Tahoe Youth and Family Services

Tahoe Youth and Family Services has been a fixture of South Lake Tahoe's behavioral health landscape since 1971. As a non-profit organization, its mission is oriented around the community it serves rather than a bottom line — an important distinction for individuals and families evaluating long-term recovery partners. The outpatient program at this center is designed for people who need structured substance use treatment that works alongside their daily lives, not instead of them.

Outpatient programming is a well-established level of care for people at various stages of the recovery journey — whether someone is stepping down from a residential treatment setting, beginning structured treatment for the first time, or working to maintain sobriety through consistent therapeutic support. Tahoe Youth and Family Services offers that structure within a community organization that understands the specific context of life in South Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County.

One of the defining features of the program at Tahoe Youth and Family Services is its direct treatment of co-occurring disorders and dual diagnosis — meaning the program is built to address mental health conditions like Trauma and PTSD at the same time as substance use, not as an afterthought. For many people in recovery, untreated trauma or a co-occurring mental health condition is a central driver of substance use, and treatment that addresses only one side of that equation often falls short.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) provides the clinical backbone of the program. CBT equips people with concrete skills to recognize and interrupt the thought and behavior cycles connected to substance use and mental health challenges. For those who have been through trauma, this structured approach can be especially meaningful — offering a framework for understanding the connection between past experiences and present struggles, and for building different patterns going forward.

Few outpatient programs in a community the size of South Lake Tahoe serve as wide a range of people as Tahoe Youth and Family Services. The center's confirmed populations include adolescents, young adults ages 18–25, adults of all genders, seniors and older adults, veterans, pregnant women, individuals requiring HIV/AIDS support, and those who are court-ordered into substance use treatment. This breadth is not incidental — it reflects the center's identity as a community-wide resource rather than a specialized boutique program.

For families navigating a loved one's substance use, knowing that a single organization can serve members across generations — from a teenager to a grandparent — can simplify an otherwise complicated search for care. Veterans and pregnant women, two populations with specialized recovery needs, are explicitly among those the program is equipped to serve. Court-ordered individuals also have access, making Tahoe Youth and Family Services a resource for people entering recovery through the legal system as well as those choosing treatment voluntarily.

Tahoe Youth and Family Services operates Monday through Friday, with morning hours from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and afternoon hours from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. This weekday schedule is consistent with the rhythm of an outpatient recovery program — providing regular, predictable access that helps people build and maintain a recovery routine without disrupting work or family obligations on weekends.

The center accepts self-pay and cash for substance abuse treatment services. To learn more or to begin the intake process, prospective clients and family members can reach Tahoe Youth and Family Services by phone at (530) 541-2445 or by email at [email protected]. The center is located at 1021 Fremont Avenue in South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150.