For anyone looking for a recovery community, or just a place to get quality treatment for substance abuse, you’d have a hard time finding better resources and atmosphere than West Los Angeles. In terms of treatment facilities, sober living homes, 12-step meetings and sober extracurricular activities, Los Angeles is definitely one of the best places to start, and West Los Angeles is more specifically a hotbed of recovery. And even beyond this, the weather can’t be beat…
Treatment Facilities
West L.A. may have the one of the largest per capita treatment center locations in the country. There are hundreds of in-and-outpatient treatment centers and detox facilities for any and all price ranges. For those without funds, there are several 100% county-funded programs, and in addition to this, many of the fee-based treatment centers often keep a certain number of beds available for scholarship (free) treatment, especially in terms of detox.
Fee-based and insurance-financed rehabs are, of course, plentiful. Depending on your budget and insurance coverage, you can literally take your pick. The quality of the program, staff and alternative treatment options generally increases in conjunction with the price of the facility. In addition to general treatment centers, there are numerous programs that cater to specific needs such as women’s programs, gay/lesbian/transgender facilities, programs for single women with children, etc.
Sober Living Facilities
Like treatment facilities, sober and transitional living homes are plentiful in West L.A. Because Los Angeles is so spread out, the types of sober living facilities vary, from shared homes and apartments in upscale neighborhoods, to more affordable locations closer to the mid-city area. In general, the closer one gets to the ocean, the more expensive it gets, but there is definitely something in every price range. As well, most treatment centers either have their own sober living homes, as well as the ability to provide referrals. A good place to start in locating the right sober living facility is the Sober Living Network.
12-Step Meetings
West Los Angeles is home to hundreds of 12-step meetings of all types, from A.A., N.A., Sex addiction, eating disorders and everything in between, the richness and variety of meetings that are available (at all hours) is staggering.
Women’s Issues
Women are impacted by different health and societal issues than men in many cases. Women struggle with appearance, being accepted for who they are, weight, divorce, losing their job, losing or the departure of a child, sexual abuse and depression. Los Angeles has dozens of programs and meetings that cater to and specialize in women’s addiction issues.
Faith-based Programs
There is scientific evidence that people of faith can live longer and healthier lives. This also carries over to addiction. The faith-based programs in West Los Angeles cover all denominations, including Judaism, Christian, Catholic and many others.
Intervention Services
An intervention is when family and friends face their loved one about the consequences of their addiction and ask that person to agree to treatment. The primary product of the intervention is to get that person to say “yes” to treatment without delay. Los Angeles is home to dozens of accredited interventionists and they are generally available for both in an out of home meetings. They can assist with full services, from panning the intervention, deciding upon the approach, as well as the meeting itself.
Aside from intervention, Los Angeles is also home to numerous sober coaches and ‘life coaches’, who can stay with someone in recovery 24/7, if needed, in order to maintain their sobriety and tie themselves into a treatment practice.
Employment
Although unemployment continues to be problem in Southern California, the fact that the recovery industry is such a growing concern assures us that the job market in this area is very healthy. For those experienced in working in recovery, there are, as illustrated in this article, a wide variety of treatment centers and addiction services throughout the West Los Angeles area that are almost always hiring experienced recovery workers. Due to the competitive nature of the business, and the drive to be leaders in the field, it takes to patience and stamina to find something, but jobs in the industry are available, and will be for some time now.
Community Outreach and Extracurricular Sober Activities
This is where it gets good, and where West L.A. shines as a sober community that provides services, specialties and fun in recovery in countless ways.
As far as alternative addiction treatment services, West L.A. has everything anyone would need. Intervention services (mentioned above), yoga, dietary consultation, holistic treatment and other specialties are available at various facilities and recovery centers. A couple of one-stop recovery centers that can assist in finding these would be SHARE (310.846.5270/666 Green Valley Circle, Culver City and the Venice Recovery Center 414 Lincoln Bl., Venice.
Another excellent location is the Alano Club. A non-profit center which hosts a variety of 12-step meetings, they are not strictly affiliated with A.A. The location is, however, a great place to find out what is happening in the West L.A community for subject specific symposiums, gatherings, picnics, outings. They are located at 11530 Pico Bl, West Los Angeles.
The Keys To Recovery Newspaper is a monthly publication that is dedicated to keeping the pulse on the happenings in the Los Angeles recovery community Aside from listings and ads for treatment centers and sober living facilities, the newspaper also has a detailed calendar of events to happenings and gatherings specifically related to the community. You can pick up a copy of the paper at most 12-step meetings as well as the locations mentioned above.
Aside from these mentioned, the social side of the recovery community in West Los Angeles is extremely active and vibrant. Aside from numerous late-night restaurants and coffeehouses that are favorites, there are several music-related meetings and gatherings that have become more popular each year. The Venice Recovery Center (mentioned above) has a very exciting music-based meeting on Friday nights. The performers (mostly amateur) sign up at the beginning of the night, and perform cover material and self-written songs that deal with addiction and recovery. It is one of the more interesting and enjoyable social gatherings in the West L.A. recovery community.
