Maritime & Port Workers Program

This Is Our Home, Too

The Coastwise family has been part of San Pedro for over 50 years. Steve's father practiced medicine in this community. Steve and Daniela were raised here, on these streets, among these families, steps from this waterfront.

This isn't a program that moved to San Pedro. It grew here.

Steve has spent over 20 years as a therapist working specifically with longshoremen — he understands the culture, the pressures, the pride, and the pain that come with working the docks. Daniela's family has been part of this community for over a century, with generations of longshoremen and fishermen who built their lives in this port town. They know what it means when your grandfather, your father, and your kids all work — or will work — the same docks.

That's why this program exists. Not because there was a market for it. Because the people who work the Port of Los Angeles — the longshoremen, the crane operators, the clerks, the mechanics, the truck drivers — are our neighbors. And our neighbors deserve treatment that was built for them, not adapted from a generic template.

This is treatment by the community, for the community.

We Understand Port Work

Working the port is physically demanding, unpredictable, and often isolating. Rotating shifts mean your Tuesday looks nothing like your Thursday. The physical toll — back injuries, joint damage, chronic pain — is real. And when pain meets stress meets isolation, substance use can become a way to cope with what the job demands.

We see this. We don't judge it. And we've built a program that addresses it directly:

• Structured outpatient programming — PHP runs Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 4 PM. IOP offers morning (9–12) or afternoon (1–4) sessions — so you can plan around your life and responsibilities.
• ILWU benefits accepted — We work directly with ILWU insurance plans. Our admissions team handles all verification and authorization.
• Outpatient, not residential — You don't have to leave your family or put your life on hold. Treatment fits into your day — you go home every night.

What We Treat

Port work comes with specific risks that generic treatment programs don't always understand. At Coastwise, we address the full picture:

• Substance use disorders — Alcohol, opioids, stimulants, and other substances
• Physical injury and substance co-occurrence — When pain management leads to dependence, we treat both the pain and the substance use together
• PTSD from workplace incidents — Accidents, near-misses, and witnessing injuries on the docks leave marks that don't always show. We provide trauma-informed care that addresses these experiences directly.
• Depression, anxiety, and isolation — The emotional weight of shift work, time away from family, and the culture of "toughening it out" takes a toll. We give you a safe place to address what you're carrying.

How Treatment Works

Our Maritime and Port Workers Program uses the same evidence-based, Joint Commission-accredited clinical framework as all Coastwise programs — with scheduling and cultural awareness built specifically for port professionals:

• Personalized assessment — We start with a thorough evaluation of your substance use, mental health, physical health, work schedule, and goals
• PHP or IOP track — Depending on your needs, you'll enter either our Partial Hospitalization Program (5 days/week) or Intensive Outpatient Program (3-5 days/week)
• Individual and group therapy — One-on-one sessions with your dedicated clinician, plus group work with peers who understand your world
• Evidence-based modalities — CBT, DBT, ACT, motivational interviewing, and trauma-informed approaches
• Holistic support — Yoga, mindfulness, art therapy, and other practices that help your body heal alongside your mind
• Aftercare and alumni connection — Long-term support through the Coastwise Recovery App, alumni community, and AA South Bay network