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Key takeaways
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Sobriety at 30 days means something different than sustained recovery at 12 months — and at five years. A single number collapses that distinction.
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Programs that publish specific success rates often measure self-selected populations at a single time point using self-reported data.
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The more honest measure is engagement over time: whether clients stay connected, return when they struggle, and maintain some forward momentum.
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We track what we can track, honestly, and we are transparent about the limitations of those measures.
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The most important outcome data for a prospective client is a clear clinical conversation about what their specific situation requires and whether we can provide it.
The Reason We Do Not Publish a Number
The reason is definitional. Success in addiction treatment is not a fixed term. Different programs measure it differently, at different time points, with different methodologies, and with different populations. A program that exclusively treats motivated, first-time clients with strong family support will produce different outcomes than one that treats complex dual diagnosis presentations with long treatment histories — not because one is better, but because the populations are different.
A success rate without that context tells you almost nothing about whether a program is the right fit for a specific person.
Sobriety at 30 days means something different than sustained recovery at 12 months — and at five years. Programs that measure success at 30 days post-discharge capture a moment in time. Programs that measure at 12 months are tracking something more meaningful but more difficult to follow. Most published success rates measure the 30-day window, because it is the easiest to capture and produces the most favorable numbers.
What Gets Measured Instead
We track the things we can actually follow with some reliability.
We track alumni engagement: how many people remain connected to our clinical team and peer network at 90 days, 6 months, and 12 months post-discharge. We track re-engagement: when clients struggle and reach out — rather than disappearing — we consider that a clinical success. The willingness to come back after a hard period is one of the most important indicators of long-term recovery trajectory.
We track treatment completion. We track whether aftercare plans were followed and modified appropriately. We track re-admissions, both as a measure of continued connection to care and as a clinical data point about what additional support is needed.
None of these metrics translate into a clean percentage. That is intentional.
What We Tell Prospective Clients Instead
When someone calls asking about success rates, here is what we actually talk about.
We talk about their specific situation — the substance, the duration of use, the history of prior treatment, the co-occurring mental health conditions, the strength of the support system. We talk about what evidence-based treatment for their presentation looks like and how our model delivers it.
We talk about what our model provides that other programs do not: the staff-to-client ratio, the continuity of care from detox through residential and step-down, the integrated dual diagnosis treatment, the genuine privacy of the residential setting, the depth of the aftercare connection.
We talk honestly about the chronic nature of addiction and about what recovery actually looks like — not a moment of cure, but an ongoing process of building a life that does not require a substance to be tolerable.
That conversation is more useful than a number.
Questions, answered
Should I be suspicious of programs that publish high success rates?
Skepticism is appropriate. Ask how success is defined, when it is measured, and what the population characteristics are. A program claiming 80% or 90% success for complex addiction populations without qualifying those numbers is either measuring something narrow or being imprecise. The question to ask is not "what is your success rate" but "what does treatment completion and post-discharge support look like, and how do you measure whether it worked."
What outcome measures are actually meaningful?
The most meaningful measures are long-term ones: sustained engagement with recovery at 12 months and beyond, whether clients re-engage when they relapse rather than disappearing from care, and quality-of-life measures over time. These are harder to collect and less flattering as marketing metrics, which is why they are less often published.
Does Bliss Recovery offer treatment for this?
Bliss Recovery provides personalized, evidence-based care in a private Hollywood Hills setting, with a full continuum from medical detox through residential treatment and PHP/IOP. Our admissions team can help you find the right level of care.
How do I get started or verify my coverage?
You can verify your insurance confidentially with no obligation, or reach our admissions team directly. We will walk you through the next steps and help you understand your options.
