Frequently asked questions

About New Choices Treatment Centers

New Choices Treatment Centers (NCTC) is a privately owned treatment center in San Antonio, Texas. We provide detox, residential, and outpatient services for adults 18 and older who are struggling with substance use and co-occurring mental health challenges.

Because we’re privately owned, we make decisions in-house. That allows us to stay focused on what matters most — individualized care, consistent staffing, and meeting the real needs of the people we serve.

 

We serve adults 18 and older. Our programs are open to men and women, and we are LGBTQIA+ friendly.

We are licensed to treat primary substance use disorders, which means substance use must be present. We also support individuals who are experiencing mental health conditions alongside addiction.

 

We treat alcohol and a wide range of substances, including opioids, stimulants, sedatives, marijuana, inhalants, and hallucinogens.

This includes substances such as heroin, fentanyl, hydrocodone, oxycodone, cocaine, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, and others.

If you’re unsure whether we treat a specific substance, we encourage you to call and ask.

Yes. We support individuals who are experiencing depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, personality disorders, trauma, and grief — as long as substance use is also present.

We believe addiction and mental health often overlap, and we treat both together.

Admissions & Insurance

When you reach out, you’ll speak with someone from our admissions team who will take the time to understand what’s going on and what you’re looking for. We know these calls can happen during stressful or emotional moments, and we approach every conversation with patience and respect.

You don’t need to have everything figured out before you call. We’ll walk you through it.

 

Our admissions team is available:

  • Monday–Friday: 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM

  • Saturday–Sunday: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM

If you call outside of those hours, your call will still be answered by a live agent so you’re not left without support.

Yes. We work with many insurance providers and can verify your benefits quickly.

In many cases, we’re able to complete a preliminary verification of benefits within 30–60 minutes. This helps you understand what may be covered and what your out-of-pocket costs could look like.

Every plan is different, so we encourage you to call so we can review your specific coverage.

If you don’t have insurance, we can talk through your options. We’ll be transparent about costs and help you understand what may be available.

If you’re calling about insurance, it helps to have:

  • Your insurance card

  • Basic personal information

  • A general idea of what’s been going on

If you don’t have everything in front of you, that’s okay. We can still start the conversation.

Programs & Levels of Care

We provide a full continuum of care on one campus in San Antonio, which allows our clients to move through different levels of support without leaving the recovery community they’ve built.

Our levels of care include:

  • Detox

  • Residential Treatment

  • Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)

  • Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)

  • Outpatient (OP)

Each level offers a different amount of structure and support depending on where someone is in their recovery journey.

Our detox program typically lasts 5–7 days. During this time, we focus on helping you stabilize safely and comfortably while preparing for the next step in treatment.

You’ll receive medical oversight, medication management if needed, and support from staff who understand how challenging this phase can be.

Detox is often the first step — but it’s not the whole process. We help you transition directly into the next level of care for continued support.

Residential treatment provides a structured, supportive environment where you live on campus while participating in daily programming.

Most clients stay for 30, 60, or 90 days, depending on their needs. During this time, your days are structured around therapy, group work, education, recovery meetings, and community involvement.

Residential allows you to step away from outside distractions and focus fully on recovery.

Level of care is determined through a clinical assessment that considers symptoms, safety needs, treatment history, and recovery goals.

 

PHP is a step down from residential but still offers a high level of structure.

Clients typically attend programming five days per week for about 30 days. Some individuals may live in our PHP housing while attending programming during the day.

PHP provides continued therapeutic support while helping you begin practicing recovery skills with more independence.

IOP typically includes 24 sessions over about eight weeks, though this can be adjusted based on individual needs.

This level of care offers flexibility while maintaining consistent therapeutic support. It’s often a good fit for clients who are transitioning from higher levels of care or who need structured support while balancing responsibilities.

Outpatient treatment meets once per week and provides ongoing accountability and connection.

Some clients stay engaged in outpatient services for several months. Others may continue for a year or longer as part of their long-term recovery plan.

When you call us, we’ll have a conversation about what’s going on and help determine where to start. Some people need detox first. Others may enter at residential, PHP, or outpatient.

We’ll guide you through that process so you’re not making that decision alone.

Yes. Recovery doesn’t stop when a program ends, and we don’t treat it that way.

Discharge planning begins early in your stay — often within the first few days — so you leave with a clear plan, referrals, and resources for what comes next. If needed, we can help explore sober living options or continued outpatient support.

We also offer our AIR Program (Active in Recovery) for clients who complete primary treatment. AIR includes alumni meetings, sober social events, and access to our recovery community network.

Every Friday, alumni return to campus for a gathering that often brings together 40–60 people. We also host an annual alumni event to stay connected and celebrate recovery together.

Our goal is simple: when you leave here, you’re not leaving without support.

Treatment Experience & Therapies

We use a blend of evidence-based therapies and experiential approaches to support both substance use and co-occurring mental health challenges.

Our therapeutic approaches include:

  • Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

  • Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)

  • Trauma-focused therapies

  • SMART Recovery

  • Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) when appropriate

  • Psychoeducational groups

We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Your treatment plan is personalized based on your needs, history, and goals.

In addition to traditional therapy, we incorporate experiential and wellness-based activities such as:

  • Art therapy

  • Music therapy

  • Drama therapy

  • Recreational therapy

  • Outdoor adventure therapy

  • Sandplay therapy

  • Yoga and meditation

We also provide nutrition education, fitness opportunities, and mindfulness practices to support whole-person recovery.

Yes. We have an onsite psychiatrist and provide medication management support when needed.

If you are currently prescribed medication — or think medication may be helpful — we’ll evaluate that as part of your care.

Structure is an important part of recovery.

In residential treatment, the day generally looks like this:

  • Wake-up around 7:00–7:30 AM

  • Programming begins at 9:00 AM

  • Process group

  • Educational group

  • Lunch

  • Afternoon programming

  • Dinner

  • Evening recovery meetings

  • Lights out at 10:00 PM

Fridays include an alumni gathering, where former clients return to connect and support those currently in treatment.

The goal is to create consistency, accountability, and a supportive community environment.

Family sessions can be incorporated depending on your needs and your comfort level.

We take a family systems approach when appropriate, while also respecting boundaries and individual preferences.

Practical Information

We’ll give you a detailed packing list before you arrive, but in general, you should bring:

  • Comfortable clothing (appropriate for groups and activities)

  • Toiletries (alcohol-free when possible)

  • Prescription medications in their original bottles

  • A valid photo ID

  • Insurance card (if applicable)

  • Contact information for important people

We recommend keeping valuables at home. If you’re unsure about a specific item, just ask — we’re happy to clarify before you arrive.

Transportation options can be discussed during the admissions process.

If you’re traveling from outside the San Antonio area, we can talk through available options and help you plan accordingly. We’ll work with you to make arrival as smooth as possible.

All of our programs are located on one campus in San Antonio.

We operate two apartment-style residential complexes with shared rooms (two people per room), for a total of 40 beds. Clinical spaces, group rooms, and living areas are all part of the same campus, which helps create a strong community atmosphere.

For clients in PHP, we also offer a PHP house where residents may stay while attending programming.

We have an on-site chef who prepares communal meals each day.

Clients can eat together or take meals to other areas on the property. Mealtimes are part of building routine and community.

In addition to on-campus activities, clients may attend an off-site CrossFit gym as part of programming. We also incorporate fitness activities, movement, and wellness education into treatment.

Our primary focus is recovery.

In certain situations, we can accommodate working professionals or students on a case-by-case basis. Clients may be allowed limited laptop access (typically up to one hour per week) for essential responsibilities.

We’ll talk through your situation during admissions and determine what makes sense.