Ruskin, Florida, may not be well known as a hot vacation spot. However, this small farm town is a hidden gem for families and nature lovers looking for a quiet getaway! This agricultural town is well known for its annual Ruskin Tomato Festival. A fun atmosphere filled with food, live performances, and prized tomatoes! If you are looking for a gem of a city to visit, you’ve come to the right place. Suppose you are looking for fun activities to bring your family; you can see the Hydro Harvest Farms for strawberry picking, stop by the aquatic center, or explore one of many of Ruskin’s beautiful parks.  Busch Gardens in Tampa is only a 30-minute drive away. As you can see, there are many options for families to choose from when visiting Ruskin, Florida. 

Unfortunately, Florida, specifically the Tampa region, is well known for drug and alcohol use dependence among residents. It was reported that Tampa Bay is one of the worst areas for opioid overdose deaths in the nation. The CDC recently released numbers of opioid deaths in the US. Over 100,000 Americans died of an opioid overdose between May 2020 and April 2021. This was a 30% increase from the year before. The overdose rate in the Tampa Bay Area is 23 out of 100,000 people. This rate is 50% higher than the national average. Florida rates 2nd only to California for overdose deaths. 

This is a significant problem that needs immediate action. This article will discuss substance use rehabilitation and treatment in Ruskin, Florida. 

Substance & Alcohol Use in Ruskin, Florida

To fully understand why rehabilitation is essential in Ruskin, one must look at the extensive use and prevalence of drug and alcohol use in the region. 

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reports that 326,000 individuals aged 12 and older have been using illicit drugs over the past year. This consists of 13.9% using illegal drugs, 10.1% using marijuana, and 4.6% using prescription pills.

Here are the specific statistics on alcohol and drug use near Ruskin, Florida. 

Opioid-Related Statistics in Tampa, Florida:

  • 130 Americans die each day from an opioid overdose. 
  • In Florida, someone dies every 2 hours from an opioid overdose.
  • In Tampa, 3 people die each day from an opioid overdose. 

Alcohol-Related Statistics in Florida:

  • 95,000 deaths are related to alcohol use from 2011-2015.
  • 18% of adults engaged in binge drinking.
  • The CDC reports cases of alcohol poisoning are higher in Florida than in other states. 
  • The CDC estimates 255,673 years of potential life is lost to excessive alcohol use yearly.

Why trust Guardian Recovery – Tampa Addiction Center for your addiction treatment?

Following are just a few of the accommodations when choosing our network:

24 Hour Medical Supervision
Immediate Assessment
Comfort-First Medication 
Custom Taper Plans
Vitamin & Nutrition Program 
Fully Licensed & Experienced 


Drug & Alcohol Treatment in Ruskin, Florida

Ruskin, Florida, is a small city located in Hillsborough County. Its population consists of only 25,640 people. It is about 30 minutes from Tampa. Because of the city’s small size and limited resources, finding a quality treatment center for alcohol and substance use can be challenging. To find a top-rated addiction treatment facility, you must be willing to drive about 25 miles outside of Ruskin, Florida. 

One particular facility that is about an hour away, CuraSouth, is a premier addiction treatment center in Florida. Instead of a hospital, Guardian Recovery gives clients a relaxing retreat experience with expert medical care and supervision. The medical team includes licensed doctors and nursing staff with decades of combined experience in drug and alcohol detoxification. Guardian Recovery uses extensive client feedback to create a unique and highly effective treatment program. 

Choosing a Drug & Alcohol Rehab Center in Ruskin, Florida

Here is everything you need to know about choosing a drug and alcohol rehab center in Ruskin, Florida. 

How to Find the Best Rehab Center:

  • A facility licensed and accredited in Florida. 
  • A facility staffed with licensed medical professionals, mental health therapists, and knowledgeable and experienced staff members. 
  • A facility that addresses individual needs such as working professionals, families, and individuals with a co-occurring mental illness.
  • A facility with evidence-based therapies. Examples include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, and Motivational Interviewing. 

Detox & Rehab Options in Ruskin, Florida

Another quality that makes Guardian Recovery stand out as a leading addiction treatment center is its continuum of care. This includes medical detoxification, residential inpatient, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient programs. Facilities should utilize a combination of evidence-based therapeutic practices and holistic methods to provide an individualized recovery experience tailored to meet each person in their stage of healing. 

The following includes a detailed outline of each step involved with rehabilitation. Each program has its unique components; however, here is what you can expect if you begin treatment for alcohol or substance use disorder. 

Intervention

You may be wondering, what does treatment look like at a rehab center? Premium care and individualized attention are essential qualities that Guardian Recovery can provide for every individual in need. In addition to evidence-based therapies Guardian Recovery utilizes for individuals seeking alcohol and substance use treatment, there is also a wide range of therapies to help meet specific needs. To provide the best care, a Treatment Advisor will speak with you to get an assessment and identify how to complete your treatment goals best. We aim to meet each individual and their family where they are in recovery and provide a partnership to help guide their journey toward wellness. 

Detox

Medically monitored drug and alcohol detox is an essential first step in a person’s recovery. Detoxification can be uncomfortable, and having expert medical care guiding you is necessary. At CuraSouth, individuals can undergo medical detoxification in a safe, comfortable, medically lead environment to ease the symptoms of detox. With decades of experience, our medical professionals can help guide you during this critical first step of recovery. Our medical team will closely monitor each individual and administer medication to help relieve the side effects of withdrawal. Our goal is to provide a solid foundation for the beginning of your recovery journey. 

Residential & Inpatient Treatment 

Residential inpatient treatment is typically the next step after medical detoxification. Patients must reside in the treatment facility full-time, but days are full of therapeutic activities. The amount of time may vary for each individual in residential treatment, but you can expect 30 days for most people. 

Partial Hospitalization (PHP)

Partial Hospitalization is typically the next stage in substance use disorder treatment after a person has completed medical detoxification and residential inpatient treatment. A person in PHP takes 5 or 6 days of regularly scheduled treatment activities but sleeps in their home at night. Therapeutic exercises are similar to residential inpatient, such as family, group, and individual therapies. We can gradually allow more independence and freedom as each person feels ready. 

Intensive Outpatient Treatment (IOP)

Intensive Outpatient Therapy typically includes 3-5 days of treatment for 3-5 hours per day. Again, this is to help slowly fade the level of intervention so that a person feels supported throughout their recovery journey. A primary component of IOP is to provide group and individual therapy. A variety of therapeutic methods available include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, trauma therapy, and relapse prevention

Outpatient Treatment (OP)

Outpatient Therapy is essential to provide ongoing support to individuals in recovery. Addiction is a complex disease that impacts many components of a person’s life. Therapy helps provide stability in emotional, mental, family, physical, social, and spiritual health.

MAT & Suboxone

Medication Assisted Treatment, or Mat for short, is the method of using medication to ease withdrawal symptoms. There are various drugs to assist clients during the withdrawal process. The specific medicines administered depend on the type of substance used. 

Suboxone and Subutex are primarily used for opioid dependencies. This medication helps reduce the uncomfortable side effects experienced during withdrawal but does not produce a high. The Food and Drug Administration has approved Suboxone to treat Opioid Use Disorder.

Substance Use Disorder Program Costs in Ruskin, Florida

A significant concern people may have when figuring out the best treatment for alcohol or substance use is how much this will cost. Let’s look at the various funding options and how you can determine what program is best for you. 

Private 

Privately funded treatment has many benefits. Some of those benefits include more options when looking at treatment. Treatment can be more individualized and comprehensive. If one is financing the entire treatment, it may be costly. 

Public & State Funded

Some people may not have a choice in funding and may require public or state financing to receive treatment. The benefit is that there is less personal cost to the individual. However, there are downsides to choosing this option. The downsides are that treatment may be more cookie-cutter in which all treatment is the same for each person, less of a personalized or individualized approach, and more medically assisted treatment is used instead of a therapeutic focus. 

Insurance Based

Insurance can be a beneficial option for funding alcohol and substance use treatment. When working with CuraSouth, you can ask to receive a no-obligation free health insurance benefit check. Having as much information as possible can help you make the best determination for your treatment needs.

Free & Medicaid or Medicare

Although services may be covered with the use of Medicaid and Medicare, there can be downsides to this financing option. There may be limited availability, a waitlist to receive treatment, and a large client to staff ratio, in which a person may receive little individualized or direct care. 

Our Facility

CuraSouth

Ruskin, Florida Addiction Recovery Resources

AA Meetings

Alcoholics Anonymous is a resource for anyone who desires connection and a place of community to help solve their drinking problem. Although anyone can attend these meetings throughout their recovery journey, using this resource during long-term aftercare is especially important.  Attendance is free, and there are no education or age requirements for participants. Membership is open to anyone who wants help in living a sober life. 

A list of AA meetings in Ruskin, Florida, can be found HERE

A list of AA meetings in Florida can be found HERE

Regular, in-person meetings in Ruskin, Florida: 

  1. Plank Owners: Monday, 8:00-9:00 am, 203 N Thomas St, Plant City Fl, 33563
  2. Mid-Day Matinee: Monday, 12:00p-1:00p, 209 S Tampania Ave, Tampa Fl, 33609
  3. The Meeting Place, Monday, 5:30p-6:30p,1628 N Dale Mabry Hwy #109, Lutz Fl,  33548

NA Meetings

Narcotics Anonymous is a group for individuals who seek connection with each other and have the same goal of living a sober life from narcotics. 

A list of NA meetings in Ruskin, Florida, can be found HERE

A list of NA meetings in Florida can be found HERE

Regular, in-person meetings in Ruskin, Florida: 

  1. Saint Anne’s Church, Thursday, 7:30 pm, 11th Ave NE Ruskin, Fl 33570
  2. Freedom House, Thurs., 7:00 pm, 440 Roser Park Dr. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701

Smart Recovery Meeting

Smart Recovery is another support group like AA and NA to help provide support, connection and help when you are on your journey toward recovery. You don’t have to face this alone. Please reach out and get support.

A list of Smart Recovery meetings in Florida can be found HERE

Although Ruskin is farther away from other recovery-related resources, it is worth driving to receive quality care Florida offers in addiction treatment services. 

Commonly Asked Questions

We offer programs lengths individualized for each client. Generally detox is anywhere from 3-7 days. These are estimates and are adjusted to meet the needs of the individual client.

Yes! We work with most major insurance providers. We offer free no-obligation insurance benefit checks for those who are interested in our program. Our admissions team will speak with your insurer and get a detailed verification of your insurance benefits and share those details with you. Unfortunately Medicaid and Medicare do not cover our facility.

CuraSouth facilities are located in the Southeast United States. Our first facility to launch is based near Tampa Bay, Florida at:

405 7th Ave SW
Largo, FL 33770

Absolutely. We understand that addiction affects the entire family system and encourage families to participate in their loved one’s treatment. To help families recover we also offer intervention services, case management, and family workshops.

Yes. We believe in complete and total confidentiality and privacy for all of our clients. We take extra measures to make sure we go above and beyond HIPAA and health privacy standards. If you are concerned about specific privacy requirements please feel free to reach out and we can answer your questions.

While we strongly discourage leaving before treatment completion, we are not a lockdown facility. Clients are in our program voluntarily and may leave when they want.

Clients who need to take off work to attend treatment may be eligible for the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). FMLA ensures that you will not be terminated while taking a leave of absence from work to attend treatment. Our admissions and case management staff can help with setting up any FMLA paperwork. For clients who are self employed, we do offer an executive program that allows for cellphone and laptop access in certain cases during business hours.

Admissions is quick and easy. Once you call our admissions team one of our dedicated treatment advisors will perform a pre-assessment over the phone . This takes about 10 minutes and just makes sure Guardian Recovery is the best fit for you or your loved ones individual needs. After the assessment we will verify insurance benefits and arrange a time for your intake (this can be as quick as 30 minutes from the initial call). If you need a ride to the facility we will dispatch one of our drivers and you will begin your recovery at our facility. It is that easy. To get started call us 24/7 at (844) 904-1778 or submit this online form click here.

Contact Us Today to Begin

Finding an addiction treatment program in Ruskin, Florida is a straightforward process when you know what to look for. Once you have determined which level of care is right for you, we recommend reaching out to an experienced Treatment Advisor who can guide you through the admissions process. At Guardian Recovery we have a team of experienced Treatment Advisors standing by to answer any additional questions you have and help you get started on the road to recovery as quickly as possible. As soon as you contact us, you will undergo a brief pre-assessment over the phone. The pre-assessment consists of a series of questions geared toward finding a treatment program that meets all of your unique clinical needs. We offer a free, no-obligation health insurance benefits check to those who are insured through a major regional or national provider. If you are currently uninsured, we will help you determine which costs will need to be covered out-of-pocket. Finally, we help arrange local ground transportation to our Ruskin, Florida detox center, or help set you up with an alternative level of care. To learn more or to begin your personal journey of addiction recovery in Ruskin contact us today.

Travis Atchison

Reviewed for accuracy by:

Travis Atchison
LCSW, MCAP


Travis is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Addiction Professional. He has worked in various community-based settings, where he served families and couples, addressed issues related to homelessness and crisis and worked in a substance abuse setting.