Alvarado Parkway Institute
215 West Madison Avenue, El Cajon, CA 92020
CRF Step Forward East
Address: 900 N. Cuyamaca Street, Suite 110, El Cajon, CA 92020 · Map
Phone: (619) 448-0420
Website: crfbehavioralhealthcare.org
About CRF Step Forward East
Step Forward East, situated in El Cajon, is a CalWORKs Behavioral Health Center focused on supporting Welfare-to-Work participants who experience behavioral health issues that can interfere with finding and maintaining employment. The center provides outpatient care, including behavioral health and psychiatric assessments, medication management, individual, group, and family counseling, along with case management, service coordination, and crisis response. Step Forward East also prioritizes education and job-related support, helping participants and their families build skills and stability needed to move from welfare to sustainable work.
Operating as part of the Community Research Foundation, Step Forward East works to eliminate behavioral health obstacles that limit employment opportunities, tailoring support to the specific circumstances of CalWORKs participants. The program is funded by San Diego County Behavioral Health Services and remains accessible to Medi-Cal beneficiaries, individuals eligible for Medi-Cal, and those without insurance, ensuring that no one is turned away due to inability to pay. Welfare-to-Work Case Managers refer eligible participants to the program, allowing the services to align smoothly with their existing Welfare-to-Work plans.
Facility-provided information
- Care offered
- Outpatient
- Conditions treated
- Anxiety · Bipolar · Depression · Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) · Personality Disorders · Post Traumatic Stress Disorder · Schizophrenia · Trauma
- Therapies
- 1-on-1 Counseling · Family Therapy · Group Therapy · Life Skills · Psychoeducation
- Approaches
- Evidence-Based · Family Involvement · Holistic · Individual Treatment · Medical
- Who it serves
- Men · Men and Women · Women
- Aftercare
- Discharge Planning
- Languages
- English · Spanish
Questions to ask CRF Step Forward East
- What does treatment cost without insurance, and do you offer a payment plan or sliding fee?
- How many hours a week is the outpatient or IOP schedule, and are evening groups available?
- If I need medication for opioid or alcohol use disorder, do you prescribe it or refer out?
- Is there a waitlist, and how soon can you do an assessment?
- What happens after the program ends: aftercare, alumni groups or step-down care?
Also confirm the facility is licensed by California. If you are withdrawing from alcohol or benzodiazepines, ask about medical detox; do not stop suddenly on your own.
Paying for treatment at CRF Step Forward East
CRF Step Forward East did not report which payment types it accepts. If you have Medicaid, ask whether the facility accepts your California Medicaid plan or can refer you to one that does. Most private plans must cover substance use treatment on terms comparable to other medical care under federal parity law.
Distance to specialized care from El Cajon
Measured from the population center of San Diego County, using SAMHSA locator data mapped by FindRehabMap:
- Nearest medical detox: San Diego, about 3.9 miles
- Nearest methadone clinic (OTP): San Diego, about 3.9 miles (15 within 25 miles)
- Nearest buprenorphine (Suboxone) provider: San Diego, about 3.9 miles (46 within 25 miles)
See the San Diego County treatment map, methadone clinics near San Diego County and Suboxone doctors near San Diego County.
Frequently asked questions
What services does CRF Step Forward East offer?
CRF Step Forward East reports these levels of care to SAMHSA: Outpatient. Call to confirm current services and openings.
Does CRF Step Forward East accept insurance?
Payment information was not reported. Call the facility and ask about insurance, Medicaid and self-pay rates.
Where is CRF Step Forward East located?
900 N. Cuyamaca Street, Suite 110, El Cajon, CA 92020.
How far is the nearest medical detox from El Cajon?
From the center of San Diego County, the closest program offering medical detox is in San Diego, about 3.9 miles away (straight-line), based on SAMHSA locator data mapped by FindRehabMap.
Other treatment facilities in El Cajon
CRF Behavioral Healthcare
700 North Johnson Avenue, El Cajon, CA 92020
CRF Halcyon Crisis Center
1664 Broadway, El Cajon, CA 92021
East County Mental Health Clinic
1000 Broadway #210, El Cajon, CA 92021
El Cajon Comprehensive Treatment Ctr
234 North Magnolia Avenue, El Cajon, CA 92020
McAlister Institute for Trt and Educ
1365 North Johnson Avenue, El Cajon, CA 92020
See all 15 facilities in El Cajon · Outpatient · MAT · Methadone · Accepts Medicaid · Accepts Medicare · Private insurance
Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Facility details come from SAMHSA's FindTreatment.gov locator and facility-provided information. Confirm services, availability and payment directly with the facility.