Dual diagnosis—co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders—requires specialized treatment capabilities many facilities lack. Los Angeles County features several centers with genuine dual diagnosis expertise.

Why Dual Diagnosis Treatment Is Different

Treating addiction without addressing co-occurring mental health conditions virtually guarantees relapse. Someone drinking to manage depression will return to alcohol when depression remains untreated. Effective dual diagnosis treatment requires integrated care: the same team treats both conditions simultaneously.

1. Hollywood Hills Recovery

Hollywood Hills Recovery has built particular strength treating dual diagnosis presentations. Their model integrates psychiatric and addiction treatment completely rather than treating them as separate problems.

A board-certified addiction psychiatrist conducts comprehensive psychiatric evaluations identifying all mental health conditions. Depression? Anxiety? Bipolar? PTSD? Accurate diagnosis is essential since different conditions require different treatments.

The psychiatrist manages medications for mental health while the addiction team addresses substance use. Regular collaboration ensures treatments complement rather than conflict. Therapy addresses both conditions—CBT targets both addictive thinking and depressive thought patterns. DBT teaches skills useful for emotion dysregulation and addiction management.

Common dual diagnosis combinations treated include depression with alcohol dependence, anxiety with benzodiazepine addiction, PTSD with varied substance use, bipolar disorder with stimulant abuse, ADHD with stimulant dependence, and personality disorders with polysubstance abuse.

Treatment length for dual diagnosis typically requires 60-90 days minimum. Both conditions need time to stabilize, medications require adjustment periods, and clients need practice managing both issues before discharge. The facility accommodates extended stays when necessary.

Small size enables true customization. Dual diagnosis treatment plans must address each person’s specific combination of conditions. Luxury accommodations support intensive work: private suites, nutritious meals, resort amenities, meditation spaces, and fitness facilities.

2. Studio City Recovery

Studio City Recovery has earned recognition as a dual diagnosis specialty facility. Their psychiatric capabilities exceed most competitors—multiple addiction psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, and medication management infrastructure rivaling psychiatric hospitals.

This psychiatric depth enables treatment of severe dual diagnosis presentations: bipolar disorder with addiction, treatment-resistant depression alongside substance use, psychotic disorders co-occurring with addiction, borderline personality disorder with substance dependence, and PTSD with dissociative features.

These complex situations require daily psychiatric availability, expert medication management, immediate crisis response, and integration with addiction treatment. The facility provides all of this.

The continuum is particularly valuable for dual diagnosis. Both conditions need step-down care, not abrupt treatment endings. Residential stabilizes both issues, PHP continues intensive treatment, IOP maintains psychiatric and therapeutic support. Same clinical team throughout prevents gaps.

Dual diagnosis programming includes comprehensive psychiatric evaluation, individual therapy targeting both conditions, specialized dual diagnosis groups, DBT skills groups, trauma therapy when indicated, family education about co-occurring disorders, and extensive aftercare planning.

3. Alo House Recovery Centers

Alo House specializes in dual diagnosis with clinical teams including psychiatrists and therapists trained specifically in co-occurring disorders. Treatment integrates addiction and mental health care. Services include psychiatric evaluation, medication management, individual and group therapy, trauma-focused treatments, and DBT skills training.

4. Montare Behavioral Health

Montare Behavioral Health provides specialized dual diagnosis treatment with strong mental health integration. Their Los Angeles facilities offer complete continuum from detox through residential to intensive outpatient, all with psychiatric services. They treat complex co-occurring disorders using evidence-based therapies and comprehensive psychiatric care.

5. New Method Wellness

New Method Wellness specializes in dual diagnosis using innovative approaches alongside traditional therapies. Their Los Angeles team includes psychiatric professionals experienced treating complex co-occurring disorders. Services include comprehensive assessment, medication management, trauma therapy, CBT and DBT programming, and holistic wellness.

Bottom line: Real dual diagnosis treatment requires psychiatric resources available daily, the same team treating both conditions, integration between psychiatric and addiction care, appropriate medications, longer treatment duration, and aftercare planning addressing both issues.