McAlister Program Services: Chronological Timeline

1977 North Coastal Regional Recovery Center. The North County RRC was McAlister's first program opening in 1977 with sites in Oceanside and Escondido. RRC treatment offers outpatient counseling, education, assessment, aftercare, and referrals. The center also houses the PC 1000 deferred entry of judgement program.

1978 East County Regional Recovery Center. The East County RRC was the second contract successfully bid by McAlister in 1978. This center along, with RRCs operating in South Bay and Oceanside, is still in operation today offering outpatient counseling, education, assessment, aftercare, and referrals including the PC 1000 deferred entry of judgement program.

1980 Kiva Women and Children’s Learning Center was funded in 1980 as a direct result of Jeanne McAlister’s strong belief that women would remain in treatment if residing with their children. Based on this concept, McAlister Institute was the first in the county (fifth in the nation) to provide gender-specific residential treatment for women and their children.

1983 The Senior Nutrition Center opened to provide hot lunches to senior citizens in the East County region. Multiple meal services have expanded throughout the county since the opening of this center.

1984 East County Detox Program was initiated by identifying a need for short-term, residential social- model detoxification. This 24-hour, six-bed facility functions as a pre-treatment or interim treatment model for many outpatient and residential participants.

1985 The first sober living houses in San Diego were opened for clients completing their current treatment episodes and still desiring a structured environment to continue their recovery. McAlister currently provides over 100 beds of sober living throughout San Diego County.

1986 North County Detox Program opened based on the success of the East County program.

1990 Born Free Program was opened as an innovative long-term program for pregnant and post-partum women. Partially based on the success demonstrated through the success of this program, the County funded a number of perinatal programs throughout the San Diego and north county Regions.

1991 Garrison House was established based on the need for a residential program for men being released from incarceration. This program offered a safe, supportive environment to allow freedom from previous people, places, and situations that contributed to the cycle of self-destruction.

1992 The New Connections Program grew out of the Garrison House project, creating housing and treatment for men and women being released from incarceration. The program outcomes revealed individuals could learn to become more productive members of society.

1992 Options South Bay opened and serves as an outpatient facility for women and children desiring treatment in a non-residential setting.

1992 Pregnant Inmates Program (PIP) was developed and initiated to provide substance abuse, health advocation and parenting education to incarcerated women at Las Colinas Women’s Detention Facility.

1993 Options Residential Program was awarded to McAlister Institute based on their previous success with pregnant and parenting women desiring a new way of life for themselves and their children.

1997 The Signs of Life Program opened. This is the only program in San Diego specializing in services to the deaf, hard of hearing and late deafened population and provides services in American Sign Language (ASL) by deaf staff.

1997 The Outpatient Teen Recovery Center in Mira Mesa opened it doors. This center provided non-residential treatment, education, and recreational activities to adolescents ages 12-17 years with substance abuse problems. The success of the TRC in Mira Mesa combined with a desire to reach youth in early stages of substance abuse resulted in McAlister eventually opening teen recovery centers in four additional locations of San Diego County.

1998 Adolescent Group Homes opened as the need for short-term 21 day residential treatment became known. McAlister currently operates three adolescent group homes for teens ages 12-17 years, offering a safe and supportive environment to begin the recovery process.