Calvary Ranch

Calvary Ranch was a licensed drug and alcohol rehab facility located in Lakeside, California. They were an inpatient facility that treated men with substance use disorder and alcohol use disorder. They used the principles of the Christian religion as a basis for their treatment program.

Established in 1975, they were located on beautiful land in Lakeside. The place was founded by married pastors Tom and Paulette McAloon, who had spent years working in the rehab field in Los Angeles and San Francisco. When Paul died in 2012, Paulette continued to run the place.

They did not accept insurance. Residents were required to make a contribution upon entering the facility.

A Discipline Centered Post-Detox Rehab

In order to enter the program, you had to be completely detoxified. They did not allow cell phones or books other than the Bible. You were not allowed to make any phone calls for the first 30 days that you were there.

I think it is interesting that men were not allowed to have facial hair or sideburns. Hair had to be cut short.

Community Focused Sobriety

Residents were provided with a bed and three meals a day. They would start the morning with a post-breakfast group meeting in which they would discuss how to stay sober. Clients would do chores until lunch and have another group meeting after they had eaten. They would do chores and have prayer meetings until dinner. The day ended with a “life-changing” seminar.

I was happy to learn that people who stayed at the ranch had nice things to say about how it changed their lives. They say that the staff was caring and compassionate.