Located at 3002 Armstrong Street in San Diego, California, San Diego Center for Children is a nonprofit mental health program.
Care options include outpatient care, partial hospitalization (day treatment), and residential treatment. Clinicians use approaches such as activity therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, couples/family therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and group therapy.
Payment options include government funding for people who qualify, Medicaid, military insurance (TRICARE), private health insurance, and cash or self-payment. Coverage depends on your specific plan, so verify benefits before admission.
The program accepts children and adolescents and young adults. It offers specialized groups for persons with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and children/adolescents with serious emotional disturbance (SED).
Based on SAMHSA-listed programs in our directory. Rankings use the StartDrugRehab Score; facilities can't pay to change them. Distances are straight-line.
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San Diego County, CA has 95 SAMHSA-listed addiction treatment facilities for 3,298,799 residents. 37 facilities in the county list detox services. 655 people died of a drug overdose in the county in the 12 months to March 2026 (CDC provisional data): 19.9 per 100,000 residents, compared with 20.5 statewide.
Source: StartDrugRehab Treatment Deserts 2026, built from SAMHSA FindTreatment.gov, U.S. Census 2024 population estimates and CDC overdose data. Counts are SAMHSA-listed facilities only.
San Diego Center for Children lists the following levels of care: mental health treatment. Services can change, so confirm current programs before admission.
According to SAMHSA data, San Diego Center for Children accepts county or local government funds, community mental health block grants, community service block grants, medicaid, federal military insurance (e.g., tricare), private health insurance, state education agency funds, and cash or self-payment. Your exact coverage depends on your plan and network status. You can check your benefits with your insurer, or call (833) 589-6933 for a free benefits check.
San Diego Center for Children does not list detox services. If you need medically supervised withdrawal first, see detox programs or call (833) 589-6933 for help finding one.
San Diego Center for Children accepts children/adolescents and young adults. Specialized groups include clients who have experienced trauma, persons with post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd), and children/adolescents with serious emotional disturbance (sed).
San Diego County, CA has 95 SAMHSA-listed treatment facilities for about 3,298,799 residents: 37 list detox services, 52 offer buprenorphine or methadone treatment and 30 offer 24-hour care (2026 data).
The nearest other SAMHSA-listed programs are Mental Health Systems Inc – Teen Recovery Center (San Diego, under 1 miles), Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital – Behavioral Health Services (San Diego, under 1 miles), and Monima Wellness Center (San Diego, 1.2 miles). Distances are straight-line.
San Diego Center for Children has a 4.0-star rating from 101 Google reviews (as of November 2026). Ratings reflect individual experiences and are not a measure of clinical quality.
Admission usually starts with a phone screening and insurance check, followed by an assessment. You can contact San Diego Center for Children directly at 858-277-9550. Our admissions helpline at (833) 589-6933 can connect you with a licensed treatment provider, which may not be San Diego Center for Children. Our helpline is not affiliated with San Diego Center for Children.
Compare options
San Diego, CA 92129
Joint Commission accredited
Levels of care
Payment accepted
Private insurance · TRICARE · Self-pay
“Get help” calls our free helpline, not this facility.
San Diego, CA 92122
Joint Commission accredited
Levels of care
Payment accepted
Private insurance · TRICARE · Self-pay
“Get help” calls our free helpline, not this facility.
San Diego, CA 92103
Joint Commission · CARF accredited
Levels of care
Payment accepted
State-funded
“Get help” calls our free helpline, not this facility.
San Diego, CA 92123
CARF accredited
Levels of care
Payment accepted
Medicaid · Medicare · Private insurance +2 more
“Get help” calls our free helpline, not this facility.
San Diego, CA 92123
Joint Commission accredited
Levels of care
Payment accepted
Medicare · Private insurance · TRICARE +1 more
“Get help” calls our free helpline, not this facility.
San Diego, CA 92108
CARF accredited
Levels of care
Payment accepted
Medicaid · Medicare · Private insurance +2 more
“Get help” calls our free helpline, not this facility.
Source: SAMHSA FindTreatment.gov, data updated October 2026. Facilities report this information to SAMHSA, and it can change, so confirm details before admission. A listing is not an endorsement. StartDrugRehab.com is not affiliated with San Diego Center for Children.
