Addiction Resources for Families in Staunton, Waynesboro & Augusta County

Addiction Resources for Families in Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County

Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County form a connected region in the southern Shenandoah Valley. The addiction picture here looks different from the northern Valley, and the reasons run deep.

Addiction in this area often intersects with chronic pain from years of physical labor, limited access to healthcare, housing instability, and family patterns that go back generations. As one local clinic director put it: sometimes the addiction is stemming from a completely different issue. Chronic pain. Bad teeth. Untreated trauma. The root causes are layered, and a weekly outpatient visit can't always reach them.

The Pathways Program

Augusta County launched a diversion program called Pathways. When law enforcement encounters someone who could face criminal charges for substance-related offenses, they can offer Pathways instead: 6 or 12 months of monitored treatment as an alternative to charges. It's one of the more forward-thinking models in the Valley.

But Pathways is still short-term. It's still local. And for many people, recovering in the same environment that created the problem is the hardest part of the whole thing.

What's Here and What Isn't

The region has community-based services through Valley Community Services Board (540-887-3200, crisis line: 540-885-0866), behavioral health through Augusta Health in Fishersville, and a drug court program. Mental Health America Augusta coordinates additional resources. For a full directory, visit SAMHSA's treatment locator.

The nearest residential clinical option is Mount Regis Center in Salem, about an hour south. It handles substance use and co-occurring mental health conditions, but it's insurance-based and shorter-term than Teen Challenge.

What's not available locally: faith-based residential recovery, free long-term treatment, or a program designed around rebuilding identity rather than managing sobriety.

How We Help

SVTC is about an hour north on I-81. If your family member has been through outpatient programs and the change didn't stick, the issue might not be the treatment. It might be the environment. Teen Challenge is 12-18 months of residential discipleship in a completely new setting. It's free or low-cost. And SVTC helps your family find the right program.