My brother asked me for help today. He is addicted to alcohol and cocaine. Where do I go to get him help?

C.S.

Your best bet would be to help him see a professional who specializes in evaluating and treating alcohol and drug addicts. You should be able to find one by asking your local hospital for a referral, or calling the Alcohol and Drug Council in your area (if there is one -- check your phone book), asking your or your brother's physician for a referral, or contacting Alcoholics Anonymous. (If there's no AA chapter in your community, check the nearest city of any size.)

Of course, if there's an alcohol and drug treatment program in your area, its staff can also make a referral. If your brother has insurance that has mental health or substance abuse benefits, the insurance company may also be able to recommend an appropriate professional.

A big question will probably be whether your brother would benefit most from an inpatient, outpatient or intensive outpatient treatment program, and whether he will need to go through physician-supervised detox procedures to safely stop using any substances upon which he has become dependent. A lot will depend on how long he has been using alcohol and cocaine -- and how much.

Intensive outpatient programs, which are available in some areas for various conditions in addition to substance abuse, usually involve several hours' treatment a day, often in groups and sometimes even in a hospital setting, but with the participants returning to their homes at night. Thus, they're usually less expensive than inpatient programs and often more attractive to insurers.

Another possibility is Alcoholics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous, or another such relevant free community-based support program. Most inpatient or outpatient substance abuse programs will recommend recovering addicts attend regular 12-step meetings to maintain sobriety. (A common recommendation post-discharge is "90 meetings in 90 days.") There are also groups available for loved ones. You might find it helpful to attend Al-Anon, for instance, which is the 12-step group for family and friends of alcoholics. (The term "12-step," by the way, refers to the 12 steps or stages of the program participants are encouraged to work on with a sponsor -- another group member who has several years' sobriety under his or her belt.)

I hope this information helps you and your brother find the assistance he needs to overcome his addictions. It's a good sign he has asked for help, as ultimately he's the only one who can make the necessary changes. Good luck.