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For people experiencing homelessness and addiction, free rehabs are often the only path to recovery, and a first-of-its-kind program in Anaheim, California is proving that model works.
Instead of arresting and jailing homeless individuals with substance use disorders, the city is connecting them to treatment, housing support, and wraparound services at no cost.
How Homelessness and Addiction Intersect
Homelessness and addiction are deeply intertwined. Many people living on the streets turn to substances to cope with the trauma, isolation and danger of life without shelter.
For Tiffany Emerson, who spent ten years living in the streets and tunnels of Anaheim, drugs became part of surviving, and what followed were years of repeated contact with police and the criminal justice system.
Her story is not unusual. Across California and the country, homeless individuals with addiction disorders are far more likely to be arrested than treated, cycling through jails and emergency rooms without ever receiving the care they actually need. Programs like Anaheim’s ACCESS are working to change that.
What the ACCESS Program Offers Homeless Individuals
ACCESS, the Anaheim Collaborative Court Evaluating Strategies and Solutions, was created in January 2023 specifically to address low-level, high-need misdemeanor offenders who repeatedly cycle through the criminal justice system.
Its focus is squarely on people at the intersection of homelessness, substance use and mental health challenges.
The program is led by the Anaheim City Attorney’s Prosecution Office and allows those charged with misdemeanor offenses who are struggling with addiction or mental health issues to seek treatment rather than face prosecution. Since launching, around 600 people have taken part.
The key to the program is a coordinated, compassionate approach. Anaheim Police Department’s Homeless Assessment Liaison Officer (HALO) team acts as the liaison between law enforcement and the care community, contacting homeless individuals, conducting assessments and connecting them to resources.
Officers don’t just make arrests, they build relationships over multiple interactions until a person is ready to accept help.
“Recovery is forever. So for somebody like Tiffany, we always want to try the next thing. We want to recalibrate our resource.
What is it that we tried and why didn’t it work?” said Officer Ryan Lee of the HALO team.
Who Qualifies for Free or Low-Cost Treatment
ACCESS prioritizes homeless individuals who might otherwise fall through the cracks of the traditional system. You may qualify if you:
- Are experiencing homelessness or unstable housing
- Have been charged with a low-level misdemeanor offense
- Are living with a substance use disorder, mental health condition or both
- Are willing to engage with treatment services
You do not need private insurance. You do not need money. Willingness is the entry point.
Free Rehabs and Shelter-to-Treatment Pathways
When Emerson was ready for help, police and prosecutors immediately secured her a spot at Anaheim Lighthouse for detox, a facility licensed for 111 beds that provides all levels of care, from withdrawal management to residential treatment and sober living services.
For homeless individuals with no insurance, the cost barrier is addressed directly. Anaheim Lighthouse accepts Medi-Cal and county-funded insurance, and maintains a scholarship bed funded through a partnership with the City of Anaheim for those without any coverage.
That scholarship bed is critical. It means a person can walk in from the streets, no insurance, no income, no ID and still access a full continuum of care.
The facility’s approach centers on meeting clients where they are: “There’s nobody better than anybody here.
We just really give them that unconditional positive regard and encourage them and love them until they can love themselves,” said Teresa Kothrade, Anaheim Lighthouse’s Executive Director.
How to Find Free Rehabs Near You
As the Anaheim program has shown, “jail is not the solution, these are just lost individuals trying to seek help.”
Rehabs.org lists free and low-cost treatment options nationwide, including programs that serve homeless individuals. Call
800-914-7089
(
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to find affordable care near you today.
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