Freedom Ranch marked a major milestone Dec. 10 with a groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion of its men’s residential treatment facility, a project expected to significantly increase access to addiction recovery services for underserved men across San Diego County.
Held at the Freedom Ranch campus in Campo, the ceremony officially launched construction on an expansion that will increase the number of residential beds from 54 to 140, a 159% increase in capacity. Organization leaders said the project reflects both growing demand for treatment services and longstanding plans to expand the program’s reach.
“The San Diego Freedom Ranch has had hopes and dreams to expand for many years,” said Pam Dose, executive director. “Thankfully, those hopes and dreams came true when the San Diego Freedom Ranch was the recipient of the State BHCIP Grant Round 3.”
The grant was awarded through the State of California’s Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program, or BHCIP, which was authorized by the Legislature in 2021 to support construction, acquisition, health facilities.
Dose said the expansion comes at a critical time. “Access to addiction recovery services has been limited throughout San Diego County and the State of California for decades,” she said. “As more and more people reach out for treatment, this new expansion will increase the number of beds from 54 to 140, allowing for more men to be treated. It will also cut down on the time that it takes to get a bed.”
Freedom Ranch is located on 300 acres in San Diego County’s high desert, with a main campus set beneath a grove of mature oak trees. The rural setting, marked by seasonal changes from warm summers to colorful falls and occasional winter snow, is designed to give residents the space and stability needed to focus on recovery.
The program offers a comprehensive range of services aimed at long-term sobriety.
“The facility provides residential treatment and withdrawal management services,” Dose said. “There are daily substance abuse classes, life skills, and various educational classes as well as medication-assisted treatment (MAT) services. We strive to provide a safe, healthy, and sober environment offering a program of recovery through which alcoholics and drug addicts can achieve and maintain sobriety.”
While the core treatment model remains unchanged, the expansion will allow the organization to serve more men.
“The new facility will enhance the current treatment environment with the addition of more treatment beds,” Dose said. “This will give the ability to provide services to more men, further increasing the positive effects of the program on the community and returning more men to a life of freedom from addiction.”
Freedom Ranch has served San Diego County for more than 48 years, with a mission focused on restoring stability and purpose.
“The goal of the San Diego Freedom Ranch has always been and will continue to be to return adult males suffering from addiction back to the role of productive members of society,” Dose said.
Community involvement remains central to that mission. “We rely on community support, including support from many of our alumni, to provide the services we do,” Dose said. “Several alumni of our program serve as program sponsors, volunteers, donors, and much more. We can’t do this without the support of the community.”
The Dec. 10 event included a ceremonial groundbreaking, interviews with staff, board members, and alumni, and views of the Freedom Ranch grounds. Those interested in supporting the expansion can find donation opportunities at sdfreedomranch. org.
