Sober transport is accompanied travel for a person in early recovery, so they do not make a high-risk trip alone: from home to detox or treatment, from treatment to sober living, or through an airport. Blackburn Recovery Services provides sober transport and sober escort for adults from Los Angeles to anywhere in the United States, flights included.
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Blackburn sober transport at a glance
Sober transport and sober escort: the key facts
- Who provides it
- Blackburn Recovery Services, a recovery services provider in Los Angeles, California, serving people in recovery since 2012.
- Where
- Nationwide. Based in Los Angeles, with sober transport and escort available anywhere in the United States, including flights.
- Who it is for
- Adults in early recovery or on their way into care, and the families and professionals arranging that care.
- Common trips
- Home to detox or treatment, often right after an intervention; treatment to sober living; airport to program; one program to another.
- What it is not
- Not medical transport, not an ambulance, and not a crisis service. If someone is in danger, call 911. For a mental health crisis, call or text 988.
- Coordination
- We coordinate timing with the family and the receiving program, so the person arrives as planned.
- Referrals
- We do not accept payment from treatment programs for referrals, and we do not pay for referrals.
- Contact
- Call or text (888) 305-5422.
What is sober transport?
Sober transport, also called a sober escort or treatment transport, means an experienced person travels with someone in early recovery from one place to another. The goal is simple: get the person where they agreed to go, safely, without the chance to use along the way or to change their mind alone at a gas station, a bar or an airport gate.
It is different from a ride. The escort stays with the person for the whole trip, helps with check-in and security, keeps the family and the receiving program updated, and hands off in person at arrival.
When do families use sober transport?
- Right after an intervention. The moment someone says yes is often short. When needed, our team can escort your loved one to treatment the same day, anywhere in the US. See what happens after an intervention.
- From detox or residential treatment to sober living. Discharge day is one of the riskiest days in early recovery. An escort can bring someone straight to a sober living home.
- To a program in another state. Many families choose a program far from home. Sober escort includes flights.
- Between programs, for example from a hospital or detox to a residential program.
- When the family cannot make the trip, or when a family member driving would turn the trip into an argument.
Why is the trip itself a risk?
Transitions between levels of care are when old routines and old places are closest. Safety is part of it too. Tolerance drops during time away from opioids, and a 2003 study in the BMJ of people who left inpatient opiate detoxification pointed to loss of tolerance as a likely factor in overdose deaths after treatment. CDC’s Stop Overdose resources explain how naloxone can reverse an opioid overdose. If someone has used opioids, keep naloxone on hand, and in an emergency call 911.
How does sober transport with Blackburn work?
- Call or text (888) 305-5422. Tell us who is traveling, where from, where to, and when.
- We plan the trip. We confirm the receiving program or home, its arrival time and what the person can bring, and plan the route, including flights when needed.
- Travel day. The escort meets your loved one, stays with them for the whole trip, and keeps you and the program updated.
- Hand-off. The escort sees your loved one checked in, then lets the family know they have arrived.
Sober transport vs a family member driving vs a ride service
| Sober escort | Family member | Rideshare or taxi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stays with the person the whole way | Yes | Usually | No |
| Experienced with early recovery | Yes | Rarely | No |
| Handles flights and airports | Yes | Sometimes | No |
| Coordinates with the receiving program | Yes | Sometimes | No |
| Emotional history with the person | None | A lot, which can lead to arguments | None |
What sober transport is not
- It is not medical care or medical transport. If someone needs medical monitoring for withdrawal, they need a medical setting such as detox.
- It is not a crisis service. If someone is in danger, call 911. For a mental health or suicide crisis, call or text 988.
- It does not replace treatment. It gets someone to the care their treatment team or family has arranged.
What else can be built around the trip?
- Sober companion support in Los Angeles, for the days around a hard transition.
- Sober living for men in Venice, Mar Vista, Cheviot Hills and Mid City, and sober apartments for men in West Los Angeles.
- Case management and drug and alcohol monitoring in Los Angeles.
- Intervention services nationwide, when someone is not yet ready to accept help.
Sober transport questions
What is a sober escort?
A sober escort is an experienced person who travels with someone in early recovery to detox, treatment or sober living, staying with them the whole way and handing off in person at arrival.
Do you provide sober transport outside Los Angeles?
Yes. Blackburn Recovery Services is based in Los Angeles and provides sober transport and escort anywhere in the United States, including flights.
Can you take someone to treatment the same day as an intervention?
When needed, yes. Same-day escort to treatment can be part of the plan after an intervention, anywhere in the US.
Is sober transport a medical service?
No. Sober transport is recovery support, not medical transport. Someone who needs medical monitoring for withdrawal needs a medical setting such as detox, and anyone in danger should call 911.
Can you bring someone from treatment to your sober living homes?
Yes. Sober transport from a treatment program to a Blackburn sober living home for men in West Los Angeles is one of the most common trips we arrange.
How do we arrange sober transport?
Call or text (888) 305-5422 with who is traveling, from where, to where and when. We plan the trip with you and the receiving program.
Sources
- BMJ: Loss of tolerance and overdose mortality after inpatient opiate detoxification (2003)
- CDC: Stop Overdose
Plan a safe trip to treatment or sober living. Talk with our team.