Substance Use Treatment Tailored for Every Stage of a Person’s Recovery

For the last 65 years, Ohlhoff Recovery Programs has treated people battling drug and alcohol addiction. That experience, together with its abstinence-only and continuum-of-care treatment philosophy, has made Ohlhoff one of San Francisco’s leading addiction treatment centers at a time when the city needs treatment providers most. 

Arlene Stanich-Prince, Ohlhoff’s executive director, got sober 22 years ago when it was common to believe you had to “hit rock bottom” before starting the path to recovery. That was before fentanyl arrived on the scene. An opioid 50 times stronger than heroin, fentanyl was responsible for 6,054 overdose deaths in California in 2021 – more than a 1000% increase from 2017, according to state data. 

“We don’t want people to have to reach what they used to call ‘hitting bottom,’” Stanich-Prince says, “because the bottom today with fentanyl is death.” Urban communities, including San Francisco, struggle to provide durable and practical care to those who need rescuing from the drug epidemic, especially in the era of fentanyl. 

Enter Ohlhoff. Ohlhoff provides flexible and individualized treatment, including withdrawal management, outpatient services, residential treatment, and aftercare groups to support clients in long-term recovery. Working on the frontlines of the drug epidemic in San Francisco, Ohlhoff recognizes that not all clients are at the same place in their drug use, which is why clients can enter its continuum of care at any point. If the client relapses, they can come back and try again. 

“We’re not a revolving door, but we don’t give up on people either,” Stanich-Prince says.

Ohlhoff’s residential house has 51 beds and supports male, female, and non-binary clients. For clients who are stable in their recovery with jobs and families but still need support, Ohlhoff has intensive outpatient services. The organization also works with teenagers in high schools, providing free counseling, education, and prevention services to 200 adolescents per year. 

Ohlhoff has developed deep relationships with a network of community providers over the decades and can link clients struggling with co-occurring disorders – such as eating disorders or schizophrenia – with the appropriate care, Stanich-Prince says. 

The nonprofit makes it a point to remain affordable and accessible to clients, accepting many different insurance providers and offering sliding scale and scholarship options for those struggling financially.