Desert Hot Springs, CA Detox and Rehab Centers

Located just minutes away from Coachella and Palm Springs in Southern California, Desert Hot Springs faces problems with drug and alcohol addiction like any other U.S. city. Desert Hot Springs is part of Riverside County, which has been struggling with opioid misuse and overdose deaths for well over a decade.

Between 2006 and 2015, Riverside County experienced the largest increase in unintentional drug-related overdose deaths compared with California and the U.S. as a whole.¹ In Riverside County—which includes Desert Hot Springs—the overdose death rate increased nearly 52% during this time while increasing only by 14.8% and 33.9% in California and the U.S.¹ Heroin was involved in 80% of drug overdose deaths in Riverside County from 2011 to 2015, and in one in four overdose deaths in the county in 2015.¹

A strong synthetic opioid called fentanyl has also been contributing to opioid-related overdose deaths in Desert Hot Springs and Riverside County in recent years. In 2020 there were 686 drug overdose deaths in Riverside County.² Fentanyl was involved in 279 of those deaths, which represents 40.6% of the total number of drug overdose deaths.² The Riverside County District Attorney says fentanyl was involved in even more deaths in 2021, estimating the death count to be between 400 and 500.³

Alcohol misuse is also relatively problematic in Desert Hot Springs where, in 2019, an estimated 16.5% of adults reported binge drinking at least one time within the last 30 days.⁴ The same survey revealed that more than 18% of adults in Desert Hot Springs reported experiencing poor mental health for a minimum of two weeks, which is higher than the county and U.S. averages of 13.5% and 13.6%.⁴ Mental illness is highly common among those with a substance use disorder and is found to affect roughly half of all people with a drug or alcohol use disorder.⁵

There are 14 substance abuse and mental health treatment centers in Desert Hot Springs and within a 10-mile radius of the city.⁶ Ten of these facilities offer detox services for those who need help safely withdrawing from opioids, alcohol, and other substances that cause physical dependence.⁶ The number of addiction treatment centers in Desert Hot Springs makes up 43% of the treatment centers in Riverside County and 0.6% of the total number of treatment centers in the entire state of California.⁷

There are no dedicated opioid treatment programs or buprenorphine practitioners in Desert Hot Springs. However, there are 12 buprenorphine prescribers located just minutes away in Palm Springs for residents who can use this medication in an outpatient setting outside of a drug rehab center.⁷ Buprenorphine is an opioid maintenance medication that reduces withdrawal symptoms and opioid cravings in those recovering from opioid addiction.⁸

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) are widely known drug and alcohol support groups that provide people with peer support, motivation, and encouragement as they work toward achieving long-term abstinence.⁹ Programs like AA and NA are free, anonymous, easily accessible, and located in and near Desert Hot Springs for those who want to attend a meeting.⁹

AA meetings in Desert Hot Springs are available seven days a week at different times of the day to accommodate residents with busy schedules.¹⁰ These meetings are available online and in-person at churches and community centers.¹⁰ The Desert Hot Springs AA meeting schedule is on the official website for the Central Intergroup Office of the Desert.¹⁰

There are also 23 NA meetings in Desert Hot Springs and within a 10-mile radius, including in Palm Springs.¹¹ These meetings are available in person and online, seven days a week.¹¹ Those interested in attending a nearby NA meeting can access the full schedule on the official NA website.¹¹

Sources:

1. Napler, R. (2018, February). Overdose and Opioid Deaths in Riverside County, CA.
2. Sasic, E. (2021, July 30). Fentanyl overdoses, deaths are up in Riverside County. Many don’t know they’ve taken it.
3. McMillan, R. (2022, January 12). Families of victims who died of fentanyl use rally to raise awareness.
4. Strategic Health Alliance Pursuing Equity Riverside County. Build a Customized Dashboard: Desert Hot Springs.
5. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2018, August). Comorbidity: Substance Use Disorders and Other Mental Illnesses DrugFacts.
6. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Find Treatment.
7. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Find a Facility.
8. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2022, January 24). Buprenorphine.
9. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2020, September 27). Recovery-Oriented Mutual Self-help Groups.
10. Central Intergroup Office of the Desert. Meetings.
11. Narcotics Anonymous. NA Meeting Search.