McAlister Institute for Trt and Educ

About McAlister Institute for Trt and Educ

McAlister Institute in San Marcos, California, runs the North Inland Women and Adolescent Recovery Center, an outpatient substance use program for women that offers on-site co-op childcare and parenting classes. They are part of a nonprofit network founded in 1977 that has become one of San Diego County’s largest alcohol and drug treatment providers, with a focus on low-cost care offered regardless of gender, ethnicity, or income. Their philosophy holds that recovery is a lifelong process built on personal responsibility and a supportive community, and many staff members are in recovery themselves. Across the county, their 24 programs include non-medical detox, short- and long-term residential treatment, outpatient care, teen services, and sober living, and most programs accept Medi-Cal.

Outpatient care at their regional recovery centers begins with an assessment and an individualized treatment plan, followed by individual and group counseling, case management, and care coordination. Clients with co-occurring mental health conditions can receive mental health services alongside substance use treatment, and the curriculum is evidence-based, trauma-informed, and gender-specific. Practical support is a large part of the program, with vocational training, housing assistance, re-entry help for people leaving the justice system, family therapy, and life skills workshops. After treatment, clients can continue with relapse prevention and aftercare, and they can be referred to other McAlister programs, such as residential treatment or supportive housing, if they need more structure.