What We Treat
Addictions We Treat in San Diego for Medi-Cal Adults
We provide evidence-based treatment for a wide range of substance use disorders, covered through Drug Medi-Cal in San Diego County under our DHCS certification 370254AP at no cost when criteria are met. Explore the addictions we treat below.
Substances & Addictions We Treat
Alcohol Addiction Treatment in San Diego for Medi-Cal Adults
Monitored outpatient detox where withdrawal needs it, naltrexone or acamprosate when appropriate, and CBT-based relapse prevention through IOP and outpatient care.
Learn moreOpioid Addiction Treatment in San Diego for Medi-Cal Adults
Buprenorphine-based medication-assisted treatment alongside IOP or outpatient counseling; methadone is coordinated through licensed opioid treatment programs.
Learn moreFentanyl Addiction Treatment in San Diego for Medi-Cal Adults
Fast assessment, carefully timed buprenorphine induction, and medication-assisted treatment paired with intensive outpatient counseling.
Learn moreHeroin Addiction Treatment in San Diego for Medi-Cal Adults
Medication-assisted treatment with buprenorphine or naltrexone, managed in the same building as the counseling it supports.
Learn moreMethamphetamine (Meth) Addiction Treatment in San Diego for Medi-Cal Adults
No FDA-approved medication exists for stimulant use disorder; treatment is behavioral, contingency management and CBT through IOP.
Learn moreCocaine Addiction Treatment in San Diego for Medi-Cal Adults
Behavioral treatment, CBT and contingency management in IOP; monitoring through the crash period, since no FDA-approved medication exists.
Learn moreBenzodiazepine Addiction Treatment in San Diego for Medi-Cal Adults
A medically supervised taper measured in months, never an abrupt stop, with therapy running alongside the reduction schedule.
Learn morePrescription Drug Addiction Treatment in San Diego for Medi-Cal Adults
Taper planning and prescriber coordination across outpatient levels of care, with therapy for what the prescription was covering.
Learn moreCodeine Addiction Treatment in San Diego for Medi-Cal Adults
Treated like every opioid use disorder here: a taper or medication-assisted treatment, plus counseling, in one building.
Learn moreHow addiction treatment works here, whatever the substance
Every addiction we treat runs through the same clinical front door: one call, a coverage check, and an assessment that determines the right level of care. What changes by substance is the medical detail. Whether withdrawal needs supervision, whether medication has a role, how the risks are monitored: and each substance page above covers exactly that.
The programs behind every one of these pages are the same DHCS-certified levels of care (certification 370254AP): outpatient detox where withdrawal management is needed, intensive outpatient as the core of the work, outpatient care through the first year, and medication-assisted treatment alongside any of them for opioid and alcohol use disorders.
How Withdrawal Risk Differs by Substance
Withdrawal risk differs sharply by substance, and it is the first thing the clinical assessment sorts out, because it decides whether treatment starts with monitored detox or goes straight to counseling. The table below is the shape of that conversation, not a substitute for it.
| Substance | Withdrawal risk | Typical course | How we manage it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol | Can be medically dangerous; seizures and delirium are possible in heavy, long-term use | Roughly 3 to 7 acute days, monitored closely | Medically monitored outpatient detox when assessment shows it is safe; a higher level of care is arranged when it is not |
| Benzodiazepines | Dangerous to stop abruptly; risk rises with dose and duration | A scheduled taper measured in months, not days | Supervised dose reduction with the same medical team at every step; never a cold stop |
| Opioids (fentanyl, heroin, prescription) | Intensely uncomfortable but rarely dangerous on its own | Acute symptoms peak within days; discomfort tails off over a week or two | Medication-assisted treatment often begins during withdrawal, easing symptoms while treatment starts |
| Stimulants (meth, cocaine) | Low medical danger; the crash brings deep fatigue and depressed mood | Days of crash, then weeks of mood and energy recovery | Monitoring through the crash and straight into behavioral treatment; no specific withdrawal medication exists |
FDA-Approved Medication Options by Substance
FDA-approved medications exist for alcohol and opioid use disorders, and for stimulants they do not; anyone promising a meth or cocaine medication is ahead of the science. Here is the honest map.
| Substance | FDA-approved medications | How that looks here |
|---|---|---|
| Alcohol | Naltrexone, acamprosate, disulfiram | Prescribed when clinically appropriate, alongside counseling in IOP or outpatient care |
| Opioids | Buprenorphine, methadone, naltrexone | Buprenorphine-based MAT and naltrexone here; methadone only through a licensed opioid treatment program, which we help arrange |
| Stimulants (meth, cocaine) | None approved | Behavioral treatment is the standard: contingency management and CBT through IOP |
| Benzodiazepines | No substitute medication | A medically supervised taper, with therapy alongside the reduction schedule |
When a mental health condition sits alongside the addiction
Depression, anxiety, trauma, and bipolar disorder frequently travel with substance use, and treating one while ignoring the other is the most reliable way to relapse into both. Both are treated here by one clinical team, see dual diagnosis, or the same care framed from the mental health side on co-occurring disorders.
Does Medi-Cal cover addiction treatment in San Diego?
Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program. Yes: Medi-Cal covers addiction treatment in San Diego County through the Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System, administered by San Diego County Behavioral Health Services rather than by your managed care plan. On any of the four plans, treatment for any of the substances above can be covered at no cost to you when criteria are met. See how Medi-Cal works here.
Call (858) 925-8589, answered 24 hours a day. In a crisis, the San Diego County Access and Crisis Line is available around the clock at 1-888-724-7240.
Questions, Answered
Frequently asked questions
What if the substance I am using is not listed here?
Do I need to know which addiction page applies to me before calling?
Is treatment different for different substances?
Does Medi-Cal cover treatment for all of these addictions?
Sources
- FDA: Information about Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), the approved medications for alcohol and opioid use disorderhttps://www.fda.gov/drugs/information-drug-class/information-about-medication-assisted-treatment-mat
- SAMHSA TIP 45: Detoxification and Substance Abuse Treatment, withdrawal management by substance class (NCBI Bookshelf edition)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64119/
- NIDA: Treatment and Recovery, behavioral therapies as the standard for stimulant use disorderhttps://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/treatment-recovery
About this page
Prepared by the Golden Coast Rehab team. Everything described here is delivered under two public, verifiable authorities: specialty mental health services (PHP and IOP) contracted by the County of San Diego, and substance use treatment certified by DHCS. We do not operate residential or inpatient beds; partner housing and coordinated referrals cover what we do not deliver on site, and we say so plainly when an assessment points that way.
This content is general educational information, not medical advice. Decisions about your care belong in a conversation with a clinician, which is what the first phone call starts.
The hardest call you’ll ever make is also the shortest.
Five minutes. One real person on the other end, day or night. No pressure, no obligation, just honest answers about what comes next.
Every day, 8am – 8pm · Free & confidential · HIPAA & 42 CFR Part 2 protected