Residential
Residential Treatment
Intensive, round-the-clock care in a safe, affirming environment with individual counseling, group support, and structured recovery programming.
Learn About Residential Care
Celebrating 50 Years of Saving LGBTQ+ Lives
You Belong Here Exactly As You Are
At Stepping Stone, you don't have to choose between getting help and being yourself. We've been saving LGBTQ+ lives in San Diego for 50 years.
Treatment and support
The LGBTQ+ Community Taking Care of Its Own
Recovery is at the center of everything we do. From residential treatment through sober living, our integrated continuum of care is designed for the whole person and delivered by people who understand your experience.
Outpatient
Stepping Out
Flexible care from our North Park center for people stepping down from residential treatment or beginning recovery while staying connected to daily life.
Explore Outpatient Programs
Housing
Sober Living
Safe transitional housing where people can build stability, community, and the daily rhythms that help recovery last.
Learn About Sober LivingAffirming care
We Know LGBTQ+. We Welcome All.
You shouldn't have to choose between getting help and being yourself. At Stepping Stone, you never will.
We treat the intersection of addiction and identity: the cumulative weight of discrimination, family rejection, and systems that were not built with you in mind. Our clinicians do not just tolerate your identity. They honor it as part of your strength.
Here, you can be fully yourself from day one. Your pronouns are respected. Your relationships are honored. Your experience is understood.
Affirming Care
Transgender & Nonbinary Affirming
Treatment that honors your gender identity at every step, delivered by providers who understand.
HIV-Informed Care
Care shaped by decades of experience supporting people living with HIV and people navigating recovery at the same time.
Culturally Competent Staff
Many staff members are part of LGBTQ+ and recovery communities, bringing lived experience and practical understanding to the work.
Our impact
Five decades of service to the LGBTQ+ community
50 Years
Saving LGBTQ+ lives in San Diego
11,300+
Residential bed days annually
1976
Founded the same year as San Diego Pride
One
One of only a handful of LGBTQ+ specialized treatment programs nationwide
Stories and resources
Stepping Up: Stories of Community Care
What's happening at Stepping Stone and across the recovery community in San Diego. Stories of hope, expert perspectives, and resources for living your best sober life.
Community Stories Meet Aimee: New Program Manager of Residential Program
Learn about our newest team member and her vision for community-centered recovery.
Advocacy & Awareness Healthcare, Not Handcuffs: Why Criminalizing Homelessness Hurts Recovery
Our perspective on public health issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community.
Recovery Resources Sober San Diego: Your Guide to Fun Without Substances This Summer
Practical guidance for staying safe and sober during Pride and beyond.
50th Anniversary Event
April 17, 2026
The 50th Anniversary Pink Gala
Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego
Fifty years of saving LGBTQ+ lives — and we're just getting started. Join us for an unforgettable evening celebrating recovery, resilience, and the community that made it all possible. This is the night we Live Out Loud.
Ambassadors of Recovery
Join our monthly giving circle. Your monthly gift funds the community's safety net — you're not just making a donation, you're joining a movement.
Legacy Giving
Build something that lasts. A legacy gift ensures we'll be here for the next 50 years, sustaining this mission for generations.
Careers & Training
Work that saves lives. We're looking for mission-driven people passionate about LGBTQ+ wellness. Professional CEU training available.