The Residential Treatment program at Casa de las Amigas houses up to 33 women at any one time who stay with us from 30 up to 90 days. During this period of recovery, women work closely with a drug and alcohol counselor to better understand their personal needs, goals and progress.

Residential Treatment participants are given guidance on basic life skills, such as nutrition, cooking, physical exercise, holistic health practices and decision-making. They learn to participate in their own recovery by attending mandatory onsite 12-step meetings, groups and social activities. When possible, participants work with sponsors outside of treatment who can also take them to outside meetings where they learn to connect with other addicts in recovery outside our facility.

Our participants are offered HIV/AIDS testing, counseling and education through the Alta Med Assessment Center and are referred to the AIDS Service center if continuum of care is needed for HIV/AIDS. Counselors strive to identify high-risk, co-occurring disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia and depression as well as physical, mental and sexual child abuse, all of which have the potential to cause regression or relapse if left unaddressed during residential treatment.

Anger management, parenting classes, relapse prevention and domestic violence education play an integral part of residential treatment. Groups are facilitated by our own staff, certified counselors and by the staff of Haven House, a community home for abused women and children.

Family members play an integral role in participants' success and also receive the benefits of healing as women complete the treatment and recovery process. Families are educated about the disease of addiction and encouraged to share their own feelings and struggles while taking part in discussion groups, activities, educational lectures, speakers meetings and group sharing sessions. These programs are mandatory for all family member visitors of Residential Treatment participants. Family dynamics, communication, trust, addiction as a family disease, Al-anon principals and 12-step principals for recovery are key components of our Family Counseling and Education programs.