Pura Vida Sober Living

Meet Michelle Montalbano — the counselor who built our Friends & Family program from the ground up.

Her premise is simple: addiction doesn't just happen to one person, it reorganizes an entire family around it. Spouses, parents, and kids all develop their own coping patterns — some helpful, some not — long before anyone gets treatment.

In her own words: “It's easy to judge loved ones when they are in their addiction because it's difficult to understand their choices and behaviors. It's also not easy to set boundaries or find a way to accept. It can be so lonely for all involved. This is why education, empathy and compassion can support everyone in this disease that is really a family disease.”

If you're the family member wondering what your role even is right now, this program exists for exactly that question.

"There's no way I can afford treatment". This is probably the number one misconception that stops people from seeking help, but high-quality, life-changing treatment may just be more affordable than you think!

Pura Vida is in-network with most major insurance carriers such as Anthem, Aetna, Cigna, Blue Shield, TriWest, Tricare, and many more. We even have options for beneficiaries of Sonoma County MediCal. You can access months of treatment for as low as $0 out of pocket. Payment plans and financial aid are also available for those who qualify.

Don't let money concerns stop you from seeking help. Contact us with your plan information for a free & confidential benefits analysis. We will help you find care options that fit your clinical & financial needs, even if it's not with us.

Meet our team: Dr. Roderick Fontenette, MD — Medical Director

Before coming to our humble program, Dr. Roderick Fontenette served over 2 decades in the US Air Force, and triaged complex cases as an Emergency Medicine Physician in the ICU's and ER's of major hospitals. Here at Pura Vida, Dr. Rod brings his boundless expertise and superhuman energy to helping our clients manage their detox and early steps in treatment.

In his own words: “Meeting patients where they're at in their recovery journey and working with them to safely manage their withdrawal symptoms is the central focus of our detox and residential programs. Healing begins with trust and we want to lay that foundation early by delivering empathetic, personalized, and effective care from the moment that person decides they're ready to make a change.”

📍 Santa Rosa, CA

Not everyone is ready for residential treatment on day one. That's real, and it doesn't mean you're out of options.

Harm reduction, outpatient support, and honest conversations with people who won't shame you are all valid starting points. “Not ready for residential” is not the same as “not ready for help.”

If you're somewhere in between, that's exactly who our outpatient programs are for. We have daytime and evening options, as well as resources for beneficiaries of Sonoma County MediCal.

Contact us to explore what's possible in Recovery.
Link in bio.



https://pvrecovery.com/treatment/

Bohemian Magazine has named Pura Vida the Best Drug & Alcohol Treatment Program in the North Bay for 2026.

We want to be honest about what that actually means to us: it's not the award itself, it's who it represents — every clinician, house manager, and treatment support staff who shows up for our clients on their hardest days. The people we help end up representing us better than any marketing campaign ever could. We're so honored to have our hard work come back to us in the form of this prestigious distinction!

Thank you, North Bay.

Nobody sets out to enable someone's addiction. It usually starts with love.

Covering for a missed shift. Paying a bill “just this once.” Explaining away a slurred phone call to the rest of the family. Each of those choices makes sense in the moment — and each one can also make it easier for the cycle to continue.

This isn't about blame. It's about noticing the pattern early enough to change it — which is exactly what our Friends & Family program is for. to learn more, check out the link in bio.



https://pvrecovery.com/contact/

Treatment doesn't end at “sober.” It ends at “employable, housed, and stable.”

Our vocational program gives graduates a real next step — Medical Assistant and Phlebotomy Technician certifications, built directly into aftercare. It's one of the more overlooked parts of what we do: recovery that includes an actual income, not just an absence of substance use.

Joy for Living includes a paycheck.

Some of the people in our sober-living homes are there because of a scholarship named after someone who didn't make it.

The Casey Calder & Micah Hamlow-Sawyer Scholarship covers sober-living housing costs for clients who couldn't otherwise afford that stability during early recovery — funded in memory of two young lives lost to addiction.

Housing is often the difference between a recovery plan that holds and one that doesn't. This is what keeping that promise looks like. Link in bio to learn more or give.



https://pvrecovery.com/admissions/scholarships/

Meet our team: Matthew Winters, CADC-I — Director of Operations

Before Pura Vida, Matthew trained in Culinary Arts at The Culinary Institute of America and worked as an Executive Chef in Manhattan. Now he runs operations here — and that food background shows up more than you'd expect: shared meals are part of how our residential community actually builds fellowship with each other.

In his own words: “My time in the culinary world taught me that healing and connection often begin around a shared table. Today, I bring that same focus on consistency, hospitality, and intentional care to every aspect of our program, helping create an environment where people feel supported, valued, and able to focus on their recovery.”

📍 Santa Rosa, CA

Recovery can be tiring.

Not in a bad way, though— in a “your brain and body are doing enormous repair work” way. Early sobriety means your nervous system is relearning how to regulate itself without a substance doing that job. Sleep can be inconsistent. Emotions surface that were numbed for months or years. Simple decisions can feel heavier than they used to.

These things may feel like a sign that something's wrong, but in reality, it's usually your first signal that your body and mind are reclaiming they're independence .

As the old saying goes, "if you're going through hell, keep going!" Early recovery can be taxing, but remember the destination is well worth the journey! Read the full post — link in bio.



https://pvrecovery.com/blog/why-early-recovery-feels-so-exhausting/