First Responder Addiction Treatment: Detox, Residential Rehab, and Outpatient Care

Addiction Treatment Built for First Responders

Nobody in group will ask you to explain the job, because we all know.

We treat drinking and drug use, along with the PTSD that often comes with them, in a program built only for first responders. Plenty of first responders start drinking or using to get through the calls that stay with them. By the time it’s a problem, the last thing they want is a room full of civilians asking about the job.

Every client in residential treatment and every group member is a first responder. Civilian treatment can’t offer that. A medical doctor and psychiatrists on staff lead our clinical team, and our program has helped hundreds of our brothers and sisters heal.

“I’ve been to civilian treatment before, and I was treated like a number, not a person. The Ranch is different—it’s a family and a fellowship and people who care. The staff is what sets First Responders First apart.” —R.H., Firefighter

Who We Treat: Active, Retired, and Former First Responders

Our addiction treatment is for first responders only: active, retired, or former, even if you left the job years ago. That includes:

• Law enforcement: police officers, sheriffs, SWAT officers, highway patrol, corrections officers, district attorney investigators, and U.S. Marshals
• Fire and rescue: firefighters, lifeguards, and Coast Guard personnel
• Emergency medical and dispatch: EMTs, paramedics, and 911 dispatchers

If your role isn’t listed here, see the full eligibility list or ask admissions when you call.

From Detox to Aftercare: Every Level of Care in One Program

Treatment can start with detox and the Ranch, or with outpatient care closer to home.

Medically Supervised Detox

Medically supervised detox gets you through withdrawal with our medical team watching over you before residential treatment begins. Alcohol withdrawal can range from mild to life-threatening, which is why you should never try it alone. When you arrive, you’ll get a full medical exam, and our doctors build your treatment plan from there.

Residential Rehab at the Ranch in Lake Hughes

Residential treatment means living at the Ranch, our property in the Angeles National Forest north of Los Angeles, for 30 days or more. You’re away from the job, with daily individual and group therapy. Take the campus tour to see the property and the rooms before you call.

Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) in East Los Angeles

The intensive outpatient program in East Los Angeles meets Monday through Friday for group and individual therapy while you live at home. Many clients move to it after the Ranch, and others start there when stepping away from work for a month isn’t possible.

Virtual IOP for First Responders Outside Los Angeles

The virtual IOP brings the same clinicians and the same kind of groups to you by video. Admissions will confirm that we can treat you in your state before you start.

Aftercare and Recovery Support After Treatment

After treatment, aftercare connects you to our network of providers around the state and the country. You’ll also have a Zoom recovery support group, so you stay in touch with your peers and the staff who know you.

Drug and Alcohol Rehab for First Responders, Including Co-Occurring PTSD

Drug rehab and alcohol rehab follow the same path here: detox if you need it, then residential or outpatient treatment, then aftercare. For a lot of first responders, it’s alcohol, because the job makes drinking after a bad shift feel normal, but we treat pills and other drugs too.

Substance use and PTSD often show up together, and each one tends to feed the other. When PTSD is part of the picture, our team treats it during your stay, alongside the drinking or drug use.

What Treatment Involves at First Responders First

Your treatment plan draws on the therapies that fit you, including:

• Talk therapy: individual therapy, group therapy, and family therapy
• Trauma and medical care: EMDR for PTSD and trauma, and medication management with our on-staff medical doctor
• Experiential and recovery support: equine therapy, wolf therapy, expressive art therapy, and 12-step facilitation

How Admissions Works

You don’t need to have it all figured out before you call.

1. Call admissions. Someone answers at (888) 252-5767 any time of day or night. A spouse or family member can call for you, too.
2. Check eligibility and coverage. Admissions confirms you qualify and verifies your insurance before you commit to anything.
3. Choose where to start. We’ll listen to what’s going on and tell you honestly whether the Ranch, the IOP, or the virtual IOP is the best fit right now.
4. Arrive and begin. Your first days include a medical exam and an individualized treatment plan.

Questions People Ask Before They Call

Will my department find out I’m in treatment?

Your department won’t hear about your treatment from First Responders First without your written consent. Every conversation with us is confidential, from the first call through graduation. Federal privacy law for substance use programs, 42 CFR Part 2, generally bars sharing treatment records without written consent that names who gets them.

Will going to rehab cost me my job?

Taking time off for treatment can be protected leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, and an employer can’t act against you for taking that leave. Eligibility depends on your hours and your employer, and a department with an established substance use policy can still apply it. Admissions can talk through your situation before you decide.

Does insurance cover addiction treatment for first responders?

Most forms of insurance are accepted for addiction treatment at First Responders First, and what you’ll pay depends on your plan. Admissions verifies your coverage before you start.

What does the First Responders First Scholarship Foundation cover?

The First Responders First Scholarship Foundation helps pay for treatment when financial hardship leaves a first responder short of the cost. If insurance doesn’t cover everything, ask admissions about the scholarship on your first call.

Can workers’ compensation pay for addiction treatment?

Workers’ compensation may pay for treatment, depending on the claim. Under California law (Labor Code §3212.15), PTSD in active firefighters and peace officers is presumed to be a work injury, and that presumption covers PTSD, not substance use itself. A claim goes through your employer, so our admissions team can help you think it through and help with the claim if it applies.

Can I keep working while I’m in treatment?

You can keep working in outpatient treatment, because the IOP and the virtual IOP both let you live at home. Residential treatment at the Ranch means stepping away from work for 30 days or more.

Get the Addiction Treatment Help You Need Now

If drinking or drug use has started costing you at home or on the job, get in touch with us today. You don’t need to be sure you’re ready, and you don’t need to have hit bottom first. Someone in your family can make the call for you.

Admissions can help you verify your insurance and tell you honestly where to start, whether that’s detox and residential treatment at the Ranch or outpatient care closer to home.