Drug & Alcohol Addiction Rehab, Treatment & Recovery Resources in San Francisco

1. Marin Treatment Center Outpatient Services

Marin Treatment Center is a non-profit that scored 5.6 out of 10 points in our rankings for its outstanding selection of substance abuse and mental health treatment options. This center serves adults and young adults of all genders and provides a variety of outpatient substance abuse rehabilitation services, including several different types of medication-assisted detoxification and a SAMHSA-Certified Opioid Treatment Program. This center also had a high score of 7.7 points for its variety of treatment approaches, such as cognitive behavior therapy, trauma-informed counseling, anger management, and more in both individual and group counseling sessions. With 22 ancillary services, this treatment center can assist clients with transportation problems, health screenings, nicotine cessation counseling, and a variety of other needs.

Marin Treatment Center scored zero points in the special programs category because it does not formally offer services for unique populations. If you’re struggling with substance abuse and also dealing with problems such as domestic violence, discrimination, a co-occurring mental health issue, homelessness, or another unique circumstance, you may find extremely helpful counseling here, but an entire program specifically tailored to your needs will not be available. If the challenges you face include more than substance abuse, you can speak with a counselor about whether or not one of the programs the center has will still be a good fit for you.

Marin Treatment Center accepts a wide variety of insurance, including Medi-Cal. It also accepts cash payments and provides a sliding-scale payment option. If you have a need for substance abuse counseling but do not have benefits or the means to pay for it alone, the sliding scale may ease your financial burden.

Scores:

• Rehabilitation Services Provided: 9.13
• Treatment Approaches: 7.7
• Cost: 2.5
• Special Programs for Unique Demographics: 0
• Ancillary Services: 4.34

2.El Centro de Libertad (The Freedom Center)

El Centro de Libertad (the Freedom Center) has been serving San Mateo County for 25 years, using outpatient therapy to help locals find victory over substance abuse. El Centro scored 5 out of 10 overall points in our rankings. This center strongly emphasizes freedom and personal dignity in recovery. Treatment approaches include relapse prevention, trauma-informed therapy, a12-step facilitation approach, and more. Since this center does not offer as many detox programs as some of the centers on our list, it scored lower in the rehabilitation services provided metric.

This center offers many special programs for unique demographics, awarding it 10 out of 10 possible points in this category. A substance use disorder is often not the only challenge a person with addiction faces. Sometimes a crisis, life changes, and transitions, or the experience of being “other” can mean a person needs extra help and specific advice. At El Centro de Libertad, there are many special groups and services tailored to the needs of those in these and other challenging circumstances. Here, adolescents, seniors, LGBTQ clients, pregnant women, veterans and military families, persons with HIV/AIDS, persons with co-occurring mental illness, and other groups can find a compassionate program that realistically addresses their lived experiences.

El Centro received a decent score for cost. Patients may use many forms of federal or government funding, pay out of pocket, or be eligible for help with payments based on their financial ability. This center is a non-profit and receives philanthropic and local government funding to operate. Services are available in Spanish as well as English.

Scores:

• Rehabilitation Services Provided: 1.66
• Treatment Approaches: 6.93
• Cost: 5
• Special Programs for Unique Demographics: 10
• Ancillary Services: 3.1

3. Mission Council on Alcohol Abuse Family Day Treatment Program

Mission Council Family Day Treatment Program focuses on offering a variety of outpatient substance abuse treatment programs in San Francisco, primarily to Spanish-speaking families and/or low-income families affected by drug or alcohol abuse. This center scored 4.6 out of 10 possible points in our rankings. Since treatment for opioid addiction is not offered, the program received zero points in the category related to available rehabilitation services. However, Mission Council on Alcohol Abuse uses 10 unique treatment approaches, including cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, 12-step, brief intervention, rational emotive behavioral therapy and more. Nearly all of the center’s services are provided in English and Spanish, and some are also offered in Cantonese.

Mission Council has also incorporated a large number of ancillary services and programs for special demographics into its treatment model. While the offerings are too numerous to list, those who have experienced any form of abuse, poverty, discrimination, major life change, or trauma are likely to find assistance here. Mental health support, couples counseling, disease screening, and many other crucial services from this center support the long-term treatment success of the patient.

Mission Council is a center designed primarily for low-income clients, and, as such, it keeps its fees affordable. For example, a related DUI recovery program offered by the center can cost less than $90 a month. Each treatment plan may have its own cost. Payments can be made in a variety of ways, including through government benefits and insurance other than Medicaid. Some participants will be eligible for payments on a sliding scale.

Scores:

• Rehabilitation Services Provided: 0
• Treatment Approaches: 9.24
• Cost: 2.5
• Special Programs for Unique Demographics: 8.04
• Ancillary Services: 5.58

Start by determining your coverage

In order to determine your best options for a rehabilitation center, you’ll need to learn about your health coverage. By contacting your private or healthcare marketplace insurance provider, you can find out which centers you are able to utilize. To learn if you qualify for low-income Medicaid services, and to determine eligibility, visit California Medicaid and reach out to the most appropriate contact. No matter the type of coverage you have, both public and private insurance companies must cover substance abuse treatment for qualified individuals.

Use our database to find a treatment center near you

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides a tool that lists all of the treatment centers in the state of California that it recognizes. To use the below tool, input your zip code and select the filter icon to find relevant treatment centers near you.

Schedule an assessment

If you have insurance and are pursuing treatment that will be covered by it, your first step should be scheduling an assessment with a qualified individual, such as a counselor or therapist. Almost all facilities can provide assessments, or your primary care provider may be able to refer you. Company policies differ. Contact the companies in our database above to discover if they will provide this service.

Contact the appropriate local organization to find an AA or NA meeting near you

See our directory tool below to find local organizations that can help you find your local Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA) group meetings. Meeting times and locations change periodically, it is best to call ahead to make sure the online information is accurate.

San Francisco is experiencing a concerning uptick in methamphetamine use

In 2013, methamphetamine use was the primary reason for admissions to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment programs in San Francisco in just 14.6% of cases, but, by the end of 2017, the percentage reached 19%. In 2014, methamphetamine replaced cocaine as the third most common primary-abused substance that led to treatment admission.

Further statistics, such as a rise in prevalence of methamphetamine overdose deaths per 100,000 people from 1.8 in 2008 to 11.5 in 2017 – an increase of 539% – heavily supports the claim that methamphetamine is a growing source of concern. In April 2019, the San Francisco Department of Public Health created the Methamphetamine Task Force as a response to this public health crisis.

Alcohol abuse affects the San Francisco County population at a disproportionately high rate

San Francisco County has a lower percentage of drug and alcohol-induced deaths than the nation

Drug-related suicides in San Francisco experienced a sharp decline in recent years

Substance use disorders have a relationship to suicidal thoughts and actions that is difficult to quantify in surveys. According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health titled “Suicidal Thoughts and Behavior among Adults,” it’s not always known which percentage of the population has suicidal tendencies that are caused by substance abuse and which percentage uses substances as an attempt to self-medicate and relieve their psychological pain.

While the relationship to ongoing suicide and substance use problems may be puzzling, there is at least some encouraging news for San Francisco in relation to suicide statistics. The most recent statistics available for San Francisco County reveal that, after about four years of steady increase, the county’s overall number of suicides took a sharp downturn in 2017-2018. The total number of suicides decreased from 136 in 2016-2017 to 94 in 2017-2018, a reduction of 30%. Drug-related suicides – meaning intentionally fatal drug overdoses – also took a significant downturn, decreasing from 20 in 2016-2017 to four in 2017-2018.