Welcome Andrew Picard - Executive Director

Stepping Stone of San Diego

Saving lives since 1976

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Saving Lives in San Diego

Stepping Stone of San Diego has been helping save lives since 1976 as one of the nation’s only alcohol and drug treatment programs specializing in the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender community.

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Residential Treatment

Stepping Stone has been providing excellent residential treatment for people suffering from alcohol and drug dependence for over 40 years.


Outpatient Program

We understand that, for some struggling with addiction, a residential recovery program isn’t possible or isn’t necessary, yet 12-step meetings aren’t quite enough.


Sober Living

Many of our clients transition to sober living environments after the residential phase of treatment. This offers a “step down” effect, which helps `transition back into the community-at-large.


Continuing Care

All participants are encouraged to participate in recovery services for as long as possible after residential treatment. Your counselor will work with you continue the journey you started by entering residential treatment.

We Are Stepping Stone

We are Stepping Stone aims to help end the stigma surrounding recovery from alcohol and substance abuse, as well as remind people struggling with addiction, and their loved ones, that help is available and no one has to deal with this issue alone. The portraits, with beautiful San Diego landmarks and life happening in the background, illustrate the joy and pride of so many members of our Stepping Stone family.

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Welcome, Andrew Picard!

We are excited to announce that Andrew Picard will be joining as our new Executive Director, effective April 26, 2023. Andrew has dedicated his career to designing inclusive programs for LGBTQ+, low-income, and other vulnerable populations.

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  • Stepping Stone gave me the chance at a fresh start. It has been a place to come clean about my past and not feel judged. It’s a place to get honest with myself about my addiction, and a place to work on my inner workings as a man. This translated to all relationships I had. It allowed me to create and stand by my boundaries with people that were not respecting my journey and it allowed me to own my part in things and change my attitude and behavior towards my family and friends.
    A fresh start.
    Alumni
  • Stepping stone represents a second chance in life. It is a safe place where I can not only deal with my addiction but deal with things that I was never able to deal with before childhood trauma. What stepping stone did for me was give me my life back. Gave me hope gave me love until I could love myself. Stepping stone became my family. Stepping stone gave a son back a brother back and uncle back thanks to my family I was able to get sober because of their intervention.
    12 years sober.
    Alumni
  • Stepping Stone gave me a chance to start over. The staff was encouraging and believed in me. They helped me believe in my self. Since my parents are both dead and am estranged from my sister they helped me deal with the loss/ grief of losing them. As well as helped me find a community where I felt I belonged. Now, after maintaining a year of sobriety I am following my dream of enrolling in school to be a barber/ cosmetologist.
    Stepping Stone means hope.
    Alumni
  • Stepping Stone represents for me love in the way I couldn't see or give myself in my active addiction self/family/community. Stepping Stone gave me a safe environment to drop the facade and mask of what I thought I needed to be and the courage to get into what it looks like to be who I want to be.
    A safe environment
    Alumni

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