‘Different by design,’ Soledad House offers treatment programs for women

A women-only, next-level substance abuse treatment program operating out of La Jolla and Pacific Beach, Soledad House has treated and helped nearly 7,000 women in its 15-year history.
Named for its first treatment center on Soledad Mountain Road, Soledad House now offers highly effective treatment programs for drug and alcohol addiction in a healing environment in eight rehabilitative homes. Through an emphasis on relapse prevention and a range of addiction treatment therapies, the institution helps clients reclaim their lives from substance abuse.
Soledad House, whose target age is women ages 18 to 40, is “different by design,” noted its CEO, Shana Shaterian Penny, M.S.
“It’s really important for people to feel they can have fun in recovery,” she said, pointing out many male-focused or coed treatment facilities don’t address women’s special recovery needs. “We have found a niche dealing with women’s issues – relationship problems, alcohol/drugs affecting families, divorce, history of trauma, etc.”
Environment is critical to recovery, said Shaterian Penny.
“For women who’ve had a lot of trauma, marriage problems, divorce, it’s very difficult for them to feel safe,” she said. “Some of these women have been drinking/using since about age 16. Since then they’ve been having trouble keeping a job, or a relationship. Usually, a significant other will take them into alcohol/drugs that will lead them down a really bad path.”
Added Shaterian Penny, “We try to stay ahead of the curve, provide a robust community and reach out to make sure every client gets what they need. Our number one purpose here is that no client is ever left behind. We want to help every person that comes through our doors or calls on our phone lines. We’re here to help.”
There are misconceptions about substance abuse treatment. One in particular.
“A lot of people think, if they go to a seven-day or 30-day treatment residential treatment program, that they can go home and stay sober and everything will be fine,” said Shaterian Penny. “But you’re not going to recover from 10 to 20 years of drinking/drug abuse in 90 days. And there are a lot of “triggers” in their own homes. To truly recover, there is a lot of work they have to put into this.”
In answer to people asking if they have an alcohol/drug problem, Soledad House has developed a list of 10 signs to watch out for.
“A lot of people ask me, ‘If I drink five days a week, am I an alcoholic?,” said Shaterian Penny. “And I ask them, ‘Are you neglecting your responsibilities at work, home, school, or family?’ Are you isolated at home? Spending a lot of time with friends using and does that feel normal to you? Is there a loss in your sense of achievement or you don’t care about things anymore? Do you find yourself with financial or legal troubles? If your life is starting down this path, these are the things to look out for.”
What Soledad House prides itself in is the sense of community it provides for all of its clients.
“Community is so important,” said Shaterian Penny. “You need to be around other like-minded people that understand you, have been through what you’ve been through and can show you sobriety is fun and that you can do this (quit). Getting sober is very daunting. For a lot of people who’ve been drinking and using in their own home, getting them out of that environment and into a different environment helps so much.”
Shaterian Penny acknowledged that changing a substance abuser’s thinking is key to their success – or failure.
“We spend a lot of time developing a new mindset with them,” she said. “Instead of them telling themselves, ‘I’m not good enough,’ through using different therapy models, we help them start thinking positively. We want them to take a positive from any situation that happens to them.”
Shaterian Penny said the pandemic and any number of other societal ills are combining to make substance abuse treatment even harder.
“Ten years ago clients calling us didn’t have a lot of mental health issues,” she said. “Today, we’re seeing a lot of depression, anxiety, bipolarity, and suicidal thinking. The clients we’re dealing with today need a higher level of care. So we use a collaborative approach. Our professional staff is made up of doctors, psychologists, and substance-abuse counselors. We go deep, want to know everything about every client, so we can help them meet their goals here.”

No Result