Real answers about addiction treatment, rehab, and recovery.

RECO Intensive is a substance use disorder and dual diagnosis treatment program in Delray Beach, Florida. We provide a full continuum of care — partial hospitalization (PHP), intensive outpatient (IOP), aftercare, alumni programming, and coordinated detox and residential housing through our RECO residences (Hart, Siebold, Van Epps, Towers, and the Ranch).

We accept most major commercial insurance carriers and serve adults from across the United States who travel to Florida for treatment. Our average length of stay is between 60 and 90 days when clients move through the full continuum, though duration is set clinically based on ASAM criteria rather than by a fixed program length.

The most consistent difference families report is therapist continuity. At most programs, you are assigned a new therapist each time you change levels of care. At RECO, the same primary therapist who conducts your intake assessment continues individual therapy through residential, PHP, IOP, and aftercare planning. Beyond that, RECO's clinical model integrates psychiatric services with addiction counseling, begins structured family work at intake rather than at a midpoint Family Weekend, and uses substance-specific protocols rather than a single approach applied to every presentation.

Delray Beach has dozens of treatment programs. The practical question is which one makes clinical decisions that match your specific situation — and which one's clinical team you can actually reach by phone when something changes during treatment.

Yes. RECO Intensive is licensed by the State of Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) to provide substance use disorder treatment, and our clinical staff are licensed by the Florida Department of Health under their respective professional boards (LMHC, LCSW, LMFT, psychiatry, nursing). Our facilities are inspected and re-licensed annually. Documentation of current licensing and any third-party accreditation is available on request from admissions.

Our main clinical campus is at 140 NE 4th Avenue, Delray Beach, FL 33483, a short walk from Atlantic Avenue. Our recovery residences (the Hart, the Siebold, the Van Epps, the Towers, and the Ranch) are within a 5-10 minute drive of the clinical campus. Delray Beach is on Florida's east coast, about 50 minutes north of Miami and 25 minutes south of West Palm Beach. PBI (Palm Beach International) and FLL (Fort Lauderdale) are the two airports we coordinate travel through.

RECO Intensive treats adults age 18 and older. We do not have an adolescent-specific program. If you are seeking treatment for someone under 18, the admissions team can refer you to age-appropriate programs we trust in the Florida network.

Addiction treatment is a structured, clinical process for treating a substance use disorder — a recognized medical condition characterized by compulsive substance use despite negative consequences. Modern treatment combines medical stabilization (managing withdrawal safely), psychotherapy (cognitive behavioral therapy, DBT, EMDR for trauma, family systems work), medication-assisted treatment where indicated (FDA-approved medications like buprenorphine or naltrexone), and structured peer support over a sustained period of time.

The goal is not just stopping substance use during treatment — that can be done in 5-10 days of detox. The goal is changing the conditions and patterns that sustained use in the first place, which takes 60-90 days minimum for most people. The clinical evidence is clear: longer engagement in treatment correlates strongly with longer-term recovery outcomes.

The terms get used interchangeably but they describe different things:

• Detox (or medical detoxification) is the 5-10 day medical process of safely clearing substances from the body and managing acute withdrawal under medical supervision. It is the beginning of treatment, not the whole thing.
• Rehab (rehabilitation) is the broader clinical process that follows detox — typically residential or partial hospitalization care, including individual and group therapy, psychiatric support, and skill-building.
• Treatment is the umbrella term that includes detox, rehab, and continuing care (IOP, aftercare, alumni programming) as a single continuum.

At RECO, all three are coordinated as a single clinical experience with the same primary therapist throughout.

Length of treatment is determined by clinical need, assessed using ASAM (American Society of Addiction Medicine) criteria, not by a fixed number of days. A client presenting with complex trauma, a long history of use, and a high-risk home environment will typically require a longer continuum than someone with a shorter history and stronger recovery supports in place.

As a general orientation: medically managed detox typically runs 5 to 10 days depending on substance and withdrawal severity. Residential treatment commonly runs 30 to 60 days. PHP runs 4 to 6 weeks at a clinical minimum, and IOP follows from there. Aftercare and alumni programming continue beyond intensive treatment. Most clients at RECO are in active treatment for 60-90 days total when they move through the full continuum.

The evidence is yes, but the framing of the question matters. Substance use disorder is a chronic medical condition — like diabetes or hypertension — and is treated with the same expectations of long-term management. The right question is not "does rehab cure addiction" (it does not, in the same way insulin doesn't cure diabetes) but "does evidence-based treatment significantly improve outcomes." It does, by every measure researchers have studied.

The strongest predictors of long-term recovery are length of engagement in treatment, integrated dual diagnosis care when mental health conditions are present, family involvement, and structured continuing care after the intensive phase ends. Programs that do all four — including RECO — see significantly better long-term outcomes than detox-only or short-residential models.

Substance use disorder (SUD) is a recognized medical condition defined in the DSM-5 by a pattern of compulsive substance use that causes clinically significant impairment. Diagnostic criteria include using more or longer than intended, unsuccessful efforts to cut down, tolerance, withdrawal, continued use despite consequences, and the substance taking over significant time and attention.

SUD is graded mild (2-3 criteria met), moderate (4-5), or severe (6+). It is not a moral failing or weakness of character — it is a brain condition involving the reward, motivation, and executive function systems, with strong genetic and environmental components. Modern medicine treats it as a chronic disease that responds well to evidence-based clinical care.

The clinical and scientific consensus, supported by the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, is that addiction is a chronic brain disease — not a moral failing or simple lack of willpower. Neuroimaging research has shown clear, measurable changes in the brain's reward, motivation, and impulse-control circuits in people with substance use disorder, changes that persist long after the substance is removed.

This matters clinically: framing addiction as a choice rather than a condition leads to shame-based responses (punishment, expulsion from treatment for relapse) that produce worse outcomes. Framing it as a treatable disease leads to clinical responses (assessment, adjustment of the treatment plan, continued engagement) that produce better outcomes. RECO operates on the second framing.

Physical dependence and addiction are related but distinct. Physical dependence is the body's neuroadaptive response to repeated exposure to a substance — it produces tolerance (needing more to get the same effect) and withdrawal (symptoms when use stops). Physical dependence can occur with prescribed medications taken exactly as directed, and resolves when the substance is tapered off.

Addiction is the clinical syndrome of compulsive use despite consequences, loss of control, and continued use despite the desire to stop. Most people with addiction are physically dependent, but many people who are physically dependent on a medication (long-term pain patients, for example) are not addicted to it. Treatment plans address both — physical dependence through medical management; addiction through clinical and behavioral work.

Medical detox (medical detoxification) is the supervised process of allowing substances to clear the body while medical staff manage withdrawal symptoms, prevent complications, and stabilize the client for clinical work. It typically runs 5 to 10 days depending on the substance, the duration of use, and the client's medical history.

For some substances — alcohol, benzodiazepines, and high-dose opioids — withdrawal carries genuine medical risk (seizures, cardiac complications, delirium tremens) and unsupervised "cold turkey" attempts can be dangerous. Medical detox is the standard of care. RECO coordinates detox with our medical partners locally; the client begins clinical work with the same primary therapist they will continue with through residential, PHP, and IOP.

Residential treatment is 24/7 immersive care where clients live in a structured therapeutic environment and engage in clinical programming during the day. At RECO, residential clients live in our recovery residences — the Hart, the Siebold, the Van Epps, the Towers, or the Ranch — and travel to the clinical campus for the day's schedule.

Residential care typically runs 30 to 60 days and is appropriate for clients whose home environment, medical complexity, or psychiatric presentation requires the structure of full-time supervision. It is the most intensive level of care after detox and provides the foundation for everything that follows in the continuum.

PHP (Partial Hospitalization Program) is structured, full-day clinical programming — typically 5 to 6 hours per day, 5 days per week — without the 24/7 supervision of residential care. Clients in PHP at RECO continue to live in our recovery residences (or in pre-approved alternative housing), commute to the clinical campus during the day, and have structured evenings and weekends with their peer community.

PHP is the right level of care for clients who have completed residential treatment or who present at a stability that doesn't require 24/7 supervision but who still need significant clinical structure. It typically runs 4 to 6 weeks at a clinical minimum before stepping down to IOP.

IOP (Intensive Outpatient Program) is the step-down level of care from PHP — typically 3 hours per day, 3 days per week — designed to allow clients to begin reintegrating with work, family, or studies while continuing structured clinical engagement. At RECO, IOP is conducted at the same clinical campus, with the same primary therapist who has worked with the client through earlier phases.

IOP serves two populations: clients stepping down from PHP as part of the continuum, and clients entering treatment for the first time at the IOP level (typically those with stronger external supports and lower clinical acuity). The clinical structure is the same in both cases.

Sober living is structured, substance-free housing that supports recovery without providing clinical treatment itself. It is not the same as residential treatment — sober living provides accountability, peer community, and a stable environment, but the clinical work happens at a separate program (PHP, IOP, or outpatient therapy).

RECO's recovery residences function as both — they serve as residential housing for clients in our clinical programs, and as sober living for clients stepping down to IOP or post-treatment. Sober living matters for outcomes: returning to a high-risk environment immediately after treatment is one of the strongest predictors of relapse. Structured housing during the transition makes a measurable difference.

Aftercare is the structured continuing care that begins when intensive treatment ends. At RECO, aftercare includes continued individual therapy with the same primary therapist at clinically indicated intervals, weekly alumni group meetings, and an active alumni community that connects people in early recovery with people who are further along.

The clinical evidence is clear: the transition out of intensive treatment is the highest-risk period for relapse. Programs that plan aftercare before discharge — rather than handing the client a referral list at the door — see significantly better long-term outcomes. RECO's aftercare is built into the treatment plan from intake.

Yes — and you almost certainly will. The continuum is designed for clients to step down (detox → residential → PHP → IOP → aftercare) as they stabilize, and to step up to a higher level of care if clinically needed at any point. The decision is made by the clinical team based on the client's presentation, not on a predetermined schedule. Stepping up after a setback is treated as a clinical adjustment, not as failure.

Evidence-based means that the modalities used in individual and group therapy have peer-reviewed research supporting their efficacy for the specific presentations they are applied to. At RECO, that includes:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for thought patterns and behaviors sustaining use
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for emotional dysregulation and distress tolerance
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for trauma underlying use
• Motivational Interviewing (MI) as the clinical framework throughout the continuum
• Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) when clinically indicated

Evidence-based does not mean every session is identical. It means the approach is grounded in what research shows works, adapted to the individual client.

Yes. RECO provides integrated dual diagnosis treatment. Co-occurring conditions — including depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, and others — are assessed at admission by a licensed psychiatrist and treated concurrently with the substance use disorder.

Treating one without the other consistently produces poorer outcomes: untreated depression drives drinking; untreated trauma drives benzodiazepine misuse; untreated anxiety drives stimulant or alcohol use. The psychiatric provider and the primary therapist communicate regularly throughout treatment, not in isolated silos.

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) uses FDA-approved medications — buprenorphine (Suboxone, Sublocade), naltrexone (Vivitrol), or methadone (via partner) — in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies to treat opioid use disorder and alcohol use disorder.

RECO offers MAT where clinically indicated. The decision is made clinically with the client, based on their history, presentation, and goals — RECO does not apply a program-wide stance that either mandates or prohibits MAT. For clients where MAT is part of the treatment plan, medication management is integrated with the broader clinical work rather than managed separately. The peer-reviewed evidence for MAT in opioid use disorder is exceptionally strong; we treat it as a clinical tool, not a compromise.

Trauma assessment is part of the intake process at RECO, not an afterthought added if a client brings it up. When trauma is assessed as a primary driver of substance use — which is frequently the case — EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is integrated into the individual therapy schedule as a primary clinical tool.

All clinicians at RECO are trained in trauma-informed care principles, meaning the clinical environment and the therapeutic stance are structured to avoid retraumatization. Trauma work is not separated from addiction work — it is addressed as part of the same clinical picture, because for many clients the two are causally linked.

All of the above, plus several others. The core individual therapies are CBT, DBT, EMDR, and motivational interviewing. Group therapy is delivered in multiple formats: process groups (peer-led with clinician facilitation), psychoeducation (didactic content on addiction science, family systems, relapse prevention), and skills groups (DBT skills, emotional regulation, distress tolerance).

We also integrate family-systems therapy beginning in the first week, experiential therapies (art, music, expressive work) for clients for whom traditional talk therapy is a poor fit, and mindfulness and somatic practices as supportive modalities. The individual treatment plan determines which combination is used.

RECO is not a 12-step program, but 12-step recovery (AA, NA) is integrated as one part of the broader continuing-care landscape. Clients are introduced to local 12-step meetings during treatment and supported in finding what works for them — whether that's 12-step, SMART Recovery, Refuge Recovery, or another peer-support framework.

The clinical core is evidence-based therapy, not a 12-step curriculum. We do not require step-work or sponsor relationships, and we do not exclude clients who prefer secular recovery pathways. The clinical evidence supports multiple recovery frameworks; we let the client choose.

The fastest path is a phone call to admissions at (866) 396-2008 — calls are answered live, 24/7. The first conversation is free, confidential, and carries no commitment.

From there: a clinical assessment (15-30 minutes with our admissions clinician), insurance verification (we run benefits in real time during the call, no waiting), treatment-plan recommendation based on the assessment, and travel coordination if you are flying in from out of state. For most clients, the time from first call to arriving at the program is 24 to 48 hours.

RECO Intensive accepts most major commercial insurance carriers, including Aetna, Cigna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Healthcare, Optum, Magellan, ComPsych, and many regional plans. We work with out-of-network plans as well. We do not accept Medicaid or Medicare for residential or PHP/IOP services at this time.

The cleanest way to confirm coverage is to call admissions or use our online insurance verification form — we run benefits while you wait and tell you exactly what your plan covers, your out-of-pocket cost, and how the deductible applies.

With major commercial insurance, most clients pay only their plan's deductible and any coinsurance after that — typical out-of-pocket cost ranges from a few hundred dollars to several thousand depending on the plan. For out-of-network coverage, the math depends on the plan's OON benefits. For private-pay clients, the program quotes a packaged rate up front.

Verifying insurance takes about 10 minutes by phone and gives you a clear cost number before you commit to anything. We will not start you on a treatment path without giving you that number first.

Several options exist. We can appeal coverage denials (we have a clinical team that does this routinely and successfully). We can structure private-pay or hybrid arrangements for portions of the continuum not covered by the plan. We can connect you with healthcare financing partners who specialize in treatment-related loans. And in some cases we can recommend alternative levels of care that match what your plan does cover. The admissions team will walk through the options before you commit.

RECO treatment is HIPAA-protected. We do not contact employers, family members, or anyone else without your written authorization. If you choose to involve family in the treatment process (which we recommend clinically), you sign a release of information specifying exactly who we can communicate with and what we can share. Federal law (42 CFR Part 2) provides additional confidentiality protections specifically for substance use treatment records.

The complete checklist is on our admissions checklist page, but the short version: 7-10 days of seasonal clothing, comfortable shoes, prescription medications in original containers, your insurance card and ID, basic toiletries (alcohol-free), and your phone (with restrictions during programming hours). We provide bedding and linens. Don't bring: anything containing alcohol (including mouthwash and hand sanitizer), unprescribed substances, weapons, energy drinks, or aerosol sprays.

Family engagement begins in the first week of treatment, not at a midpoint Family Weekend. The first family session is a clinical session, structured around beginning the work of understanding and adjusting the family system, not a program orientation.

From there, family involvement includes multifamily group (a weekly group for family members), family education covering the neuroscience of addiction and enabling patterns, individual family therapy sessions as clinically indicated, and a structured family weekend later in the continuum for clients whose families travel. Family work is not a separate add-on — it is part of the core treatment plan.

Yes, with clinical coordination. Visiting schedules vary by level of care — residential clients typically have structured visits beginning after the initial stabilization period, and PHP/IOP clients have more flexibility. The clinical team coordinates the timing so visits support the treatment plan rather than disrupting it. Long-distance families often combine visits with structured family sessions to make the trip clinically meaningful.

Yes. RECO's admissions team works with family members frequently before the person with the substance use disorder has agreed to treatment. We can discuss the situation confidentially, talk through what motivates someone to accept help, and — if appropriate — connect you with an intervention specialist who can facilitate a structured family conversation.

For situations in Florida involving a loved one who is in immediate medical risk and refuses treatment, the Marchman Act is a legal pathway we can help you understand. Call admissions and ask for the intervention team — we will not pressure you into anything.

The short version: support the recovery, not the addiction. That means following through on agreements made during family sessions, avoiding the patterns (often well-intentioned) that enabled use in the past, attending Al-Anon or Nar-Anon if you are a family member of someone in recovery, and engaging in your own therapy if family-of-origin patterns are part of what we worked on during treatment.

The longer version is what family therapy is for — it is genuinely different for each family system, and the work done during the client's treatment gives you a roadmap specific to your situation.

Yes — alcohol use disorder (AUD) is the most common single substance presentation at RECO. Alcohol withdrawal is medically serious (delirium tremens, seizures) and always begins with medically supervised detox. From there, the clinical work addresses what sustained the drinking — frequently a combination of trauma, depression, anxiety, or family-of-origin patterns — and builds the skills and supports for sustained recovery. MAT options for AUD include naltrexone (oral or Vivitrol injection) and acamprosate, prescribed when clinically appropriate. See our alcohol addiction treatment page for more detail.

Yes. Opioid use disorder (OUD) — including heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and other prescription opioids — is one of the presentations we treat most frequently. Modern OUD treatment combines medical detox, integrated MAT (buprenorphine or naltrexone, when clinically appropriate), and behavioral therapy. The fentanyl era has changed the clinical picture significantly; we adjust protocols continually based on what works. See our heroin & opioid treatment page.

Yes. Stimulant use disorders (cocaine, methamphetamine, prescription stimulants) present differently from depressant addictions and are treated with substance-specific protocols. There is no FDA-approved medication for stimulant use disorder, so the clinical work is heavily behavioral — CBT, contingency management, structured peer support, and addressing co-occurring mental health conditions (depression, anxiety, ADHD) is often central. See cocaine and methamphetamine treatment pages.

Yes. Benzodiazepine (Xanax, Klonopin, Valium, Ativan) use disorder is one of the more medically complex presentations because benzodiazepine withdrawal carries real risk (seizures) and requires a carefully managed taper, often over weeks. Treatment combines medical management of the taper, behavioral therapy (typically with significant attention to anxiety and trauma — frequently the original reason for use), and structured continuing care. See benzodiazepines treatment for clinical detail.

Yes. Most clients arriving at RECO have used more than one substance in clinically significant ways — polysubstance use is the norm rather than the exception. Treatment is built around the individual's specific pattern of use, not a single-substance protocol. The clinical assessment maps which substances, in what combination, drove which functional roles (sleep, anxiety management, social use, escape), and the treatment plan addresses each. See polysubstance treatment for more.

A typical residential or PHP day begins around 7 AM with breakfast in the residence, transport to the clinical campus by 9 AM, and a structured morning of group therapy and individual sessions until lunch. Afternoons include additional groups (skills, psychoeducation, experiential therapy), individual therapy appointments, and case management. Programming wraps around 4-5 PM and clients return to the residence for evening activities, dinner together, and personal time. The schedule is full but not overwhelming; rest and reflection are part of the clinical design.

RECO's recovery residences (the Hart, the Siebold, the Van Epps, the Towers, and the Ranch) are real, lived-in homes — not institutional dorms. Each has its own character. Bedrooms are private or semi-private with comfortable beds, professional housekeeping, and common areas designed for community. Residences are within a 5-10 minute drive of the clinical campus, in residential Delray Beach neighborhoods. See our facility page for tours and photographs of each residence.

Yes — clients keep their phones, with structured restrictions during programming hours. Personal communication, social media, and email are part of normal life, and the program is designed to support clients integrating recovery with their actual life, not removing them from it entirely. The clinical team works with each client on what level of outside engagement supports their treatment versus distracts from it.

The transition out of intensive treatment is planned before it happens, not improvised at discharge. RECO's aftercare structure includes:

• Continued individual therapy with the same primary therapist at clinically indicated intervals
• Weekly alumni group meetings
• An active alumni community that connects people in early recovery with people who are further along
• Coordinated sober living options for clients who need a structured recovery environment between IOP and independent living
• Family follow-through for clients whose family work was central to treatment

The goal is a planned transition with continuing clinical engagement, not a departure with a referral list and best wishes.

RECO's alumni community is active and growing — alumni events, alumni-led groups, mentorship between newer alumni and those further along in recovery, and an ongoing relationship with the program. Many of our admissions calls now come from alumni referring friends and family. The alumni program is operated by staff who are themselves in long-term recovery, which keeps the connection real rather than ceremonial.

Setbacks during the recovery process are not evidence that treatment has failed — they are clinical data about what additional support is needed. A program that treats relapse as disqualifying produces shame rather than learning. RECO's clinical response to a setback is an assessment of what happened and a clinical adjustment, not a discharge.

If you completed treatment and have had a relapse, call admissions. Whether the right answer is a brief return to a higher level of care, an adjustment to your aftercare plan, or an entirely different clinical conversation depends on what is going on — and figuring that out is what the team is for.