Safe Refuge

One of the most common gaps in substance abuse treatment is what happens after residential care ends. Safe Refuge addresses this directly by operating a layered continuum that includes residential treatment, a standard outpatient program, an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), and aftercare services — all within the same organization. Rather than referring graduates elsewhere, the center is structured to walk alongside individuals as their needs shift over time.

For those evaluating recovery centers in Southern California, this matters. Staying connected to a consistent clinical team and community across different levels of care is associated with stronger long-term outcomes. Safe Refuge's model is designed with that continuity in mind, and its 37-plus years of operation in Long Beach reflect a sustained commitment to that approach.

Safe Refuge serves a wider range of populations than many single-focus treatment centers. Veterans can access care through TRICARE, and the center also works with pregnant women, young adults between 18 and 25, seniors, men, women, individuals with HIV/AIDS concerns, and those entering treatment through court referral. Co-occurring disorders — including trauma and PTSD — are treated alongside substance use, not as a secondary concern.

On the financial side, the center accepts Medicaid, state insurance, TRICARE, and self-pay, and offers a sliding scale fee structure. For families navigating how to fund longer-term residential or outpatient treatment in the Los Angeles County area, those options meaningfully expand who can access sustained recovery support at Safe Refuge.

Safe Refuge operates a residential campus in Long Beach, which means individuals in the residential treatment phase of recovery are living in an environment built specifically for that purpose. The facility is open 24 hours, reflecting the reality that recovery needs don't follow a business-hours schedule. Clinical leadership includes Executive Director Kathryn Romo and Clinical Director Jennifer Lundahl, M.S., LMFT, who oversees the therapeutic programming.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) anchors the clinical model, with particular attention to co-occurring conditions like trauma and PTSD — mental health factors that frequently accompany substance use disorders. For individuals who need more than a short-term stabilization program, the residential setting at Safe Refuge provides a foundation for deeper, longer-term recovery work before stepping down to outpatient or aftercare levels of support.

Aftercare services are a confirmed part of what Safe Refuge provides — not an afterthought. For Sober Nation's audience, which includes people planning for sustainable, community-rooted recovery rather than just acute intervention, that distinction is important. Completing a residential or IOP program is one milestone; maintaining recovery in the real world is the longer work, and Safe Refuge builds support for that phase into its continuum.

Individuals and families in Southern California exploring long-term recovery options will find that Safe Refuge's CARF accreditation, multi-population focus, and 37-year presence in Long Beach reflect an organization that has remained accountable to its community across decades — not just to new admissions.