Coastwise Health Blog
January 31, 2025
The maritime industry is the backbone of Long Beach and the South Bay, but long hours, high-pressure environments, and demanding physical labor can lead many port workers, longshoremen, and dock employees to struggle with drug addiction and substance abuse. The Port of Long Beach is one of the busiest in the Western Hemisphere, processing millions of shipping containers each year. The men and women who keep this operation running face occupational hazards that most people never see, and those hazards take a toll on both body and mind.
Recognizing the need for specialized support, Coastwise Health offers confidential outpatient substance use therapy in Long Beach and the surrounding South Bay communities, providing effective individual outpatient therapy and recovery support tailored specifically for maritime workers.
Maritime professionals, including longshoremen, crane operators, clerks, and port employees, face unique challenges that can contribute to drug addiction and substance abuse:
To combat these issues, outpatient therapy for maritime workers must be designed around the realities of port life. Cookie-cutter care does not work for people whose schedules change weekly and whose jobs demand peak physical and mental performance.
The Long Beach and San Pedro port complex stretches across miles of waterfront, with terminals, rail yards, and distribution centers employing thousands of workers. Many port employees live in surrounding communities including Wilmington, Carson, Harbor City, Torrance, and Redondo Beach. Getting to treatment needs to be convenient, not another obstacle.
Coastwise Health is located at 1366 W 7th St, San Pedro, CA 90732, just minutes from the port terminals. This means you can attend a morning session before an afternoon shift, or stop in after a day turn without adding an hour of driving to your already long day. For port workers seeking Long Beach addiction therapy, proximity to work and home makes the difference between sticking with care and dropping out.
Our individual outpatient therapy is one-on-one talk therapy with a licensed clinician, focused on substance use and the concerns that often travel with it, such as chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and trauma. You meet with your therapist on a schedule that fits your life and return home the same day. This care is designed for individuals working through drug addiction, alcohol dependence, or opioid use, including those continuing recovery after a higher level of care elsewhere.
For maritime workers who want support without stepping away from their careers, outpatient therapy provides the right balance. We offer both day and evening appointments, which matters for shift workers whose schedules rotate between day turns, night shifts, and weekend work. Our therapy focuses on:
Port worker substance use therapy only works if you can actually get to your sessions. We understand that dispatch calls come at odd hours, overtime is sometimes mandatory, and your schedule can change with little notice. That is why Coastwise Health offers:
Longshoremen and dock workers require specialized support that fits their demanding schedules and understands their workplace culture. Our outpatient therapy for longshoremen offers:
Coastwise Health complements traditional drug rehab by offering a full spectrum of port employee mental health services:
We track meaningful outcomes to ensure our outpatient therapy is effective for every client. This includes monitoring engagement in therapy, tracking sustained sobriety milestones, measuring improvements in mental health symptoms, and evaluating our clients' ability to maintain stable employment throughout and after care. Our goal is not just to help port workers get sober but to help them build a life where they no longer need substances to get through the day.
We provide individual outpatient therapy, which is one-on-one talk therapy with a licensed clinician. Our care covers drug addiction, alcohol dependence, opioid use disorder, and co-occurring mental health conditions. Sessions are scheduled flexibly to accommodate the irregular hours of maritime work. We do not run intensive day programs or residential care, but we can help you find the right next step if you need a higher level of care.
Yes. We work with most major insurance plans including the ILWU-PMA Welfare Plan (Blue Shield of CA PPO), worker's compensation cases, and other PPO plans. Our care team can help you understand how your insurance can help quickly and confidentially so you know your coverage before starting treatment.
The length of care varies based on individual needs and goals. Some people meet with a therapist for a few months, while others continue longer to support lasting recovery. Your clinician works with you to set a pace and plan that fits your life, and you can continue ongoing therapy for as long as it is helpful.
Absolutely. Our outpatient therapy is designed for working professionals. With day and evening session options, you can schedule appointments around your shifts, dispatch calls, and overtime. Many of our maritime clients maintain their full work schedules throughout treatment.
Yes. We follow strict federal confidentiality laws (42 CFR Part 2) that specifically protect individuals in substance abuse treatment. We will never disclose your participation in treatment to your employer, union, or anyone else without your explicit written consent.
If you or a loved one is struggling with substance use in the Long Beach or South Bay area, help is available. Coastwise Health specializes in outpatient substance use therapy for maritime workers, offering confidential, effective care designed for port workers, longshoremen, and dock employees.
Take the first step toward recovery today. Contact us for a confidential consultation and start your journey to a healthier future.
Substance use at Coastwise is individual therapy, not a program. You work one to one with a clinician who specialises in addiction, for as long as it is useful, and we treat the depression, anxiety or trauma that so often travels with it at the same time.
Addiction, long-term recovery and relapse prevention, grounded in ACT. Over two decades of his own sobriety.
Addiction and recovery alongside the trauma and patterns underneath it. Works from his own long-term recovery.
Tell us what is going on and we will say honestly which clinician fits, or meet the full team.
We know it takes courage. That's why the first conversation is free, confidential, and completely without pressure. Just call and tell us what's going on.
Call (424) 536-3002 Get Started Online