McAlister Institute - Lemon Grove, CA

kiva really helped me out I never thought id end up in treatment EVER!!! and at first ya it sucked but honestly you don't have to stay there you can leave anytime you want to :) but I stayed the entire 90 days and I'm… glad I did !!! I'm still sober almost 2 years now !!!

Place is ok men n women from women n children talk n meet up staff not paying attention or wht ever case is residents exchanging numbers etc... not ok with it when. Supposed to be focus on recovery n detoxing

I have been here since March 7 th 2025 116 glorious days! I have met some incredible people and feel young again 😄 .. thankful I've found my higher power 🙏 and now get to help take care of our Mom! Thanks Kiva n… especially Jeanne McAlister ..ur staff is Amazing 🤩

The staff is amazing, kind, and caring. Because they all have come from a history of addiction they are better to understand what your needs are and how they can help get you comfortable and healthy again. This is a… clean, safe place to come detox and reset. This place saved my life multiple times and I appreciate everyone there helping me get back up again. Thank you.❤️

I don’t understand the culture of the staff at rehabs that accept clients from drug court. It seems like they want to act like prison guards to everyone, regardless if you came to rehab to get sober on your own and you… were not court ordered to be there. Even if you were court ordered, everyone deserves common respect. It’s not a jail. Then as soon as you inform the staff that you’d like to leave, they immediately rush to throwing you outside and make you sign out on a sheet for your ‘belongings’ without giving you a chance to at least gather all of the belongings they have stored away. As soon as I got home, as I unpacked everything I find out there are things missing. I had a bad feeling about the fact that they didn’t want me present when they initially searched my luggage during intake. I understand these places are busy, but at the same time the staff doesn’t need to treat people like that. It’s almost like they prefer having the ability to hang ‘going to jail’ over clients heads if anything at all comes up during the treatment stay

This place is so good to you the nicest councelors I was at the detox for 3 weeks wish I would've went way sooner but it's all good.

These folks took care of me and showed me kindness ever step of the way while i slowly regained my strength. There are no perfect programs but they certainly do their best to treat clients with respect and dignity, even… when it's inconvenient and frustrating. I'm grateful for McAlister and highly recommend them to anyone who's sick and tired of being sick and tired and considering detox.

I came here as a walk in. This program is great for all individuals that are dealing with drugs an alcoholic use. This program well help you stay clean an get on the right path to sobriety but only you can make a… difference for yourself . If you are not ready to get clean don't waste your time because you well run away. I had learn the hard way , so don't lie to yourself if you are just doing it for others reason . You won't succeed in anything. Thank you McAlister.

Love the staff. Great place to start your recovery

Kiva is a joke or maybe it is just the intake people. First, I had been calling for about a whole month leaving several messages. Didn’t receive a call back until weeks later just to tell me there is no availability.… The lady I spoke to named michelle is the one who told me this but offered to do a phone screening the next week on Wednesday in case there was availability. She also told me to call back on Monday to check for openeing. But On Monday a woman named kathy called me to tell me there is no availability. I explained that Michelle and I had scheduled a phone screeening and she also had told me to check if any spots became open. Kathy puts me on hold for five minutes then she says I am not scheduled for a phone screening nope I’m not anywhere on there list or whatever. Kathy said Michelle works in a different department. She doesn’t do intake. Im like okay so what did she schedule me for? Michelle doesn’t work in this department she does something else and I am no where to be found in there system. I was over it and just said okay goodbye. Wednesday I get a phone call from KATHY At mcalister and she says we have a phone screening scheduled today can she call me at 1 pm. I’m like really confused at this point but I really do want to detox off drugs so I don’t even argue it and I don’t even mention that on Monday she said I wasn’t on the list and nothing was scheduled. She scheduled me to come in on Friday so I can begin detox. Next day on Thursday Kathy calls me back again and asks me when the last time I used I told her a little over 24 hours ago and she tells me oh no we can’t take you. I don’t know what the place is like but mcalister really needs to replace Kathy at intake because I think this lady is on drugs LOL. I told her you know what I will just do it myself! and hung up the phone. Very unprofessional and doesn’t know how to talk to people and has no idea what she’s doing. Why is she even there she doesn’t even seem interested in helping. I just wanted to get better. I will seek treatment elsewhere . I wouldn’t recommend wasting your time.

It's a worm welcoming. The thought of having a clean environment to get clean is cool. But once they set u up, it's starts to unfold. 1st they handed blankets and sheet. My sheets ant even white any more there yellowish… lookin. 2nd. I wasn't aware that I can only smoke at certain times supervised. 3rd. U must remain in ur room, which sucked because people in my room are dirty living. 4th. I tried to just relax and not let it get to me, so I went to shower. Bro I open the shower doors and instantly it smelled, hasn't been cleaned, people's trash everywhere and a dirty towel on the floor. I went to tell the workers here, and they told me Noone has to do anything, that if I wanted to shower in a clean shower that I scrub the shower myself. I haven't been here 12hrs and I'm ready to leave. What's upset in is I'm paying for this.

I was made to think that I was on the intake and wasn't...waited for them to call for three days now

Overall a good program Medi-Cal covered and lots of free time highly recommended

Awesome new beginnings learned here . In change of an unwanted old lifestyle... 😇👍👍

Great service to our community

This is a great program everyone who's looking for a rehab this is a very awesome place to get help!!!!

This place made such an incredible change in not only my life but the way that I view myself and my addiction. The staff and counselors are extremely supportive and helpful and I would recommend this program to anyone… who serious about finding recovery.

I will

They cool af. You have a problem with free help? Go back to the street. Tim what up. He has real knowledge.

This last week I was housed in your climate controlled environment bought clothing given a Wi-Fi password and assigned to the caseload of a profoundly sincere counselor who's respected as effective tearfully I thank you… all for being a part of this

Went there just to drop off a friend's kid to detox.

Hmm where do I even start! It has been about 9 years since I graduated from Kiva. And I am still clean and sober today and very happy with my life. My kids thank you and I thank you so much for a second chance. I love… you guys. Especially my counselor at the time was Anna. I love you Anna you are so awesome and a wonderful person, thank you for being you! You guys don't get enough credit for what you do. (save lives)

terrible, rude staff. food sucks. no real treatment occurs. and they wont answer the phone.