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About The Beacon House
The Beacon House Association of San Pedro is a state-licensed-and-certified substance abuse recovery program for men with a sincere desire to achieve long-lasting abstinence from drugs and alcohol. The “Association” currently encompasses 5 residential facilities totaling 103 beds, two outpatient clinics, and a dining hall—all on one city block in San Pedro, CA. We also operate two retail locations, our Beacon House Thrift Shops, and a meeting hall.
Our flagship program is a “long-term” treatment program that offers a full “continuum of care”, stepping down in frequency and volume of treatment services as the individual progresses through the program. The long-term program is comprised of the following clinical levels of care:
- ASAM 3.1 Clinically-Managed Low Intensity Residential Services
- ASAM 2.1 Intensive Outpatient Services
- ASAM 1.0 Outpatient Services
- Recovery Support Services
- Recovery Bridge Housing
How long is long-term? This depends on the individual’s personal progress in recovery. Over the years, we have come to recognize the value of long-term treatment being that it provides an individual the time and space to practice vital recovery skills until they are engrained.
Additionally, our Mission Statement describes helping residents realize their “full potential”. For us, the vision of an individual’s full potential typically includes: multiple years of sobriety, a sober support network, emotional stability, healthy behaviors and habits, higher education or certifications, and employment in an industry or field of their choosing. We like to say that we give our men the time they need to build the life they want. Along these lines, long-term, can mean 1, 2, or 3+ years from start to finish.
Though the program has evolved over the years, the basic tenets of our approach to treatment remain intact. Ours is a “Social Model” program, wherein we rely very heavily on peer-to-peer feedback and mentorship. Our treatment staff emphasize character building and spirituality in their teachings and the curriculum offered to our men is rooted in the 12-step program literature. The program operates very much like a recovery community, of which every aspect is engineered to facilitate positive change. After 50 years of experience, we have consistently demonstrated that peer-driven treatment, a healthy community, along with workforce development provides a successful model for personal transformation.
Mission Statement
The mission of The Beacon House Association of San Pedro is to help men achieve recovery from alcoholism and addiction to other drugs. We provide long-term treatment and foster a recovery community grounded in character building and spiritual values. We strive to help men realize their full potential and live productive, purpose-driven lives.
Our Vision
The vision of the Beacon House Association of San Pedro is to provide the best recovery to the most people and inspire hope throughout the world.
Our Values
Despite a myriad of changes in both the world and our organization, we have done one thing extremely well for over 50 years: help men recover from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body caused by drugs and alcohol. With the miraculous outcomes we have witnessed, we have come to hold a certain set of practices, beliefs, and experiences dearly. We will not budge on that which we know works. We refuse to rush to make sweeping or dramatic changes in our program or business operations, lest it disrupt the formula that has led to freedom for so many.
The welfare of the residents and their recovery experience must necessarily be prioritized above all else if we are to accomplish our mission. In every decision, we must ask ourselves: “How will this affect our men?” To the extent that we allow this to be our governing principle, we may turn down business opportunities if they pose a threat to our men or our program. Our first responsibility is to the men we serve.
It takes a unified front for Beacon House to do what Beacon House does best. Our staff is fully committed to supporting & helping one another: upholding each other’s decisions, maintaining consistent messaging, considering each other’s needs, communicating, and collaborating. We recognize the call to serve others as the highest
calling in life. Therefore, service doesn’t stop with our residents. Our team operates at its best when every one of us continually asks each other “How can I be of service?”
We prefer to do something well before choosing to replicate it endlessly. We have consistently resisted the temptations of “growth for growth’s sake” and mass-production because we recognize that more isn’t always better. We take great pride in the work we do and the outcomes we see, because we have an ambitious aim for every client we serve: full potential. We are committed to the highest standards of quality possible, and this is a bar that we are not willing to lower.
While our decisions must necessarily be guided by what we believe to be best for our clients and our program, we also recognize the unquestionable value of objective standards and metrics. Addiction is a disease of impulsivity, chaos, and thoughtless reaction. Therefore, we have come to value slow thinking, diligence, and carefully calculated decision-making. Decisions shall always be informed by the available data, quantitative or qualitative, rather than emotions and whims. We practice transparency with information, and we establish meaningful performance metrics by which we can evaluate our work. Data drives self-examination which, in turn, drives action.
As a mission-driven, not-for-profit organization, we recognize our responsibility to our clients, families, donors, vendors, grantors, and stakeholders. This doesn’t simply mean observing applicable laws and regulations, but it also means doing what is right. The image we present to the public must be consistent with reality. We must honor our commitments. We must be willing to recognize our errors and promptly take corrective measures. We must be good stewards of public funds and of the community’s trust. We shall make no business decision that we couldn’t confidently explain to our stakeholders.
Alongside our desire to preserve what works, we must necessarily be willing to persevere, create, and innovate. An organization can’t survive, let alone thrive, for over 50 years without some degree of grit, determination, and creativity. That is why we encourage autonomy, ownership, and an innovative spirit among our employees: being creative, engaging in continual process improvement & performance improvement, forever looking to grow and adapt and be better. We preserve what works, but our competitive edge is our ability to continually find better ways to operate and perform.
Our History
The Beacon House Association of San Pedro was founded in 1970 by Father Art Bartlett, pastor of the Episcopal Seaman’s Church Institute, and Michael Dowling, a merchant seaman and recovering alcoholic. They envisioned a home where men struggling with alcohol can “sober up” and get back on their feet. Through
incredible generosity, unparalleled community support, and an unfailing sense of the program’s values, what was once a shelter for recovering alcoholics has grown into a comprehensive substance abuse recovery program for men.
Find out more about our history.
