Mills Peninsula Health Services - Behavioral Health Department

They are set up for 3 levels: inpatient hospital, outpatient and detox. Of the 8 centers within 14 miles of San Mateo, 5 offer a bed.

They provide detox for 5 substances: opioids, alcohol, benzodiazepines, cocaine and methamphetamines. Whether a bed is free this week is a question for the call, and San Mateo has 8 other centers.

They treat both. A diagnosis left untreated while the substance use is treated is the usual reason a first attempt does not hold, and Burlingame is the nearest place to try instead if this one does not fit.

Within 14 miles there are 8 other centers, across Burlingame, Belmont and San Bruno.

They prescribe buprenorphine, which is the part of treatment that is prescribed rather than attended. Of the 8 centers near San Mateo, not all of them do.

Most residential programs are built around 30 days, which is a billing convention more than a clinical finding. Stepping down through levels of care takes longer in total and tends to hold better than one intensive block alone. Ask how many hours of treatment a day the length actually contains.

Documents, prescriptions, clothing, and the phone numbers you would struggle to replace. If you are driving yourself, ask where the car will sit, because some programs keep the keys. Ask how much cash, if any, is useful to have with you.

You are rarely obliged to give a diagnosis to an employer, only a medical reason for leave. Short term disability sometimes applies to a residential stay, depending on the policy. Ask the center what paperwork they can provide for an employer, and what it will and will not say.