New Directions For Women Inc

Transforming the lives of all women, women with children, and pregnant women affected by addiction.

New Directions for Women was founded, in part, by Pamela Wilder in 1977, with the support and assistance of the Jr. League of Orange County, and in response to a shortage of affordable and accessible rehabilitation treatment services for women suffering from alcoholism and addiction. Pamela stood up in a Jr. League meeting, identified herself as a recovering alcoholic and asked for help and support in establishing a recovery program for women. Two other women, Marion Schoen and Muriel Zink, were also instrumental in New Direction’s beginnings. New Directions was the first gender-specific addiction treatment program in Orange County, and since our founding, over 5,000 women have entered our doors, over 600 children have lived on campus, and 200 babies have been born to mothers completing our program. By providing exceptional gender-specific addiction treatment services that are family-centered, we promote healthy parenting, prevent domestic violence, and assist in family reunification.

New Directions for Women is the only facility in Orange County—and one of the few treatment centers in the country—that allow women to bring their children into treatment with them residentially. New Directions is also the only facility locally that will detox a woman in any trimester of pregnancy. We are a rehab for women, with a model designed by women, and we have a four decade history of supporting and treating all women affected by addiction. We understand that women are more likely to experience trauma or other social risk factors, and our dual-diagnosis, women focused model has proven to be more effective long-term.

New Directions for Women has a 20% higher success rate that other treatment centers nationally.

About two-thirds of the women entering treatment at New Directions had been in treatment previously, indicating the severity of addiction and a resistance to treatment, but our all-women, dual-diagnosis facility allows our clients to address complex issues and open up on a level that promotes long-term recovery. We strive to get to the root of the disorder, and transform lives one day at a time in a healthy, safe and trusted environment. Our clients report having a massive improvement in quality of life six-month post-treatment, and they are substantially more likely to heal their closest family relationships.

New Directions for Women continues to provide excellent services and maintains a high standard of care for our patients and their families. This past year, we enhanced our clinical team to sustain and continue elevating and expanding our repertoire of services, incorporating evidence-based practices alongside experiential and holistic therapies. This dynamic approach ensures that we address not only addiction, but also co-occurring mental health challenges. Intake data shows a high percentage of our patients report symptoms of depression, anxiety, and trauma when they enter treatment, and post-treatment data shows a small percentage report having these co-occurring conditions twelve months after treatment. Symptoms of these conditions decrease about 45-55%, indicating the effectiveness and expertise of our trauma-informed clinical team, and helps break the cycle of generational trauma.

Furthermore, intake data shows 40% of incoming patients were full-time employed before being admitted to our program, and six month post-treatment data shows that 65% of women who went through our program are full-time employed.

New Directions helps women regain their lives and heal their families. Our goal is to ensure the successful long-term recovery of all women and their families, and this is achieved by treating the whole woman, and providing exceptional, individualized and holistic treatment plans that are unique to every woman and her family. With her most important priorities in mind, women discover their capacity to grow and learn with sobriety.

Donations for scholarships: We provide scholarships to women who are ready to transform their lives but face financial barriers. We offer full scholarships to women and children who do not have any resources for treatment, and we provide partial scholarships to women who need more care but can’t afford to extend their stay or insurance coverage. We want all women to receive the appropriate intensity and duration of care they need to break the cycle of intergenerational trauma and achieve lifelong recovery. Sending people home before they are ready to leave treatment affects the mental health and wellbeing of individuals and their families, and it takes a toll on society, from lost productivity, to increased healthcare, social services, education and law enforcement costs. But insurance only covers so much. Our scholarship program supplements what insurance doesn’t cover so we can transform lives one day at a time in a healthy, safe and trusted environment. Our life-saving program heals families and helps women become productive members of society.

Donations for programs not covered by insurance: our Whole Woman, Healthy Woman, and Family Programs. These programs cost $550,000 a year.

Donations for land improvements: New Directions has been in the same location for 47 years, and we needed to renovate our property to elevate the women’s and children’s recovery experience. The renovations will also allow us to increase our current capacity. Currently, we are operating at about 65% capacity (approx. 24 women per month) and the two-year goal is to serve more women and children by operating at 100% capacity (36 women per month). We have different phases of development that, over time, will modernize our property and increase the number of women we can serve.

Donations for welcome basket items: We give women entering our program a welcome basket of toiletries, socks, a journal, and other personal items so every woman feels love and support from the moment she enters our doors. Many women have no personal items when they come to New Directions for Women, so we make sure all women have what they need so they can focus on their healing and recovery.

New Directions has served patients from across the nation and around the globe with a high percentage of those served coming from right here in Orange County, CA. Our serene campus and location by the Newport Back Bay make it a positive environment for all women looking to find recovery.