- Unknown — confirm before choosing this route.
- When it may matter
- Use this when the person wants structured treatment or ongoing recovery support.
- When it may not
- Do not assume this route is available or appropriate.
Support the person’s stated goal and use qualified clinical review for medical decisions.
Universal preparation guidance · checked 2026-07-28 · Jurisdiction-neutral
Appointment strategy
- 1.Ask whether an appointment is required before you travel.
- 2.Ask how walk-ins are handled and whether arriving early changes the process.
- 3.Confirm the location, hours, and documents again on the day you plan to go.
- 4.Ask what safe contact method will be used for changes, cancellations, or follow-up.
- 5.Before ending, ask who to contact and what to do if the appointment or referral cannot proceed.
Scheduling links and phone numbers are pending verification.
Universal preparation guidance · checked 2026-07-28 · Jurisdiction-neutral
Day of the appointment or visit
At the office
- 1.Arrive early when practical, especially if you are walking in.
- 2.Ask for a realistic wait estimate.
- 3.Ask whether the office uses text messages, callbacks, or another queue-notification system.
- 4.Ask whether you can leave briefly and return without losing your place.
- 5.Prepare for a potentially long day.
- 6.Write down the name or department that gave each instruction, the date, and the next action.
Bring for the wait
- A charger
- Water and snacks where permitted
- Medications you may need during the wait
- All paperwork together in one folder
- Something to do while you wait
- A safe way to take notes and store confirmation or reference numbers
Universal preparation guidance · checked 2026-07-28 · Jurisdiction-neutral
Before you travelA final check of documents, opening hours, and the receiving contact.
Avoid a wasted trip
- 1.Recheck the location, hours, appointment rules, and current document instructions before leaving.
- 2.Keep originals and copies organized, and ask before handing over the only copy you have.
- 3.At the counter, explain what is missing and ask what replacement or workaround evidence can be reviewed.
- 4.Ask what was received, what is still missing, how status can be checked, and what happens if the normal route fails.
- 5.Keep a safe copy, receipt, confirmation, or reference number for anything you submit.
Ask before leaving the counter: “Is there anything else that could prevent this application from being approved today?”
Universal preparation guidance · checked 2026-07-28 · Jurisdiction-neutral
Related resources
The core guidance is ready while resource matches load.
- Use the emergency information at the top of this page for urgent options.
- Dial Kentucky 211
- Report a missing resource
What requires an agency or provider
- Overdose response, withdrawal risk, diagnosis, medication, and clinical treatment decisions
- Program admission, capacity, cost, coverage, medication approach, and discharge
- Louisville harm-reduction, treatment, housing, transportation, accessibility, and follow-up practices
Take this with you
The referral packet is a one-page version built to print and hand over: numbers to call and when they answer, what to bring, what to ask, what to do if it does not work, and where each checked fact came from. It has blank lines to write on.
Open the referral packetYou can also print this full page with your browser’s print command. It keeps the preparation steps, recovery questions, day-of plan, and before-you-leave question while removing site navigation.