Teen Rehab Centers in Los Angeles

Can a teen in Los Angeles get treatment without a parent’s consent?

Yes, with one main exception: California Family Code 6929 lets a teen in Los Angeles aged 12 or older consent to counseling and medical care for a drug or alcohol problem without a parent’s permission. Medication for opioid use disorder is the main exception to that rule.

Replacement narcotic therapy still needs a parent’s consent. Teens 16 and older, however, may consent to opioid treatment medication at a licensed narcotic treatment program where federal law allows it. Families with questions about a particular medication can raise them with the program’s medical staff before admission.

Federal confidentiality rules limit what a substance use disorder program can share about a young person, including with parents. Ask intake staff early what a parent will and won’t be told. Families who want a parent involved can look for listings that note family sessions or family therapy.

Teen listings in Los Angeles range from weekly outpatient sessions and after-school intensive outpatient schedules to partial hospitalization, residential care and detox, with age limits set by each program. Before choosing a day or live-in program, ask how a teen keeps up with schoolwork and whether class credit transfers back to school.

What kinds of teen programs are listed in Los Angeles?

Teen listings in Los Angeles cover outpatient care, intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, residential stays and detox. Each program sets its own age range. Weekly sessions appear on the outpatient rehab in Los Angeles page, and after-school schedules are often listed under intensive outpatient. Live-in care is on the residential rehab page, and withdrawal care is under detox in Los Angeles. Before choosing a residential or day program, ask how schoolwork continues and whether class credit can carry over. Check each listing for family involvement and languages served.

Location shapes family visits. About 71% of the listed teen programs are in urban settings, and 82% are within 25 miles of the coast. Hollywood Burbank is most often the nearest airport, and the median airport distance is 9.9 miles, which helps relatives who fly in for family days. Metro bus and rail reach much of the county, but most trips combine a rail line with a bus.

How do you check a teen program’s license?

The California Department of Health Care Services licenses and certifies outpatient and residential substance use providers through its Licensing and Certification Division. Ask the program for its license number and look it up with the department. Wilderness camps and boarding schools that hold no substance use treatment license work under different rules, so confirm a license before enrolling.

How do Los Angeles families pay for teen treatment?

Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program, can pay for substance use treatment for eligible teens. In Los Angeles County, public substance use care is run through SAPC and its network of contracted providers. Medi-Cal health plans in the county include L.A. Care Health Plan, Health Net Community Solutions, Kaiser Permanente and PHC California. The plan or the SASH line can point families to a participating program. Listings also show private insurance, self-pay and sliding fees where providers report them. More detail is on the Medicaid rehab page.

Referrals often come through a school counselor, a pediatrician or a juvenile court. The state’s non-emergency referral line at (800) 879-2772 connects callers to the county program.

If a teen talks about self-harm or may have taken too much of a drug, call 911 now, or call or text 988. The county Department of Mental Health Help Line at (800) 854-7771 answers around the clock and can send a Field Intervention Team.

For teen programs elsewhere in the state, see teen rehab across California. The national teen rehab guide explains the levels of care, and the Los Angeles rehab page lists every program type in the city.