Detox San Francisco – A Safe, Supportive Start to Recovery
Why Choose Detox in San Francisco?
The decision to seek detox is often prompted by a combination of personal, medical, and emotional urgency. Whether you’re facing severe withdrawal symptoms or simply tired of living in a cycle of dependence, our Detox San Francisco program offers a compassionate, evidence-based solution.
Here’s what you can expect:
- 24/7 Medical Supervision: Our licensed medical professionals monitor your progress around the clock, ensuring your comfort and safety during the entire detox process.
- Customized Detox Plans: Every individual’s detox needs are unique. We tailor our protocols based on your substance use history, physical health, mental health, and personal goals.
- Private, Comfortable Setting: We provide a peaceful and supportive environment where you can rest, recover, and prepare for the next steps of treatment.
- Experienced Clinical Team: Our staff includes addiction specialists, therapists, and nurses who bring extensive expertise and compassionate care to every client we serve.
If you’ve been looking for a reliable and professional Detox San Francisco program, Creekside Recovery offers the clinical care and personal support you need to take that first, courageous step.
Substances We Treat
Our Detox San Francisco services support individuals withdrawing from a wide range of substances, including:
- Alcohol
- Opioids (heroin, fentanyl, prescription painkillers)
- Benzodiazepines (Xanax, Ativan, Valium)
- Stimulants (cocaine, methamphetamine, Adderall)
- Prescription medications and polysubstance use
Each type of substance comes with its own set of withdrawal symptoms and potential medical risks. Our team is trained to handle even the most complex detox cases with professionalism and discretion.
The Importance of Medical Detox
Attempting to quit drugs or alcohol without medical support can be dangerous and often leads to relapse. Symptoms such as seizures, dehydration, extreme anxiety, insomnia, and hallucinations can quickly become serious. Our Detox San Francisco program offers a much safer and more comfortable alternative.
With medical detox, clients receive:
- Symptom management through approved medications
- Nutritional support and hydration
- Monitoring of vital signs and physical health
- Access to emotional and psychological support
These services not only ease discomfort, but they also help individuals complete detox safely—an essential first milestone on the road to recovery.
Our Detox and Clinical Team
Medically supervised detox at Creekside Recovery is overseen by a clinical team with direct credentials and experience in detoxification, substance use disorder medicine, and psychiatric care. Every resident going through detox is monitored by licensed medical professionals throughout the process.
Dr. Ruth MacQuarrie, MD Medical Director
Dr. MacQuarrie holds a medical degree from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and completed her anesthesiology residency at UCSF. Board-certified with broad clinical experience spanning anesthesiology, emergency medicine, and primary care, she brings particular expertise in pain management, detoxification, and the care of individuals with substance use disorders. Dr. MacQuarrie provides medical oversight of all detox protocols at Creekside, ensuring that every resident moves through the detox process safely and with appropriate clinical monitoring at every stage.
Dr. Matthew Paley, DO Clinical Director
Dr. Paley holds a Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine from Touro University of California and completed his residency in general psychiatry at the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, where he developed particular clinical expertise in addiction medicine. Licensed in California, he provides psychiatric evaluation and clinical oversight for residents throughout the detox and residential treatment process, including assessment of co-occurring mental health conditions that commonly accompany substance use disorders.
Justin Collins Nursing Compliance Manager
Justin oversees nursing compliance at Creekside Recovery, ensuring that all clinical protocols — including those governing medically supervised detox — meet the standards required by JCAHO accreditation and the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS).
Kate Hunter, LCSW Program Manager
A Licensed Clinical Social Worker with an MSW from USC, Kate’s clinical background includes inpatient psychiatry and long-term residential care — experience that directly informs how Creekside supports residents through the transition from detox into the deeper work of residential treatment. She ensures continuity of clinical care across every phase of the program.
What Happens After Detox?
Detox is not treatment—it’s the first step. Once substances are cleared from your system and you are physically stable, we work with you to plan your next phase of care. Most clients transition from our Detox San Francisco program directly into residential or outpatient treatment for continued therapeutic support.
Our care team helps coordinate:
- Residential treatment admissions
- Intensive outpatient (IOP) or partial hospitalization (PHP) referrals
- Individual and group therapy options
- Aftercare planning and relapse prevention
- Sober living resources (if needed)
This continuity of care ensures that you’re not only getting clean—but staying that way.
Serving San Francisco from Orinda, CA — 30 Miles, ~35 Minutes, and a World Away from Triggers
Creekside Recovery is located in Orinda, California — approximately 30 miles east of San Francisco. Here is exactly how to get here, and why that distance is part of what makes residential detox effective.
Why San Francisco residents choose residential detox outside the city
The neighborhoods, people, and environments associated with active substance use are among the most powerful relapse triggers during early detox — and they are everywhere in your daily environment. Orinda’s quiet, natural setting provides the complete separation from those cues that residential detox requires to be effective. You are close enough for family contact. You are far enough to heal.
Getting to Creekside from San Francisco
By car
Take I-80 East across the Bay Bridge, then Highway 24 East to the Orinda exit. Approximately 30 miles, 35 minutes without Bay Bridge traffic.
By BART
Take BART from any San Francisco station toward Antioch. Alight at Orinda Station (~40 minutes from Embarcadero). Our team can coordinate pickup from Orinda BART.
Transport assistance
If transport from San Francisco is a barrier, call us at (925) 399-4744. Our admissions team will help arrange logistics so that getting here is never the reason someone does not get help.
Privacy and confidentiality
Treating in Orinda means complete privacy from your SF professional and social network during the most sensitive phase of recovery — a consideration many clients from the city specifically value.
Ready to start? Our admissions team answers 7 days a week.
Call (925) 399-4744Who We Help
Our Detox San Francisco program is open to adults aged 18 and over who are seeking help for substance use. Whether you’ve been struggling for months or years, or this is your first time considering detox, we provide a nonjudgmental and supportive place to begin.
Signs that detox may be needed include:
- Daily drug or alcohol use
- Withdrawal symptoms when trying to stop
- Unsuccessful attempts to quit on your own
- Medical or psychiatric complications related to substance use
- A desire to change, but not knowing where to start
If any of these apply to you, our team is ready to help you regain control of your life.
Begin Detox in San Francisco Today
Taking the first step can be intimidating—but you don’t have to do it alone. Our Detox San Francisco team is ready to answer your questions, guide you through the admissions process, and help you begin a safe and supported detox experience.
Recovery starts here, in a setting that values your comfort, respects your privacy, and prioritizes your long-term success. At Creekside Recovery, we believe that everyone deserves a second chance—and it all begins with a single step.