Long Term Rehab Centers in California

How long is long-term treatment for substance use in California?

Long-term treatment in California usually means a program designed for stays beyond about 30 days, often running from two or three months up to a year. No single definition exists, so one California program may call 60 days long-term while another means six months.

Each listing shows the length of stay a program reports, and intake staff can say whether that figure is fixed or reviewed as treatment goes on. A shorter stay suits many people as well; for that option, see 30-day programs in California.

Clinical long-term care is licensed treatment, which sets it apart from recovery housing, where people live without treatment on site. The Department of Health Care Services licenses residential alcohol and drug programs, and California has no state certification for sober living homes, so ask any program for its license number and level of care.

Under Medi-Cal, counties run addiction treatment, and coverage for a longer residential stay turns on the county and the assessed need. Private insurers tend to grant days in blocks, so ask how many the plan allows at the start and who asks for the next review.

Medication during a long stay

Medication for opioid or alcohol use disorder can continue through a months-long stay at programs that list it. In July 2025, the California Department of Health Care Services announced State Opioid Response funding that included more than $21 million for onsite medications for addiction treatment at residential programs. Ask the admissions team whether a program starts, continues or only coordinates buprenorphine, methadone or naltrexone. Also ask how dosing works with a nearby narcotic treatment program or one of the Suboxone clinics in California.

Planning for months away from home

Practical questions weigh more on a long stay than on a short one. Ask how often family can call or visit, whether phones are held during the first weeks, and how mail, court dates and work contact are handled. Your employer’s human resources office can explain any medical leave you may qualify for. A program’s case manager can often help with the paperwork.

How is long-term treatment different from recovery housing in California?

Clinical long-term care is licensed treatment, while recovery housing is a place to live that does not provide treatment. In California, the Department of Health Care Services has sole authority to license residential nonmedical alcohol and drug treatment facilities. Under Health and Safety Code 11834.015, each one must also hold a DHCS Level of Care Designation or residential ASAM certification. No state certification for sober living homes was found. The California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals is the state affiliate of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences.

Faith-based programs and housing models can offer structure, but neither is clinical treatment unless it holds a license. To find out, ask a program for its DHCS license number and level of care, then compare those details with state licensing records. Browse residential rehab in California for treatment settings and sober living in California for housing.

Will Medi-Cal or private insurance pay for a long-term program?

Medi-Cal covers substance use treatment through county systems, and whether a longer residential stay is covered depends on your county and your assessed need. Treatment under Medi-Cal runs through county-contracted Drug Medi-Cal providers. In counties that opted in, it runs through the Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System. Ask the county access line how often a stay is reviewed and what happens if more time is not approved. Private plans often authorize a set number of days at a time, so ask how many days are approved up front and who requests the next review. Read more about Medicaid coverage for treatment.

What are the options if I cannot afford a long-term program?

California residents without insurance can ask their county alcohol and drug program about publicly funded treatment. The Department of Health Care Services runs an automated SUD Non-Emergency Treatment Referral Line at (800) 879-2772, which connects callers to their county program. The department also lists each county’s access line, and most are marked as open around the clock. State block grant rules give pregnant women preference in admission. Costs vary with level of care, length of stay, staffing, medication and amenities. To compare lower-cost options, see state-funded rehab in California and sliding-scale programs.

What does step-down care look like when a long stay ends?

Step-down care usually moves from residential treatment to a partial hospitalization program or an intensive outpatient program, then to standard outpatient visits. Before admission, ask who plans discharge, whether referrals go to programs near your home, and how medication will continue after you leave. Distance matters for those visits. Of the long-term programs listed in California, 73 percent sit within 25 miles of the coast, and 94 percent sit within 25 miles of a river, most often the Santa Ana River. Three in four have a major airport as their nearest, a median of 9.6 miles away. John Wayne Orange County International is the airport that appears most often. To see every program type in the state, visit treatment in California.