2025’s Top Rehab Centers in Northern California (from $0), Drug & Alcohol Support Resources

Northern California, California

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of drug or alcohol addiction treatment is right for me?

Get an independent assessment of your treatment needs by a clinician who has experience in substance use problems but is not connected with or employed by a treatment center. They will help you decide between treatment options including:

Outpatient treatment. Patients live at home and go to a clinic or facility regularly for sessions with addiction treatment professionals.

Residential treatment: Patients stay at a residential facility with 24-hour supervision. Different residential programs vary in the intensity of services that they provide. All are staffed 24/7. Some, but not all residential facilities, also provide nursing care and have an on-call physician or advanced practice provider (such as a nurse practitioner). There are roughly 3 residential programs within 50 miles of Northern California.

Hospital inpatient treatment: Patients stay at a hospital facility and receive intensive and highly structured care for addiction and other medical problems. Nursing services are available 24/7. In addition, a physician or advanced practice provider is typically available on-site 24/7.

Withdrawal management: Formerly known as “detox,” a term that has fallen out of favor due to stigma, is supervised withdrawal from drug or alcohol use. There are roughly 2 withdrawal management programs within 50 miles of Northern California.

Medication: Medication treatment for substance use disorders, combined with behavioral therapies and counseling, can reduce your withdrawal symptoms and cravings to sustain your recovery. Evidence-based guidelines recommend that FDA-approved medications for addiction treatment be offered at all levels of care, including outpatient, residential, inpatient, and withdrawal management.

There are also many non-clinical pathways to recovery as well, such as peer support groups and recovery housing. These supports can also be combined with clinical services. Learn more about the many pathways to recovery.

How can I find the best drug or alcohol addiction treatment in Northern California?

Ultimately, the question isn’t “What’s the best rehab?” but rather, “What’s the best treatment for me?” Work with a qualified clinician to use the guidance here to make the right treatment.

The right program may depend on:

• Type of care: Determine if inpatient, outpatient, withdrawal management, and/or medication treatment is right for you.
• Offerings: Make sure the program caters to both your condition, as well as your unique needs and lived experience.
• Program length: More severe challenges may take longer. Programs should allow patients to stay as long as it is clinically appropriate. No program should discharge a patient based on an arbitrary fixed length of stay. Avoid any program that calls itself a “28-day” or “30-day” rehab. The length of stay should be unique to each patient’s needs.
• Insurance coverage and cost: Make sure the drug or alcohol addiction treatment is covered by insurance and within your budget.

Learn more about choosing the right addiction treatment program.

How should I compare programs and rehabs in Northern California?

When talking with facilities, ask these questions:

• What types of treatment therapies are offered?
• Can the program offer medication? And, once medication is started, is linkage to a community provider who will continue the medication long-term ensured?
• Are staff members qualified to treat both addiction and other mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD?
• Is treatment tailored for each patient?
• What are the program's requirements and/or expectations of me?
• What can and should my family do while I’m in treatment?
• Can you provide patient rights and responsibilities in writing?

How can I pay for my program or rehab?

Health insurance: Insurance often covers 50-100% of rehab costs. Under The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, health insurers are required to cover substance use disorder treatment similar to how they would any physical condition.

Employer Assistance Programs (EAP): An EAP is an employer-sponsored service to help employees (and sometimes their dependents) who are experiencing personal or family challenges. They usually pay for services related to mental health, alcohol or other substance use disorders, financial, and legal concerns.

Learn more about paying for rehab.

Medical Reviewer

Jasleen Salwan

M.D., M.P.H., F.A.S.A.M.

Dr. Salwan is a board-certified physician specializing in Addiction Medicine and Internal Medicine. She provides comprehensive care at Montgomery Family & Internal Medicine Associates in Silver Spring, Maryland, where she integrates primary care with substance use disorder treatment. Beyond her practice, she contributes to the American Society of Addiction Medicine as a member of the education faculty and consults for the Washington, DC, Addiction Consultation Service. Her academic background includes dual degrees in medicine and public health from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, followed by her residency at the Yale Primary Care Program and a fellowship in Addiction Medicine at Johns Hopkins Bayview.