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The Way Back

2516 A Street San Diego, CA 92102
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Way Back CA 92102

About The Way Back

The Way Back is a nonprofit residential drug and alcohol rehab facility located in San Diego, California. They treat men for substance use disorder and alcohol use disorder in this 24-bed facility. They also treat clients who struggle with both a mental health condition and addiction issues at the same time (dual diagnosis).

Men’s Treatment Program

When you call or enter the facility, you will have an assessment to determine the severity of your condition and the best treatment for you. If you qualify for residential treatment you will participate in group sessions daily and individual therapy once a week.

They offer many different groups here. You will have educational groups in which you will learn about the effects of drugs on your ability to make decisions and groups where they will teach you how to cope with situations that trigger you to use substances.

Other groups help you learn how to regulate your emotions and control anger. They will teach you how co-dependent relationships hurt both people and how to communicate with your partner in a healthy way.

One thing I like about the program is the meditative walks that start each day. You will also have group meditation sessions throughout the day. It is important to clear your head before beginning a day of therapy.

Case Management for Daily Support

You will have time each day to look for jobs or vocational training. You will also participate in recreational activities and volunteer work. The counselor with whom you have your weekly therapy sessions will also act as your case manager.

The overall goal of the program is to increase your self esteem and self awareness. The length of the program will depend on your needs and your progress.

Facility Overview

Bed icon 24
Number of Available Beds

Latest Reviews

Matthew
4 months ago on Google
1
1) The detox bathroom shower doesn t have any warm water?! Crazy!? Especially when the guys in detox are not allowed to use any of the other bathrooms.2) Looking at these other reviews.. it s an all male facility, so it really doesn t make sense how or why female google users are leaving 5 star reviews. How would any female have an experience in a facility that only treats men? Maybe it s a fake or fabricated review to even out their score since they have quite a few 1 star reviews within the last month or two alone.I wish I looked over these reviews more thoroughly before I committed to going into this place.3) I was only here for a few days, the male employees seemed like they actually gave a shit about their clients, but of course the first interaction I had with a female tech who was in charge of administering my medication left a bad taste in my mouth. I don t understand why some people have these jobs and work in this industry when it seems like they sincerely hate what they do, or they just can t help themselves but to be rude to people who are obviously in a very vulnerable state, trying to get sober and withdrawing. Getting sober is hard enough as it is, then you have to add on to it by giving someone a hard time with an attitude?!I m not saying these people need to baby clients, but showing just a little bit of compassion for people that are going through a very painful process of withdrawing from alcohol and opiates would go a long way.4)That lady didn t need to be so rude when she obviously knew I was in extreme pain. Immediately after interacting with her the first time, I didn t trust her and therefore I began to not trust being there.5) Maybe this is just another one of those places that is used to getting the bulk of their clients from Drug Court, so they are used to being able to hold the going back to jail card over the men.6) Also, why is there a pattern of grumpy women working in these treatment facilities, who give clients such a hard time when they are going into rehab to change their lives? There were a couple of disrespectful male techs sprinkled in here and there as well, but overall the pattern I ve noticed in the few treatment centers in San Diego is that the female techs or counselors have a general bad attitude towards patients that are just coming in to the rehab in the first phases of recovery. It really doesn t make sense, especially when there is nothing to warrant that behavior or attitude. I understand if someone is being unruly and starting a bunch of commotion, but why do they need to have an attitude towards someone they never met before in their lives and who isn t being disrespectful towards them? Why is there this culture inside of these treatment centers of techs, primarily female techs, giving people such a hard time? At the end of the day what is the ultimate goal of these places? It makes me wonder, do these people actually care about helping these patients get better? When you come out guns blazing right out the gate giving clients a hard time it really doesn t seem like you are trying to be helpful.7) (Btw: I used to work at an alcohol detox as a tech, so I have a little bit of experience)8) Oh yeah, they conveniently relocated my snacks that I brought in with me right before I packed my stuff up to leave. Seriously!? You had to take my chocolate too?? lol9) If you are someone who needs medication while detoxing I suggest you just keep on going down the list and skip this place altogether.10) They went against my doctor s prescription guidelines and had a house doctor call me on the phone to re-prescribe my medication. Which sent me into a precipitated withdrawal.These places in San Diego county act like they ve never dealt with opiate withdrawals. I guess it s probably time to start looking for help up in Orange County, the treatment facilities up there at least understand how to administer withdrawal medication without causing the patient to experience severe pain
plop donker
4 months ago on Google
1
Terrible rehab. The counselors can be rude even though their job is to help people. The groups seem like they are made for children.90% of the clients are hardened criminals and bring their prison mindset with them. I guess a good thing is you can have your phone from the start. So if you are looking for a flophouse for 90days, go for it.If you really want help in you recovery, San Diego has some great facilities.
Pat Isom
4 months ago on Google
1
Kept my driver's license(as get they took a copy) then state they don't have it. Pretty messed up either deliberately or not!
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Rehab Score

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Scoring is assigned by a proprietary system which helps surface key metrics that determine quality. The 10-point scale factors in categories such as operations, customer satisfaction, and trust metrics. Read Full MethodologyCaret icon
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6.6 / 10

Location

Other Forms of Payment

Self-pay involves paying for treatment out of your own pocket. You can use savings or credit, get a personal loan, or receive help from family and friends to fund your treatment. If you don't have insurance or your insurance plan doesn't cover a specific program, self-pay can help ensure you still get the care you need.

Financial aid can take many forms. Centers may have grants or scholarships available to clients who meet eligibility requirements. Programs that receive SAMHSA grants may have financial aid available for those who need treatment as well. Grants and scholarships can help you pai for treatment without having to repay.

Medicare is a federal program that provides health insurance for those 65 and older. It also serves people under 65 with chronic and disabling health challenges. To use Medicare for addiction treatment you need to find a program that accepts Medicare and is in network with your plan. Out of pocket costs and preauthorization requirements vary, so always check with your provider.

Medicaid is a state based program that helps lower-income individuals and families pay for healthcare. Medicaid covers addiction treatment so those enrolled can use their coverage to pay for rehab. When a program accepts Medicaid the client often pays very little or nothing out of their own pocket.

Addiction Treatments

Levels of Care

inpatient iconInpatient
Residential treatment programs are those that offer housing and meals in addition to substance abuse treatment. Rehab facilities that offer residential treatment allow patients to focus solely on recovery, in an environment totally separate from their lives. Some rehab centers specialize in short-term residential treatment (a few days to a week or two), while others solely provide treatment on a long-term basis (several weeks to months). Some offer both, and tailor treatment to the patient's individual requirements.
sober-living iconSober Living Homes
Sober Living Houses (SLHs), aka sober homes or halfway houses, are safe, substance-free, supportive living facilities for those recovering from substance abuse. Ideal for those who've just been through inpatient or outpatient treatment, SLHs are supervised environments with rules that support sobriety, such as curfews, shared chores, and therapeutic meetings. Residents are also often trained on life skills and coping skills to make it easier to transition into society. SLHs also provide a strong sense of community that can lead to the kind of deep and lasting connections with other sober individuals that supports a new, healthy lifestyle.
aftercare iconAftercare Support
Completing a drug or alcohol rehab program shouldn't spell the end of substance abuse treatment. Aftercare involves making a sustainable plan for recovery, including ongoing support. This can include sober living arrangements like halfway houses, career counseling, and setting a patient up with community programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA).

Treatments

The goal of treatment for alcoholism is abstinence. Those with poor social support, poor motivation, or psychiatric disorders tend to relapse within a few years of treatment. For these people, success is measured by longer periods of abstinence, reduced use of alcohol, better health, and improved social functioning. Recovery and Maintenance are usually based on 12 step programs and AA meetings.

Drug rehab in California teaches participants constructive ways to stay clean and sober. Treatment revolves around helping individuals stop using the substance they are addicted to and learn healthy habits to avoid relapse.

Many of those suffering from addiction also suffer from mental or emotional illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, or anxiety disorders. Rehab and other substance abuse facilities treating those with a dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorder administer psychiatric treatment to address the person's mental health issue in addition to drug and alcohol rehabilitation.

A combined mental health and substance abuse rehab has the staff and resources available to handle individuals with both mental health and substance abuse issues. It can be challenging to determine where a specific symptom stems from (a mental health issue or an issue related to substance abuse), so mental health and substance abuse professionals are helpful in detangling symptoms and keeping treatment on track.

Opioid rehabs specialize in supporting those recovering from opioid addiction. They treat those suffering from addiction to illegal opioids like heroin, as well as prescription drugs like oxycodone. These centers typically combine both physical as well as mental and emotional support to help stop addiction. Physical support often includes medical detox and subsequent medical support (including medication), and mental support includes in-depth therapy to address the underlying causes of addiction.

Programs

adult-program thumbnail image
Adult Program
Adult rehab programs include therapies tailored to each client's specific needs, goals, and recovery progress. They are tailored to the specific challenges adult clients may face, including family and work pressures and commitments. From inpatient and residential treatment to various levels of outpatient services, there are many options available. Some facilities also help adults work through co-occurring conditions, like anxiety, that can accompany addiction.
young-adult-program thumbnail image
Young Adult Program
Young adulthood can be an exciting, yet difficult, time of transition. Individuals in their late teens to mid-20s face unique stressors related to school, jobs, families, and social circles, which can lead to a rise in substance use. Rehab centers with dedicated young adult programs will include activities and amenities that cater to this age group, with an emphasis on specialized counseling, peer socialization, and ongoing aftercare.
lgbtq-program thumbnail image
LGBTQ Program
Recovery is most successful when clients feel accepted and validated by their peers and treatment providers. Facilities that offer LGBTQ-inclusive programming are committed to creating a safe space where everyone can grow and recover without fear of judgment or discrimination. They will have dedicated policies in place to create a safe and supportive environment that fosters free expression.
military-program thumbnail image
Military Program
Serving in the military is both mentally and physically challenging, and can result in trauma that persists even after combat ends. Military programs are tailored to the specific and often complex needs of active duty personnel, veterans, and military families. Clients often access these programs through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Clinical Services

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a therapy modality that focuses on the relationship between one's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is used to establish and allow for healthy responses to thoughts and feelings (instead of unhealthy responses, like using drugs or alcohol). CBT has been proven effective for recovering addicts of all kinds, and is used to strengthen a patient's own self-awareness and ability to self-regulate. CBT allows individuals to monitor their own emotional state, become more adept at communicating with others, and manage stress without needing to engage in substance abuse.

Group therapy is any therapeutic work that happens in a group (not one-on-one). There are a number of different group therapy modalities, including support groups, experiential therapy, psycho-education, and more. Group therapy involves treatment as well as processing interaction between group members.

In individual therapy, a patient meets one-on-one with a trained psychologist or counselor. Therapy is a pivotal part of effective substance abuse treatment, as it often covers root causes of addiction, including challenges faced by the patient in their social, family, and work/school life.

Trauma therapy addresses traumatic incidents from a client's past that are likely affecting their present-day experience. Trauma is often one of the primary triggers and potential causes of addiction, and can stem from child sexual abuse, domestic violence, having a parent with a mental illness, losing one or both parents at a young age, teenage or adult sexual assault, or any number of other factors. The purpose of trauma therapy is to allow a patient to process trauma and move through and past it, with the help of trained and compassionate mental health professionals.

Staff & Accreditations

Staff

Brian Bauers, CADC-1

Executive Director

Aleka Heinici, MD

Medical Director

Anthony Simone, LMFT

Clinical Director

Vincent Garside, RADT

SUD Counselor

Jeffrey West, RADT

SUD Counselor

Accreditations

The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) is a non-profit organization that specifically accredits rehab organizations. Founded in 1966, CARF's, mission is to help service providers like rehab facilities maintain high standards of care.

CARF Accreditation: Yes

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Established in 1992 by congress, SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on American's communities.

SAMHSA Listed: Yes

State Licenses are permits issued by government agencies that allow rehab organizations to conduct business legally within a certain geographical area. Typically, the kind of program a rehab facility offers, along with its physical location, determines which licenses are required to operate legally.

State License: California

Contact Information

Building icon

2516 A Street
San Diego, CA 92102

Fact checked and written by:
Eliza Gale
Edited by:
Kerry Nenn, BSW

Rehab in Cities Near San Diego

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Reviews of The Way Back

3.4/5 (10 reviews)
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Reviews

Overall Experience
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Google Reviews

3.4 (10 reviews)
Yaeko
2 months ago
1

Not that good, most of the time was wasted doing nothing until you have 60 days and they let you work. The books they use for groups are straight from jail, they even say California Correctional Facilities behavioral workbooks on the cover. Staff leaves something to be desired, they are a couple of compassionate people but most of them it's just another job.

Matthew
4 months ago
1

1) The detox bathroom shower doesn t have any warm water?! Crazy!? Especially when the guys in detox are not allowed to use any of the other bathrooms.2) Looking at these other reviews.. it s an all male facility, so it really doesn t make sense how or why female google users are leaving 5 star reviews. How would any female have an experience in a facility that only treats men? Maybe it s a fake or fabricated review to even out their score since they have quite a few 1 star reviews within the last month or two alone.I wish I looked over these reviews more thoroughly before I committed to going into this place.3) I was only here for a few days, the male employees seemed like they actually gave a shit about their clients, but of course the first interaction I had with a female tech who was in charge of administering my medication left a bad taste in my mouth. I don t understand why some people have these jobs and work in this industry when it seems like they sincerely hate what they do, or they just can t help themselves but to be rude to people who are obviously in a very vulnerable state, trying to get sober and withdrawing. Getting sober is hard enough as it is, then you have to add on to it by giving someone a hard time with an attitude?!I m not saying these people need to baby clients, but showing just a little bit of compassion for people that are going through a very painful process of withdrawing from alcohol and opiates would go a long way.4)That lady didn t need to be so rude when she obviously knew I was in extreme pain. Immediately after interacting with her the first time, I didn t trust her and therefore I began to not trust being there.5) Maybe this is just another one of those places that is used to getting the bulk of their clients from Drug Court, so they are used to being able to hold the going back to jail card over the men.6) Also, why is there a pattern of grumpy women working in these treatment facilities, who give clients such a hard time when they are going into rehab to change their lives? There were a couple of disrespectful male techs sprinkled in here and there as well, but overall the pattern I ve noticed in the few treatment centers in San Diego is that the female techs or counselors have a general bad attitude towards patients that are just coming in to the rehab in the first phases of recovery. It really doesn t make sense, especially when there is nothing to warrant that behavior or attitude. I understand if someone is being unruly and starting a bunch of commotion, but why do they need to have an attitude towards someone they never met before in their lives and who isn t being disrespectful towards them? Why is there this culture inside of these treatment centers of techs, primarily female techs, giving people such a hard time? At the end of the day what is the ultimate goal of these places? It makes me wonder, do these people actually care about helping these patients get better? When you come out guns blazing right out the gate giving clients a hard time it really doesn t seem like you are trying to be helpful.7) (Btw: I used to work at an alcohol detox as a tech, so I have a little bit of experience)8) Oh yeah, they conveniently relocated my snacks that I brought in with me right before I packed my stuff up to leave. Seriously!? You had to take my chocolate too?? lol9) If you are someone who needs medication while detoxing I suggest you just keep on going down the list and skip this place altogether.10) They went against my doctor s prescription guidelines and had a house doctor call me on the phone to re-prescribe my medication. Which sent me into a precipitated withdrawal.These places in San Diego county act like they ve never dealt with opiate withdrawals. I guess it s probably time to start looking for help up in Orange County, the treatment facilities up there at least understand how to administer withdrawal medication without causing the patient to experience severe pain

plop donker
4 months ago
1

Terrible rehab. The counselors can be rude even though their job is to help people. The groups seem like they are made for children. 90% of the clients are hardened criminals and bring their prison mindset with them. I guess a good thing is you can have your phone from the start. So if you are looking for a flophouse for 90days, go for it. If you really want help in you recovery, San Diego has some great facilities.

Pat Isom
5 months ago
1

Kept my driver's license(as get they took a copy) then state they don't have it. Pretty messed up either deliberately or not!

Max The One
6 months ago
1

Overall, pretty much like jail, but without anal cavity searches. Half the staff is good, the other half allows bigoted language between clients. The space is very small, with cramped rooms and too many people stuffed together. The groups get very rowdy sometimes with cross talk and people having conversations about random stuff that has nothing to do with recovery. The food is edible, but hardly ever changes. If you are homeless or mandated by court... I guess it could work. If you want real treatment and are ready, there are much better options in San Diego.

Ran Dav
1 year ago
5

The Way Back is fundamentally a place to find clarity. This sanctuary is an area of brotherhood; from top to bottom.. For me, if you can handle unabsorbed freedom, this may or not be the place for you. Get serious. These folks have their hearts on overdrive. The Way Back saved my life. Attack sobriety with shark teeth. Otherwise, tenticles prey on a world of the carnivore. I love these guys who run this program. They saved my life without even knowing it. Pray more. Hug more. Love more. Thank you Gents

Ramona Saucedo
1 year ago
5

Beclie C Great Hits
2 years ago
5

Gabe Austin
4 years ago
5

RICHARD Rasmussen
4 years ago
5

I was down to rock bottom. Homeless, on formal probation, had severe depression. I was blessed to find the Way back. My life has changed because of different styles of each staff member is allowed to be each. I only wish I had the tools a long time ago. If you want help or don't and just have to do probation, This is the place!! You will get something out of being here. THANKS

rubicelia barragan
5 years ago
5

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