Purpose & Mission

The California Recovery Program is a confidential program that provides monitoring and rehabilitation of healthcare professionals whose ability to practice safely has been affected by the use of drugs or alcohol, and in some cases, by mental illness. Our primary mission is equal to that of the Boards’, which is to protect the public and return the participant to safe, professional practice.

Substance use disorder is recognized by experts as a chronic, relapsing disease. Much like cardiac disease, diabetes or asthma, it is a permanent condition, and when treated and in remission, approximately 65 to 70% of individuals relapse. Treatment followed by supportive monitoring, such as is offered by the Recovery Program, reduces the risk of relapse to less than 20%.

The Recovery Program is not a treatment program and is not a program of discipline. The Recovery Program is a program of support, monitoring, and accountability.

Enrollment & Participation

When a licensee enrolls, the participant is engaged in a period of assessment and early treatment. In most cases, the participant begins to recognize the issues affecting their lives and their practice. The Case Manager follows the participant into the early stages of recovery, supports them while they progress into a solid practice of recovery and emotional health, and monitors them as they return to safe, professional practice.

Participants may self-refer or may be referred by their board following a complaint. In other cases, participants agree to participate in the Recovery Program as a term of their stipulated settlement for probation.