Diablo Valley Drug and Alcohol Services

For people in Contra Costa County and the broader San Francisco East Bay area, finding a single provider that covers every stage of the recovery continuum — from first medical stabilization through outpatient aftercare — is rarely straightforward. Diablo Valley Drug and Alcohol Services, with locations in San Ramon and Walnut Creek, CA, is structured to do exactly that. The center is licensed by the California State Department of Health Care Services and operates as both an inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment center.

The care levels available include inpatient medical detox, residential inpatient treatment, Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), and outpatient services. That stepped structure matters for people pursuing lasting sobriety: it means a person can move from medical detox into a 30-day residential program and then transition into PHP or IOP without changing providers, preserving therapeutic relationships and continuity of care across the most vulnerable phases of recovery.

One element that distinguishes Diablo Valley Drug and Alcohol Services from many regional rehab options is the caliber of its medical leadership. Daniel Smeester, MD serves as Clinical and Medical Director and brings more than 20 years of experience to the role. He is board-certified by both the American Board of Addiction Medicine and the American Board of Emergency Medicine — a dual credential that positions the center to manage the medical complexities that often accompany withdrawal and co-occurring health conditions.

That expertise directly informs how the center approaches Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) and detox services — two components that require careful clinical judgment to implement safely and effectively. For individuals and families evaluating a recovery center based on medical credibility, the presence of a dedicated addiction medicine specialist at the director level is a meaningful differentiator.

Diablo Valley Drug and Alcohol Services treats substance abuse alongside co-occurring conditions including opioid addiction, alcohol dependency, depression, anxiety, and chronic pain. This scope of practice reflects an understanding that for many people, addiction does not exist in isolation — untreated mental health conditions and chronic pain frequently intersect with substance use in ways that a narrow treatment focus cannot address.

Therapeutic methods at the center include individual counseling, group therapy, family counseling, and Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT). The inclusion of family counseling acknowledges that the people around someone in recovery are part of the process, not bystanders. For families in the East Bay navigating a loved one's substance abuse treatment, having access to structured family counseling within the same program is a practical and meaningful support.

Recovery rarely ends at discharge from a residential program. Diablo Valley Drug and Alcohol Services offers Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) options that allow individuals to maintain the structure and clinical support of formal treatment while beginning to re-engage with daily life. These step-down levels of care are a recognized component of durable, long-term recovery planning — and having them available within the same organization that provided inpatient or residential care reduces the friction of transitioning between providers.

The center serves San Ramon, Walnut Creek, and the surrounding East Bay communities. Office hours run Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM, and the team can be reached at (925) 289-1430. For residents of Contra Costa County who are weighing their outpatient program options as part of a broader substance abuse treatment plan, Diablo Valley Drug and Alcohol Services offers a local resource with meaningful clinical depth.