Solara Mental Health is a VA-authorized treatment center exclusively for U.S. Veterans.
We offer residential and outpatient mental health and substance use care—fully covered by the VA, including door-to-door travel, luxurious studios, and pet-friendly accommodations.
Unmatched care, no cost, no compromise.
Founded in 2004, Solara Mental Health is a Joint Commission-accredited center in San Diego that exclusively treats U.S. veterans.
Solara is exclusively dedicated to the men and women who have served in the United States military. We recognize that the path of a Veteran is unique, marked by profound experiences that demand a specialized approach to healing.
You’ve been through the system. You know the frustration of promises that lead nowhere, and you're looking for something that actually works. We don’t just acknowledge that frustration—we’ve built our entire mission around ending it.
We created Solara to be the counter-move to every obstacle you've faced:
We built Solara from the ground up with a singular focus: to provide Veterans with a path to lasting recovery. We understand that the journey from service to civilian life carries unique challenges, and our entire program is designed to honor your experience and facilitate profound healing.
Our clinical approach is specifically adapted to address the complexities of military-related trauma, stress, and depression.
We believe your environment is an active part of your therapy. We've created a sanctuary of peace and comfort—a world away from a cold, institutional setting—where you can feel safe, valued, and ready to engage in the work of recovery.
We honor the powerful, healing bond between Veterans and their animals. Your service animal or companion pet is welcome to join you.
Our clinical philosophy is rooted in proven, evidence-based science. We provide you with practical tools and therapeutic strategies that deliver measurable results, empowering you to manage stress, process trauma, and build a healthier future.
Our model is proven to work. 83% of our Veterans achieve a significant reduction in symptoms.
Solara is proud to be accredited by The Joint Commission. This signifies our unwavering commitment to meeting the highest national standards for safety, effectiveness, and quality of care in everything we do.
We treat a wide range of mental health conditions for Veterans, including co-occurring disorders. Below are key areas of care, delivered with evidence-based, trauma-informed, personalized support.
Addressing the memories and triggers of traumatic events to restore your sense of safety and control.
Lifting the weight of persistent sadness and hopelessness to rediscover purpose and joy.
Breaking the cycle of worry, fear, and hypervigilance to regain a sense of calm and presence.
Treating the underlying causes of addiction and its link to trauma in a supportive, dual-diagnosis environment.
Healing from the complex emotional and psychological impact of combat stress and difficult moral choices.
Retraining the mind and body to achieve the deep, restorative sleep essential for mental and physical recovery.
Find clear, direct answers to your most pressing questions. We're committed to providing the information you need to move forward with confidence.
We proudly serve veterans with specialized, confidential care. Find answers about our programs, trauma treatment, and navigating military benefits.
The Solara Mental Heath treatment program consists of a fully contained, 24-hour monitored, supported living component, and a separate medical-clinical treatment center, where psychiatric treatment from our physicians, clinicians, and other professionals is provided.
This is a progressive, innovative model that is intentionally designed to reflect actual life experience. Our clients truly appreciate this structure, as it provides a welcome separation and distinction between their living environment and their treatment setting.
Each day at Solara is structured to support healing, growth, and real progress. Veterans engage in a blend of evidence-based therapy, holistic services, and peer-supported connection—balanced with time for rest, reflection, and personal agency.
A typical day includes:
Holistic practices like yoga, meditation, art therapy, TMS, or biofeedback
Every schedule is customized based on your treatment plan—designed to challenge you without overwhelming you.
The typical stay ranges from 4 to 12 weeks, depending on your clinical needs, personal goals, and VA authorization. Some veterans stay longer based on treatment progress or extended scholarship approval.
Your length of stay is not fixed—it evolves with your recovery. Treatment milestones and transition planning are reviewed every 10 days to ensure forward momentum without pressure.
Our clinical and medical team carefully and extensively screen every potential client to ensure his or her appropriateness for our program. Our clients vary broadly in terms of demographics, as they come to us from far and near. We expect that participants will contribute, to the greatest extent they can, to our comfortable, positive healing milieu. Anyone exhibiting behavior that is in any way inappropriate or dangerous to himself/herself or others will be referred out of our program.
Prior to admission, each client is evaluated by our Intake team, either by phone or in person. Upon admission, considerably more intensive, comprehensive evaluations are completed by our medical and clinical team, including a thorough medical history/physical with blood chemistry analysis, a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation, a biological-psychological- social evaluation, and other assessments as indicated.
Our clients participate in a minimum of 3 individual, one-on-one therapy sessions each week with a Doctorate or Master’s level therapist, in addition to our Program Psychiatrist, all of whom have many years of behavioral healthcare experience.
Intensity is tailored to your plan—more when you’re doing deeper trauma work, tapered as you stabilize and prepare for transition.
What kind of therapy do you offer?
Solara offers a clinically rigorous, fully integrated model combining:
Evidence-Based Therapies
Holistic Services
Specialty Tracks
Everything is trauma-informed, veteran-exclusive, and tailored to your story.
Adjunctive therapies, combined with enjoyable physical activities are a hugely beneficial complement to the core psychotherapeutic treatment we provide. The following is a sampling of adjunctive therapies we provide:
Yes. Pets are not just allowed—they’re welcomed and integrated into care.
Whether you’re traveling with a service dog or a cherished companion animal, Solara:
Your pet is part of your healing. We honor that bond.
Yes. Family is part of the mission here.
Whether you’re reconnecting with a spouse, a parent, or adult children, we help repair trust, rebuild communication, and create healthy support systems for life after treatment.
It’s simple, fast, and fully supported.
From your first call to arrival, most veterans are admitted within 48–72 hours.
You’re not alone. Many of our veterans say the same thing—until they get here.
What sets Solara apart:
If you’ve been through programs that felt scripted, dismissive, or ineffective, this will feel different. Because it is.
Within the first week of admission, each client’s Case Manager, in conjunction with her or his primary therapist, begins to formulate the after-treatment plan. We understand that what occurs once a client graduates from our program is equally and potentially more critical than the work completed during treatment.
We exert great effort to provide the best after-treatment solutions for every client, addressing living environment, continuing therapy, support groups, monitoring, if desired, and a host of additional considerations. Local clients may continue with their primary therapist, at our facility. We have a robust alumni program that includes continuing communication, facility events, and more.
We adhere to the highest, most rigorous standards of client confidentiality. All of our employees undergo professional background checks and each one signs a strict confidentiality agreement. All who associate with Solara Mental Health firmly abide by all HIPAA law and privacy standards. Information is shared only with parties you authorize via a Release of Information (ROI).
Yes — we welcome tours of our center and encourage prospective clients and family to meet our team, view our facilities, and understand our culture and program. There is never any cost or obligation associated with a personal tour. We want you to be completely comfortable about joining our program.
Yes! We support clients, who are currently following or desire to begin a 12-step program. We coordinate meetings and other 12-step activities, accordingly. We also employ treatment staff who have extensive experience and expertise in addictive behaviors.
Find guidance on supporting your loved one's recovery. Learn about your role, what to expect, and our partnership in healing.
This is one of the hardest conversations a family member can have—and one of the most important.
When someone is struggling with trauma, depression, or substance use, they may feel defensive, ashamed, or exhausted. That’s why how you approach the conversation matters as much as what you say.
Here are some trauma-informed strategies:
Many veterans respond better when they feel respected, not rescued, and when the idea of care is framed as peer-based, private, and fully covered.
If you’re unsure how to start the conversation, you can call us first. We’ll walk you through it—step by step.
Your role is both essential and deeply valued. At Solara, we believe that healing doesn’t happen in isolation—it happens within the systems we belong to. While your loved one focuses on their recovery, your support can make a powerful difference.
We encourage you to:
When families engage in their own parallel healing, veterans are more likely to sustain recovery long after discharge.
Connection matters—so we support it, with care.
After an initial orientation period (usually the first 5–7 days), veterans may make personal phone calls during designated therapeutic windows. Letters, cards, and care packages are welcome at any time, and many families find these meaningful.
We help each veteran set a communication rhythm that’s:
If your veteran is not yet ready to connect, our team can help you understand why—and when that might shift.
Yes. In-person visits are allowed during later stages of treatment, when clinically appropriate.
These visits are:
Before visiting, you’ll receive guidance to help make the experience supportive—for both you and your veteran.
This is a common concern, and we’re here to guide both of you through it.
Veterans may feel discomfort as they face difficult emotions or past experiences. If your loved one expresses a desire to leave:
While treatment is voluntary, no decision is made in isolation, and we always aim to protect progress without disregarding autonomy.
We treat reintegration as part of the treatment plan—not an afterthought.
In the final phase of care, family therapy focuses on:
Our goal is to ensure both you and your loved one feel ready—not just to reunite, but to thrive together.
Coming home after treatment is a milestone—but it’s also an adjustment. And not just for the veteran.
That’s why Solara begins discharge and reintegration planning early, with family involvement built into the process. Here’s what to expect:
Expect ups and downs. New routines. Moments of disconnection—and reconnection. But you won’t be navigating it alone.
You’ll have tools, support, and a plan. That’s what makes the “new normal” feel possible—and sustainable.
Find info on our evidence-based modalities, seamless referral process, and commitment to collaborative client care.
Solara maintains a deliberately low staff-to-client ratio across all levels of care, including residential. This is not only a quality standard—it’s a clinical imperative. Fewer clients per clinician allows for:
This model supports veterans with complex trauma and dual diagnoses who often require more than the “once-a-week” support found in traditional settings.
Our medication management is medically supervised, trauma-informed, and integrative in nature.
Every veteran receives a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation upon admission
Medication is not siloed—it’s part of a whole-person model.
We admit veterans quickly—typically within 24–72 hours of clinical approval.
If your client is clinically appropriate and ready, we’ll move swiftly to ensure they don’t wait weeks or months for support.
Solara is best suited for veterans who are stable, motivated, and ready to engage in intensive treatment.
Ideal candidates include veterans experiencing:
Clients must be medically and psychiatrically stable, willing to participate in group and individual therapy, and open to exploring both evidence-based and holistic treatment modalities.
We treat referring professionals as clinical partners in care.
Our aim is a transparent, accountable partnership with clear lines of communication throughout the episode of care.
We minimize administrative burden so you can focus on your caseload.
Once you initiate a referral, our dedicated VA admissions team takes full ownership of the process. This includes:
We’re VA-experienced, CCN-compliant, and aim for authorization-to-admit within 48–72 hours of referral.
You can justify referring to Solara based on our specialized clinical intensity and integrated, trauma-specific modalities. Unlike general mental health facilities, our program is exclusively designed for Veterans and specializes in treating complex trauma and co-occurring disorders. We offer a level of care with evidence-based protocols like EMDR and CPT that may be unavailable or have extensive waitlists within the VA system. This constitutes a need for a higher level of care that justifies an external referral.
Additionally, you can cite:
Solara provides structured, HIPAA-compliant progress reporting every 10 days (or more frequently upon request), meeting all VA documentation expectations.
Our reports include:
All documentation is timely, medically relevant, and formatted to support VA case notes or internal charting. We also ensure discharge summaries are delivered promptly to support continuity of care.
We take a team-based, rapid-response approach to crisis situations, including AMA risk.
If a veteran expresses a desire to leave early or experiences emotional destabilization:
This approach ensures early intervention, informed decisions, and shared responsibility—not unilateral exits.
Discharge planning begins in Week 1 to ensure a structured return to VA-based care.
Our protocol includes:
This “warm handoff” ensures there is no break in services, no confusion around next steps, and no loss of treatment momentum.
