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Michael’s House History

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Providing Trusted, Evidence-Based
Treatment for Three Decades and Counting

If you or a loved one is experiencing addiction, we’re here to help.

a person learns about Michael's House historyMichael’s House has helped countless people since opening its doors more than thirty years ago. While it has become a symbol of healing and recovery over that time, it began as a mother’s response to the loss of her son to drug addiction. If you would like more information about Michael’s House, please call 760.548.4032.

The Michael's House Story

Michael Rosen grew up in Bel Air and graduated from Beverly Hills High before becoming a racecar driver. He was handsome and outgoing—and a drug addict. At the age of only 25, Michael was found dead in a hotel room in the Fiji Islands.

Michael’s House opened its doors in 1989 as a mother’s response to her son’s drug addiction and subsequent death. Far from an emotional reaction, though, Arlene Rosen—who already held a Master’s degree in psychology—put a lot of thought into the type of treatment center she wanted to lend her son’s name to. She pulled from her experience living with a drug addict and pursued the professional expertise to make it successful.

As for the name, Rosen used the term “house” because, at that time, her two daughters were going through the important right of passage of moving into houses of their own, and she says, “I decided Michael should have a house too.”

In those early days, she regularly traveled from the Los Angeles area to Palm Springs to be on-site several days each week, remaining very hands-on. While she may have lost her son to addiction, the legacy of Michael Rosen lives on through all those helped by the work of Michael’s House and his determined mother. 

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Michael's House History Informs Treatment Goals

Rosen’s goal was to create a program that was less rigid. After watching her son emerge from three stints in treatment, still addicted, she knew something needed to be different. Family participation, giving patients the time they needed to come to grips with their disease, and a flexible program that allowed for the needs of each individual became cornerstones of the program.

Today, Michael’s House has been expanded to include three campuses with 60 beds.

    • Residential Treatment Center
    • Outpatient Treatment Center
    • Transitional Living

Our unique, award-winning integrative treatment approach is based on extensive research, supports the many facets and needs of the individual, and ensures the greatest possibility of achieving lasting, successful recovery. The current Michael’s House multidisciplinary team includes:

  • Consulting physicians and psychiatrists
  • Psychologists
  • Social workers
  • Alcohol and drug abuse counselors
  • Nurses

All have been cross-trained in the principles and practices of treating co-occurring disorders. 

Let The Michael's House Story Help Change Your Story

Michael’s House began more than thirty years ago as Arlene Rosen’s response to the loss of her son, Michael. She turned her personal tragedy into a force for change, healing, and recovery so that other families would not have to experience the pain of losing a loved one to addiction.

If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use disorder or caught in the cycle of addiction, then your story does not have to end like Michael Rosen’s. There is hope, and recovery can happen. With individualized treatment plans administered by trained multidisciplinary staff and treatment options that include residential, outpatient, and transitional living, Michael’s House offers help and hope to those struggling with addiction.

If you have questions or want to learn more about Michael’s House history, please reach out to us. You can contact us online or call 760.548.4032. We can discuss treatment services, verify insurance, or simply provide information so you can make an informed decision in your search for healing and recovery. 

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