Great Lakes Recovery Adolescent Center
Cardiff by the Sea, CA 92007
Key Facts About Great Lakes Recovery Adolescent Center
- Location: Cardiff by the Sea, CA
- Levels of Care: Residential Rehab, Co-Occurring Mental Health
- Insurance: Accepts 24 providers including Aetna, Anthem, BlueCross BlueShield
- Therapies: 1-on-1 Counseling, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Meditation & Mindfulness, Art Therapy and more
- Help Available: Call (833) 567-5838 for free insurance verification and placement assistance
About Great Lakes Recovery Adolescent Center
Classroom Education
Great Lakes Recovery provides a home-like atmosphere and year-round classroom education allowing patients to continue their schooling while in treatment. The comfortable environment offers semi-private bedrooms with an attached bath, a community living space including a TV area, social community meal times, an enclosed courtyard, outdoor basketball court, a greenhouse, walking trails, and a healing circle. A certified Special Education teacher is on-site to work with clients and meet each of their academic needs, including GED testing when needed. An in-house medical provider and nurse are also available to provide comprehensive medical care ensuring clients have their medical and dental needs met.
The on-site classroom offers natural lighting with views of nature, and is equipped with comfortable desk seating, laptops for educational use only and headphones when needed, a dry erase board, projector, monitor, and smart board for various learning presentations. A Great Lakes Recovery counselor is also assigned to the classroom, creating a low adult-to-student ratio. School records are transferred from the patient's school district upon admission, allowing the teacher to prepare similar lesson plans and curriculum. Weekly school reports document classroom performance, and academic recommendations are given to the district to help patients transition back into school. A school psychologist is also available for consultation and developing or managing individualized education plans. Books, materials, and transportation are all provided by Great Lakes Recovery Center.
Family Involvement
When patients enter treatment at Great Lakes Recovery Center, each is assigned a primary counselor to provide weekly individual therapy sessions. Clients participate in multiple therapeutic or didactic group therapy sessions daily with group discussion on various topics and group activities or workshops. Care givers are given a family questionnaire as part of the admissions process, allowing the primary therapist to use the family’s input and develop a treatment plan that includes family involvement. Primary therapists will maintain contact regarding the patients progress and facilitate family therapy sessions that can be done both in person and virtually. Adolescent residential services can also address patients with co-occurring disorders, providing medication education and management, along with specialized clinical treatment with motivational and engagement strategies along and evidence-based practices.
Holistic Treatment
Residents will also experience several forms of experiential and recreational therapies, such as music expression which includes instruments, song writing, singing, and lyrical analysis and explores personal feelings, promotes personal expression, and helps develop healthy coping skills. Art expression involves various art projects and activities that promote creativity and provide alternative coping strategies for trauma and overwhelming emotions.
Surrounded by 32 acres of campus, clients will also explore recreational interests like hiking, basketball, gym and fitness, and outdoor seasonal activities such as swimming, volleyball, kayaking, ultimate frisbee, tennis, skiing, ice skating, snowshoeing, and sledding. Seasonal equine therapy is also available at nearby Heritage Hills, where patients can learn to groom, feed, halter, and lead a horse as part of a therapeutic process.
Through Our Eyes is a photography program, teaching photography skills and allowing patients to hike the campus taking photographs that fall within the current month's theme. The Bridges program connects adolescent patients with local senior citizens from assisted living communities, focusing on fellowship with games, crafts, and activities and community involvement. Service learning provides the opportunity for feeling like an accomplished and valued member of the community, allowing clients to perform community service projects ranging from working with senior citizens, special needs, reading to children in local daycares, and planting community gardens.
On-staff Acupuncture Detoxification Specialists provide auricular therapy, using acupuncture to aid in the detoxification process and promote relaxation as an alternative form of healing. Other holistic therapies include meditation, essential oils, and guided visualization, offering foot baths and herbal teas as part of the treatment experience.
Evidence-Based Context: According to SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2023), approximately 48.7 million Americans aged 12 or older had a substance use disorder in the past year. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) emphasizes that treatment programs combining behavioral therapy with medication-assisted approaches show the highest rates of sustained recovery. Facilities like Great Lakes Recovery Adolescent Center provide structured pathways to evidence-based care. Sources: SAMHSA NSDUH 2023, NIDA Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment (4th Ed.)
Who This Center Serves
Amenities & Features
Services Offered
What to Expect at Great Lakes Recovery Adolescent Center
1. Initial Assessment
A clinical team evaluates your history, needs, and goals to create a personalized plan.
2. Active Treatment
Evidence-based therapies including 1-on-1 Counseling and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, typically 30 days.
3. Progress & Recovery
Regular progress reviews, skill-building sessions, and adjustment of your treatment plan.
4. Aftercare Planning
Continued support, relapse prevention strategies, and connections to community resources for lasting recovery.
Understanding Your Treatment Options
Choosing the right treatment facility is one of the most important decisions in the recovery journey. Research published by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) shows that treatment duration, therapeutic approach, and aftercare planning are the three strongest predictors of long-term sobriety.
Great Lakes Recovery Adolescent Center offers 2 distinct levels of care, allowing patients to step through treatment intensities as they progress. This continuum-of-care model — moving from higher to lower intensity — is recommended by SAMHSA as the gold standard for addiction treatment.
The facility utilizes 9 evidence-based therapeutic modalities. According to NIDA research, combination therapy approaches that integrate behavioral interventions (such as 1-on-1 Counseling and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) with holistic support show significantly improved outcomes compared to single-modality programs.
Under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, most commercial insurance plans are required to cover substance abuse treatment. Great Lakes Recovery Adolescent Center works with 24 insurance providers. Call (833) 567-5838 to verify your specific coverage and learn about out-of-pocket costs before admission.
Contact Information
Quick Facts
| Program | 30 days |
| Capacity | 16-30 beds |
| Focus | This center treats substance u... |
| Insurance | 24 accepted |
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Great Lakes Recovery Adolescent Center works with 24 insurance providers.
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