Peggy Albrecht Friendly House

Peggy Albrecht Friendly House structures its programs so women do not have to restart their recovery in a new environment as their needs evolve. Medical detox provides the first layer of support, managing withdrawal in a monitored setting before a woman transitions into residential treatment. From there, the outpatient program offers continued clinical support as women begin rebuilding daily life outside a live-in environment.

Sober living extends that continuum into the community, giving graduates of the residential or outpatient program a structured, peer-supported place to live while they solidify their footing in recovery. This connected sequence — detox, residential, outpatient, sober living, alumni — reflects a treatment philosophy that takes the long view on what recovery actually requires.

Friendly House treats trauma and PTSD as primary clinical concerns, not afterthoughts. For many women entering substance abuse treatment, unresolved trauma is a central driver of addictive behavior, and the center's dual diagnosis approach addresses co-occurring mental health conditions alongside the substance use itself. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) anchors the clinical work, providing women with structured tools for identifying and shifting the thought patterns that sustain both addiction and trauma responses.

This integrated approach matters particularly for the populations Friendly House serves — veterans, pregnant women, and survivors of trauma who may have found that general treatment programs were not designed with their experiences in mind. By treating the whole person rather than isolating substance use as the single problem, Friendly House positions itself as a long-term recovery partner for women whose needs extend beyond stabilization.

One of the clearest markers of a treatment center committed to long-term recovery is what it offers after a woman leaves. Friendly House maintains an alumni program that keeps graduates embedded in the Friendly House community — a network of women who have moved through the same programs and share a common foundation in recovery. Peer connection at this stage is not supplemental; it is often what makes the difference between a sustained recovery and a return to use.

The sober living component provides a parallel layer of support for women who need a structured living environment as they transition out of residential care. Together, the alumni program and sober living options reflect the center's understanding that recovery is a long-term process, and that the community a woman builds during treatment should remain available to her well beyond her time in a clinical program.

Friendly House is a women-only recovery center, and that focus shapes everything from the clinical programming to the peer community inside the facility. The center serves women across a wide range of life stages and backgrounds, including young adults ages 18 to 25, pregnant women, seniors and older adults, and veterans. That breadth is notable — many addiction treatment centers that market themselves to women in practice serve a narrow demographic slice.

Payment options include private insurance, TRICARE, and self-pay. TRICARE acceptance is particularly significant for female veterans and military family members in the Los Angeles area, a group for whom finding gender-specific, trauma-informed addiction treatment can be a genuine challenge. For families researching residential treatment or outpatient programs for a woman in their lives, Friendly House offers a rare combination of specialization, full-continuum care, and a proven community infrastructure.