Our San Diego rehab directory is built to help you compare real options without the sales pressure that follows most addiction-treatment searches. Every facility on this page has been reviewed against the same criteria, and rankings reflect what the data shows, not what providers pay. We weigh four things when ordering listings: Licensing and accreditation. California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) licensure is the baseline. The Joint Commission, CARF, NAATP membership and LegitScript certification raise a facility's standing. Levels of care offered. Programs that span detox, residential, partial hospitalization and outpatient care score higher than single-service operations. Verified payment options. Facilities that accept Medi-Cal, Medicare, TRICARE, sliding-scale fees or scholarship funding are surfaced ahead of self-pay-only programs. Transparent program details. Published cost ranges, average length of stay, staff credentials and clear admissions criteria all count. Listings are updated as facilities open, close or change accreditation status. Filter the directory above to narrow by level of care, insurance or specialty population.

Drug & alcohol rehab centers in San Diego, CA

Medically reviewed by Sendra Yang, PharmD, MBA Written by Nikki Seay, LPN, BS

118 treatment centers in and around San Diego, reviewed against accreditation and licensing standards. Filter by level of care, what you can pay, and who the program is built for. Below the listings: what rehab costs here, how to pay for it, and a note from one of our experts.

92 outpatient programs
56 inpatient rehabs
41 detox clinics

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Featured centers in California

All 118 centers in San Diego

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Thumbnail	Name	Address	Treatment	Insurance
	Jackson House Addiction Treatment and Recovery Center	2456 East Street, San Diego, CA 92102 Jackson House Addiction Treatment & Recovery Center is located in suburban San Diego, California. They offer residential treatment to the community to fight mental health and substance abuse disorders. A History of Care Originally built in 1936, their center was completely remodeled in 2019 and now features six private rooms and 12 semi private rooms. The facility doesn’t accept Medicaid…	Detox Inpatient Men	Private insurance
	Sharp McDonald Center	8003 Linda Vista Road, San Diego, CA 92111 If you’re looking for addiction treatment in San Diego, California, that’s equal parts clinical and compassionate, Sharp McDonald Center might be your place. This is part of the Sharp HealthCare system so you’re getting access to a full team of experts, from doctors to licensed therapists, all under one roof. They offer everything from detox and inpatient care to outpatient…	Detox Inpatient Outpatient	Private insurance
	Solutions For Recovery – Family Health	3930 Fourth Avenue, Suite 300A, San Diego, CA 92103 Sober Life Recovery Solutions (SLRS) is a leading outpatient treatment center located in San Diego, California, in the neighborhood just north of the San Diego Zoo. Their services cover many mental and behavioral health concerns common to modern life, and their main focus is addiction treatments for alcohol and substance use disorders. Providing a Wide Continuum of Care SLRS has…	Inpatient Outpatient	Private insurance
	Soledad House	810 Emerald Street, San Diego, CA 92109 Soledad House is located in San Diego, California, and is a premier addiction treatment center dedicated for women with mental health or substance abuse disorders. The residential home is located near Mount Soledad and has panoramic views that add to the peaceful, quiet environment that’s perfect for recovery. The clinic accepts most insurance plans, self-pay options and financial assistance, making…	Inpatient Women	Private insurance
	Hazelden Betty Ford \| San Diego	11720 El Camino Real Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92130 One of many Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation locations is based in San Diego, California. Personalized and integrated care for substance abuse and concurrent mental health issues is available to clients of all ages and their families. Various insurance options are accepted. Outpatient Drug Rehab Services on the Pacific Coast of California From diagnosis to eventual recovery, you can expect comprehensive…	Detox Inpatient Outpatient	Private insurance
Overwhelmed by the list? That’s normal. Tell a specialist your situation and insurance and get two or three centers that fit, usually in one call. No obligation. Call 800-785-0495
	APEX Recovery San Diego	2810 Camino del Rio South, 106, San Diego, CA 92108 Apex Recovery in San Diego, California, is a treatment center that provides programs and services for individuals who are experiencing mental health and substance abuse disorders. Apex is state-licensed and accredited by the state of California and has a full continuum of treatment programs for every step of recovery. They accept Medi-cal, most private insurance plans and self-pay options. Detox…	Detox Inpatient Outpatient	Private insurance
	Confidential Recovery	4420 Hotel Circle Court, # 300, San Diego, CA 92108 Confidential Recovery is an addiction treatment center in San Diego, California. It's for working adults who live at home, and they also see professionals and first responders, plus veterans and other adults. The staff uses a harm reduction approach, which means lowering the risks of substance use. The location was chosen for privacy. Day and Night Sessions Confidential Recovery offers…	Outpatient	Private insurance
	3594 4th Avenue San Diego CA, 92103	3594 Fourth Avenue, San Diego, CA 92103 Crossroads Foundation in San Diego, California was started way back in 1957 by a group of professional women who saw a glaring need for specialized gender-specific care for females struggling with addiction. Now, it’s the oldest women's residential recovery facility in all of San Diego County. This place isn't about quick fixes. They promote a deep, sustained journey with most…	Inpatient Outpatient Women
	Pacific Bay Recovery San Diego Drug Treatment Center	4971 Cresita Drive, San Diego, CA 92115 Pacific Bay Recovery provides holistic addiction treatment for adults in San Diego, California, including medically supervised detox, and inpatient, intensive outpatient, standard outpatient, and aftercare programming. Dedicated services are available for young adults, chronic pain patients, and persons with co-occurring addiction and mental illness. Their integrative treatment model combines intensive psychotherapy, recovery-focused life skills training, and evidence-based complementary care, including…	Detox Inpatient Outpatient	Private insurance
	Turning Point Home	1315 25th Street, San Diego, CA 92102 The Turning Point Home located in San Diego, California, stands apart from other recovery centers because it specifically caters to women struggling with substance abuse. It’s not far from Balboa Park and Golden Hill Park. It started serving women in 1970 and has provided personalized care ever since. Their recovery model is a blend of social community and clinical approaches…	Inpatient Women	Medicaid
	The Way Back San Diego	2516 A St, San Diego, CA 92102 The Way Back San Diego is a nonprofit, state licensed residential addiction treatment program in San Diego, California, offering drug and alcohol rehab for adult men. Located at 2516 A St, this 30 bed program provides withdrawal management and residential care for substance use disorders, including cooccurring mental health conditions. As a county contracted, Medi Cal funded program, The Way…	Detox Inpatient Outpatient	Private insurance
	Assure Recovery Center	4858 Mercury St # 100, San Diego, CA 92111 Assure Recovery Center is an addiction treatment center in San Diego, California that offers comprehensive outpatient care for adults struggling with substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions. Joint Commission accredited and certified by the California Department of Health Care Services, Assure Recovery Center uses evidence based and trauma informed approaches to address the underlying causes of addiction. Addiction…	Detox Outpatient
	Family Wellness Center La Mesa	6386 Alvarado Court Suite 310, San Diego, CA 92120 La Mesa's Family Wellness Center specializes in outpatient care for children, teens, young adults, and family members. Services include individual, family, and group therapy and autism spectrum treatment. The problems addressed may be social skills, abuse issues, family conflict, anxiety, and depression. Psychiatry services and case management are also offered in English and Spanish. They accept private insurance. You'll find…	Outpatient	Medicaid Private insurance
	Fred Finch Youth and Family Services San Diego	10174 Old Grove Road Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92131 Fred Finch Youth and Family Services is a behavioral health and substance use treatment provider in San Diego, California offering mental health and co-occurring disorder support for all ages. With an emphasis on trauma informed and community based care Fred Finch supports young people with complex behavioral health and developmental needs. Behavioral Health and Trauma Informed Care Services include outpatient…	Inpatient	Medicaid
	Alvarado Parkway Institute Behavioral Health System Outpatient Services	5538 University Avenue, San Diego, CA 92105 Alvarado Parkway Institute Behavioral Health System Outpatient Services, located in San Diego, California, provides a partial hospitalization program (PHP) and intensive outpatient program (IOP) that treat adults experiencing chemical dependency and mental health disorders. Treatment is offered for individuals with dual-diagnosis mental health and substance use disorders. An Individual treatment plan is crafted for each client that includes counseling, therapy,…	Outpatient	Medicaid Private insurance
	Areta Crowell Wellness Recovery Center	1963 Fourth Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101 Areta Crowell Wellness Recovery Center is a substance use and mental health treatment program in San Diego, California offering recovery oriented outpatient care for adults. This CRF Behavioral Healthcare program serves adults ages 18 and older living with serious mental illness and co-occurring substance use conditions. The center provides trauma informed and culturally competent care designed to support lasting recovery.…	Outpatient	Medicaid
	Aurora Behavioral Health Care San Diego	11878 Avenue of Industry, San Diego, CA 92128 Aurora Behavioral Health Care San Diego is a hospital based addiction treatment center in San Diego, California offering medically supervised detox and psychiatric care under one roof. The program provides intensive inpatient treatment and therapy, life skills training and aftercare planning for adults. Many appreciate its specialized, trauma informed tracks for first responders and military service members. What kinds of…	Detox Inpatient Outpatient	Medicaid Private insurance
	Betty Ford Center Outpatient Alcohol and Drug Rehab	11720 El Camino Real Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92130 Betty Ford Center in San Diego, California is an outpatient addiction treatment center backed by the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. This location offers flexible levels of outpatient care including partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient and low-intensity outpatient services for adults available in person and virtually. As part of an established addiction treatment network the program emphasizes proven research-informed care. Flexible Program…	Outpatient	Private insurance
	Community Research Foundation	892 27th Street, San Diego, CA 92154 Located in the southern portion of San Diego, California, the Del Sur Crisis Center is a short-term psychiatric and dual-diagnosis substance use disorder (SUD) residential program for adults 18 years and older. It provides a home-like alternative to psychiatric hospitalization. Services provided include evaluations, medication management, counseling, life skills training, and integrated substance use education. Clients can also take part…	Inpatient	Medicaid Private insurance
	Community Research Foundation Jane Westin Center	1045 Ninth Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101 Community Research Foundation Jane Westin Center is an urgent psychiatric walk in behavioral health provider in downtown San Diego, California operated by CRF Behavioral Healthcare. The center offers same day screening, psychiatric evaluation and medication services, crisis intervention and discharge planning for adults in urgent need of behavioral health support. Clients value its accessible, compassionate role as a safety net…	Outpatient	Medicaid
	New Vistas Crisis Center	734 10th Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101 New Vistas Crisis Center offers a crisis residential program as a temporary alternative to psychiatric hospitalization. They treat adults 18 years and older who are experiencing co-occurring mental health and addiction disorders, with mental health as the primary focus. Clients receive personalized treatment plans that may include psychiatric evaluations’ individual, group, and milieu therapy; life skills sessions; social activities; and…	Inpatient	Medicaid Private insurance
	CRASH Golden Hill House	2410 East Street, San Diego, CA 92102 CRASH Golden Hill House is a women's residential addiction treatment center in San Diego, California, located in the Golden Hill neighborhood. This intensive 90 day program offers substance use disorder treatment for adult women, blending individual recovery planning, counseling, education, relapse prevention and reentry support. Participants describe the program as challenging but life-changing, highlighting the supportive staff, accountability and practical…	Inpatient Women	Private insurance
	Family Health Centers of San Diego North Park Family Health Center	3544 30th Street, San Diego, CA 92104 North Park Family Health Center, part of Family Health Centers of San Diego, is a community based substance use disorder treatment provider in San Diego, California. This outpatient location offers addiction counseling, support groups, case management and medications for addiction treatment, all integrated with primary care, mental health and HIV and hepatitis services. As one of FHCSD's largest clinics, it…	Outpatient
	Fashion Valley Comprehensive Treatment Center	7545 Metropolitan Drive, San Diego, CA 92108 Comprehensive Treatment Center’s Fashion Valley clinic provides outpatient services for all adults 18 and older struggling with substance addiction in San Diego, California. They offer outpatient services with medication assisted treatment, which combines prescription medication and counseling to assist clients with recovery from opioid addiction. This procedure is recommended by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the…	Detox Outpatient	Medicaid Private insurance
	Heartland House	5855 Streamview Drive, San Diego, CA 92105 Heartland House, in San Diego, California is a 12 step-focused drug and alcohol rehab for adult men. They offer medical and mental health assessments, personalized care planning, comprehensive case management, and long-term residential care, including specialized programming for young adults, seniors, military personnel and veterans, trauma survivors, homeless and indigent persons, and persons with co-occurring addiction and mental illness. Their…	Inpatient Men	Private insurance

Find rehabs near San Diego

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Nikki Seay, LPN, BS

Addiction & Mental Health Author

Full bio Full bio

Expert insight

“Despite the beauty of San Diego, the willingness of the public to help and the hundreds of millions of dollars poured into helping a population that desperately needs it, addiction rates and homeless rates never improved during the nearly five years I spent on the West Coast.”

I never fully understood the link between addiction and homelessness until I moved to San Diego for work. I’d seen homeless people in my home state, but never anything like this. The downtown bridges were covered by tents and occupied by multiple people (and usually a dog). In a short matter of time, I saw my share of drunken fights between homeless men; I saw a co-worker assaulted by a homeless man who was offended she offered to buy him breakfast instead of giving him cash, and I learned how to step over two men who constantly passed out in front of our office door right before lunch. But I was also very confused as to why so many addicted members of the homeless population refused to take advantage of the wealth of free treatment and recovery services offered by San Diego and California as a whole. I even asked some generational locals about it; I was told there are “too many rules they’d have to abide by - they don’t want to do it.”

Frequently asked questions

What to know about rehab in San Diego

How We Rank Listings

Our San Diego rehab directory is built to help you compare real options without the sales pressure that follows most addiction-treatment searches. Every facility on this page has been reviewed against the same criteria, and rankings reflect what the data shows, not what providers pay.

We weigh four things when ordering listings:

Licensing and accreditation. California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) licensure is the baseline. The Joint Commission, CARF, NAATP membership and LegitScript certification raise a facility's standing.
Levels of care offered. Programs that span detox, residential, partial hospitalization and outpatient care score higher than single-service operations.
Verified payment options. Facilities that accept Medi-Cal, Medicare, TRICARE, sliding-scale fees or scholarship funding are surfaced ahead of self-pay-only programs.
Transparent program details. Published cost ranges, average length of stay, staff credentials and clear admissions criteria all count.

Listings are updated as facilities open, close or change accreditation status. Filter the directory above to narrow by level of care, insurance or specialty population.

Rehab in San Diego: What to Know

San Diego is the second largest city in California and the urban core of San Diego County, a region of roughly 3.3 million residents that stretches from the Pacific coast to the Imperial County line. The 115 licensed addiction treatment facilities in the city represent one of the densest concentrations of recovery services in the state, with options ranging from county-funded outpatient clinics to luxury residential programs along the coast. For a broader view of treatment across the state, browse the full California rehab directory.

The county's behavioral health landscape is coordinated through San Diego County Behavioral Health Services (BHS), which operates the Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System (DMC-ODS) in partnership with Optum San Diego. Large nonprofit providers such as McAlister Institute and Family Health Centers of San Diego operate dozens of programs across the region and anchor public-payer access. Major health systems such as UC San Diego Health, Scripps and Sharp HealthCare offer hospital-based detox and dual-diagnosis services and the VA San Diego Healthcare System runs an Alcohol and Drug Treatment Program for eligible veterans.

Fentanyl has reshaped the local crisis. In 2023, the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office recorded 749 accidental deaths involving fentanyl, the highest annual total ever logged locally. Preliminary 2024 data show a more than 30 percent drop, attributed by the county to expanded naloxone distribution, harm reduction outreach and new low-barrier detox capacity. Methamphetamine remains the substance most frequently named in county treatment admissions, and untreated fentanyl exposure continues to drive the bulk of opioid-related fatalities. Trauma-linked substance use is also unusually visible here given the city's large military and veteran population.

Geographic access varies. Downtown, Hillcrest, La Jolla and Mission Valley concentrate most hospital-affiliated and private residential programs, whereas the South Bay, East County and North County inland areas rely more heavily on county-contracted outpatient providers. If a specific level of care is full in one region, expanded addiction treatment options are usually available within a 30 to 45 minute drive elsewhere in the county.

San Diego County: 3.3 million residents | 18 incorporated cities plus unincorporated areas

County behavioral health entry point| San Diego Access and Crisis Line, 1-888-724-7240

Major health systems with SUD programs| UC San Diego Health, Scripps, Sharp, VA San Diego

Primary substance use crisis| fentanyl-driven opioid deaths and ongoing methamphetamine use

Highest overdose rates| Central San Diego, Lemon Grove, Mountain Empire, Palomar-Julian

Cost of Rehab in San Diego

What you pay for addiction treatment in San Diego depends on the level of care, the length of stay, the facility's amenities and whether insurance covers the program. California's market sits in the middle of national averages for residential treatment but skews higher in coastal metros like San Diego, where real estate and clinical staffing costs are above the state median. The figures below are program-level California averages drawn from the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics and used as a planning baseline.

San Diego specifically tends to fall at or above the California average given the higher cost of living in the metro and the prevalence of coastal residential programs. Verifying your rehab insurance benefits before admission is the single most important step in controlling out-of-pocket cost, since most major carriers cover medically necessary detox and residential care when in-network providers are used.

Several factors drive cost variance between San Diego programs:

Treatment setting | Inpatient is significantly more expensive than outpatient

Length of stay | 30, 60, or 90 days, with longer programs increasing total cost

Facility amenities | Private rooms, ocean views, and luxury services raise prices substantially

Clinical intensity | Physician-supervised detox and dual-diagnosis care cost more than standard counseling

Insurance network status | In-network programs cost a fraction of out-of-network billing

Medication-assisted treatment | Methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone add ongoing medication costs

Location within the county | Coastal North County and La Jolla programs typically price above inland options

How to Pay for Rehab in San Diego

Of the 115 addiction treatment facilities in San Diego, the majority accept some combination of public insurance, private insurance and self-payment. The grid below shows how many programs accept each payment type. Even if a facility is not in your insurance network, most will help verify benefits and discuss financing or sliding-scale options before admission.

Coverage rules vary widely between payers. The breakdown below covers the major public and private payment routes in San Diego and what each typically includes.

Medicare

Medicare Part A covers inpatient detox and residential treatment delivered in a hospital setting, while Part B covers outpatient counseling, medication-assisted treatment and screening. Medicare Advantage plans often add behavioral health benefits beyond Original Medicare. Of San Diego's 115 facilities, 39 accept Medicare, with the strongest concentration among hospital-affiliated programs at UC San Diego Health, Sharp HealthCare and Scripps. Coinsurance and deductibles still apply, and some programs require a Part B referral before starting outpatient services. Confirm coverage with the facility's intake team before scheduling admission.

Medicaid (Medi-Cal)

California's Medicaid program is known as Medi-Cal, and substance use disorder services in San Diego County are delivered through the Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System (DMC-ODS). Eligible residents access detox, residential treatment, outpatient services, intensive outpatient programs and medication-assisted treatment at no cost by calling the San Diego Access and Crisis Line at 1-888-724-7240. Forty-six San Diego facilities accept Medi-Cal directly, with McAlister Institute, Family Health Centers of San Diego and County of San Diego BHS contracted clinics anchoring access. Wait times for residential and detox beds have improved as the county has expanded capacity, though demand still outpaces availability in some categories.

TRICARE and Military Benefits

San Diego is home to one of the largest active-duty military populations in the country, and 24 local facilities accept TRICARE. Active-duty service members typically receive care through the Naval Medical Center San Diego Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Program (SARP). Veterans qualify for the Alcohol and Drug Treatment Program at VA San Diego Healthcare System, which offers detox, residential, outpatient and MAT services across multiple county locations. Family members covered under TRICARE Prime, Select or Reserve Select can access civilian network providers with referral and pre-authorization. Additional rehab resources for veterans and military are available through community providers contracted with TriWest Healthcare Alliance.

Insurance and Private Pay

Seventy-two San Diego facilities accept private health insurance. Most major California carriers cover medically necessary addiction treatment, though benefits vary by plan tier, deductible and network status. Common in-network carriers in the region include Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California, Cigna, Health Net, Kaiser Permanente, Magellan Health, MHN, Optum and UnitedHealthcare.

Self-pay remains an option at 103 facilities, with cash discounts, in-house financing and third-party loans available at many private programs. Always request an itemized cost estimate in writing before committing to a self-pay admission.

Other Low-Cost Options

Sliding-scale fees are offered at 31 facilities, and 41 offer some form of financial assistance, including scholarships, charity care and grant-funded slots. McAlister Institute, Father Joe's Villages and several Federally Qualified Health Centers maintain explicit policies of not turning away clients based on ability to pay.

Free Treatment Programs

Twelve San Diego facilities offer fully free treatment, most often funded through county contracts, federal block grants or private philanthropy. Free rehab through scholarships is also available at select private programs that maintain a small number of donor-funded beds each month. Eligibility usually depends on income, residency and clinical need.

Levels of Care Available in San Diego

San Diego offers the full continuum of addiction care: 39 medical detox facilities, 56 inpatient or residential rehab programs, 4 partial hospitalization programs, 84 outpatient clinics, 84 dual-diagnosis programs and 23 sober living homes. The right level of care depends on the substance involved, severity of use, prior treatment history and any co-occurring mental health conditions.

Medical Detox

Detox is the medically supervised process of clearing a substance from the body while managing withdrawal symptoms. For alcohol, benzodiazepines and opioids, medical detox is the safest entry point because untreated withdrawal can trigger seizures, delirium or severe cardiovascular events. San Diego's 39 detox programs range from hospital-based units at Sharp Mesa Vista and Alvarado Parkway Institute to community-based programs operated by McAlister Institute, Father Joe's Villages and other nonprofit providers. A typical detox stay lasts 3 to 10 days depending on the substance.

Inpatient and Residential Rehab

Inpatient rehab combines 24-hour clinical supervision with structured group and individual therapy, typically for 30, 60 or 90 days. San Diego has 56 inpatient rehab programs, including hospital-based and freestanding residential facilities. Coastal North County and La Jolla concentrate most of the private residential programs, while county-contracted residential beds are spread across the region and accessed through DMC-ODS.

Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP)

PHP is a structured day program that delivers 20 or more hours of clinical care per week without overnight residence. It is commonly used as a step-down from inpatient care or as a step-up from outpatient when symptoms intensify. San Diego has 4 dedicated partial hospitalization programs, though several PHP services are embedded within larger residential and outpatient providers.

Outpatient and Intensive Outpatient

Outpatient care lets clients maintain work, school or family responsibilities while attending scheduled therapy sessions, typically 9 hours or fewer per week for standard outpatient and 9 to 20 hours per week for intensive outpatient. San Diego has 84 outpatient rehab options, ranging from solo licensed counselors to large multi-site clinics operated by Family Health Centers of San Diego and McAlister Institute.

Dual Diagnosis (Co-Occurring Disorders)

Eighty-four San Diego facilities treat co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder or bipolar disorder. Integrated dual-diagnosis care addresses both conditions simultaneously rather than sequentially, which research consistently associates with better long-term outcomes. Programs typically combine medication management with evidence-based addiction therapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy or trauma-focused approaches.

Sober Living

Sober living homes provide structured drug-free housing for people transitioning out of residential treatment or stepping down from intensive outpatient care. San Diego has 23 sober living homes, most concentrated in Pacific Beach, North Park and East County. Sober living is usually paired with continued outpatient programming and forms a core component of rehab aftercare in the region.

Specialty Programs in San Diego

Specialized programming improves engagement and outcomes for populations whose treatment needs differ from a general adult program. San Diego facilities offer dedicated tracks for women, men, LGBTQ+ adults, veterans and active-duty military, young adults and older adults, as well as substance-specific programming for alcohol use disorder and opioid use disorder. LGBTQ+ affirming addiction care is available at 32 San Diego facilities, the highest concentration of any specialty track in the region outside of general adult programming.

If you have a specific population focus in mind, the directory filter above can narrow listings to facilities that explicitly offer that specialty track.

Free and Low-Cost Rehab Resources in San Diego

San Diego County maintains an extensive network of free and low-cost behavioral health resources, anchored by the 24/7 Access and Crisis Line and supplemented by federally qualified health centers, harm reduction nonprofits and veteran-specific programs. The list below covers verified entry points for treatment, crisis support and overdose prevention.

Crisis Lines

Crisis support is available 24 hours a day across multiple lines. If you or someone nearby is in immediate danger, call 911. For broader suicide prevention resources and crisis support, the following lines are staffed continuously:

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Call or text 988. Available 24/7 in English, Spanish, and via TTY 711.
SAMHSA National Helpline. 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Free, confidential treatment referral and information service in English and Spanish, 24/7.
San Diego Access and Crisis Line. 1-888-724-7240, TTY 711. Operated by Optum on behalf of San Diego County BHS. The line connects callers to mental health and substance use services, including DMC-ODS, and dispatches Mobile Crisis Response Teams when needed.
2-1-1 San Diego. Dial 211 or visit 211sandiego.org. Free 24/7 information and referral service covering housing, food, behavioral health and naloxone access.

County Behavioral Health

San Diego County Behavioral Health Services. Coordinates the county's Mental Health Plan and Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System for all Medi-Cal eligible residents. sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/hhsa/programs/bhs
Optum San Diego. Administrative services organization for the county; publishes the DMC-ODS provider directory and handles authorization for specialty mental health and SUD services. optumsandiego.com

Community Treatment Providers

McAlister Institute. One of the county's largest nonprofit SUD providers, operating more than 24 programs spanning prevention, outreach, outpatient treatment, residential and sober living. Sliding-scale fees apply and no client is turned away for inability to pay. mcalisterinc.org
Family Health Centers of San Diego. Federally Qualified Health Center offering SUD treatment, MAT, primary care, syringe services and naloxone distribution across multiple county sites. fhcsd.org
Father Joe's Villages. Largest homeless services provider in the region, with integrated behavioral health and a new East Village detox facility expanding low-barrier access. my.neighbor.org

Harm Reduction and Naloxone

San Diego County Naloxone Distribution Program. Free naloxone available through community-based distribution sites and 12 county-placed vending machines, including locations at McAlister Institute in Chula Vista and El Dorado in San Diego. sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/hhsa/programs/phs/od2a/naloxone.html
Harm Reduction Coalition of San Diego (HRCSD On Point). Grass-roots nonprofit offering free naloxone, sterile injection supplies, fentanyl test strips, wound care and overdose response training countywide. hrcsd.org
Family Health Centers Syringe Services Program. Operates the Community Harm Reduction Team site at 701 16th Street, San Diego, and a Lemon Grove Plaza site at 7152 Broadway Lane. fhcsd.org/syringe-services-program
San Diego Opioid Project. County-supported education and naloxone access portal with a searchable pickup location map. sandiegoopioidproject.org

Veterans and Military

VA San Diego Healthcare System Alcohol and Drug Treatment Program. Comprehensive evidence-based detox, residential, outpatient and MAT services for eligible veterans. Main facility at 3350 La Jolla Village Drive. va.gov/san-diego-health-care/programs/resources.
Naval Medical Center San Diego Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Program (SARP). Active-duty SUD care for service members assigned to Navy commands in the region. sandiego.tricare.mil
Veterans Crisis Line. Dial 988 then press 1, or text 838255. Free, confidential 24/7 support for veterans, service members, and their families.

Government and Medi-Cal

Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System (DMC-ODS). Accessed through the San Diego Access and Crisis Line at 1-888-724-7240. Covers detox, residential, outpatient, intensive outpatient, MAT and recovery support for Medi-Cal eligible residents.
SAMHSA FindTreatment.gov. National searchable directory of state-licensed treatment programs accepting Medicaid, sliding scale or other low-cost options. findtreatment.gov.

University and Student Services

UC San Diego Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). 858-534-3755. Free short-term counseling and SUD referral for UCSD students. caps.ucsd.edu
San Diego State University Counseling and Psychological Services. 619-594-5220. Free counseling and substance use support for SDSU students. sacd.sdsu.edu/cps

Drug and Alcohol Use Statistics in San Diego

The San Diego County overdose crisis peaked in 2023, when 1,203 county residents died from drug overdose, a record driven primarily by fentanyl. Preliminary 2024 data show the first sustained year-over-year decline in more than a decade, though disparities by race and geography persist. The figures below summarize the most recent verified county data.

Several patterns shape the local picture. Fentanyl now drives the overwhelming majority of opioid fatalities in California overall, with statewide data showing fentanyl involved in 84 percent of opioid deaths between 2021 and 2023, and San Diego County mirrors that trend in opioid use disorder mortality. Black San Diego residents experienced overdose death rates more than double the regional average in 2024, and Central San Diego, Lemon Grove, Mountain Empire, Palomar-Julian and Pauma reported the highest community-level rates. Men were three times more likely than women to die of overdose. National context and longer-term trend data are available through addictions.com national substance use statistics.

The 2024 decline coincided with the County of San Diego's launch of the Overdose Surveillance and Response (OSAR) program, expanded countywide naloxone vending machine placement and the distribution of more than 33,000 naloxone kits in the prior fiscal year. Methamphetamine continues to drive the largest share of treatment admissions countywide, according to the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency.

Medical reviewer

Sendra Yang, PharmD, MBA

Sendra Yang received her Doctor of Pharmacy and Master of Business Administration degrees from Wingate University School of Pharmacy. She has experience in the pharmaceutical industry, pharmacy education, and clinical practice. She has also been a medical writer, editor, and…

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Author

Nikki Seay, LPN, BS

Nikki brings more than 10 years' experience in content and healthcare. She holds a Licensed Practical Nursing degree and a B.S. in Marketing. In recovery since 2010, Nikki understands addiction from both a personal and a clinical point of view,…

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