A Marketing-Claim Checklist for Comparing Alcohol Rehab in California

Under confirmed, place only facts supported by a current primary record or a clear written response from an authorized facility representative. Add the source, date, and name or role of the person who supplied it. Under needs review, place statements that may be true but lack enough detail. Use not established when no reliable source supports the statement, the source is outdated, or the facility declines to clarify it.

A useful note format has five fields: exact claim, source, date checked, evidence requested, and status. For example: “Beds available today | phone representative | Tuesday at 10:15 a.m. | ask whether availability applies to this applicant and requested admission date | needs review.” Availability changes, so even a direct answer is a time-stamped lead rather than a guarantee of admission or placement. Keep screenshots or written responses when available, but never assume a webpage confirms individual eligibility.

• Write down the claim word for word before interpreting it.
• Ask whether the answer applies to the specific location and current date.
• Record the source, date, representative’s role, and any follow-up promised in writing or verbally by the facility representative, without treating it as proof until received in ver

For staffing, ask which roles are present at the location, when they are present, and whether the answer describes employees, contractors, or on-call access. Ask who holds the relevant license and how you can verify it through the appropriate public source. Do not infer around-the-clock staffing, a credential, or a clinical capability from phrases such as “expert team” or “support anytime.” Mark each unverified detail needs review.

For services, ask the representative to distinguish what is provided on site from what is coordinated elsewhere. Request the exact service name, current status, eligibility conditions, and responsible provider. For Living Longer, the verified wording is residential drug and alcohol detox with incidental medical services. That wording does not establish a particular medication, named therapy, schedule, staffing pattern, or additional level of care. Avoid substituting “medical detox,” which is not the verified description in the public record provided here.

• For an amenity, ask whether it exists at this location, is currently usable, and is included or separately charged.
• For accreditation, request the accrediting body, facility name, identifier, scope, and expiration date, then verify it directly.
• For licensing, compare the exact legal entity, address, service description, capacity, and record status with California DHCS information.

Ask five questions about any outcome claim: What exactly counts as success? Who was included? Who was excluded or lost to follow-up? When was the outcome measured? Who collected or reviewed the data? A measure taken at program completion is different from a measure taken months later. Likewise, attendance, completion, reduced use, abstinence, housing stability, and quality of life are not interchangeable outcomes.

Request a dated report or methodology summary that identifies the location, sample, time period, and denominator. If the facility gives only a percentage or testimonial, mark the claim not established for comparison purposes. A personal story may matter to the person telling it, but it cannot establish the result another person will have. No provider can promise sobriety, recovery, safety, or a particular outcome. NIDA’s treatment principles emphasize that needs differ and that a plan should address the individual rather than substance use alone.

• Copy the facility’s definition of “success” exactly.
• Confirm whether all admitted clients, only completers, or another group formed the denominator.
• Ask for the follow-up period, missing-data handling, collection method, and any independent review.