About MNDT Rehab
Seven years of culturally responsive addiction treatment rooted in Orange, California. We honor every patient's background, family, and personal values.
Our Story
MNDT Rehab was launched in partnership with a regional hospital in Orange County that was witnessing a sharp rise in overdose admissions. Emergency physicians and addiction specialists saw a gap: patients survived the overdose but had nowhere to go for sustained, respectful treatment that accounted for their cultural and family circumstances. In 2019, that hospital partnership became MNDT Rehab.
Our founders brought together clinicians, social workers, and community health advocates from diverse backgrounds. They designed a treatment model that would never ask a patient to set aside their identity to get well. Instead, every care plan reflects the patient's language, spiritual practices, dietary needs, and family structure. Over seven years, this approach has served more than 2,000 individuals across Orange County and beyond.
Our Mission
Our mission is family restoration. Addiction fractures the bonds between parents and children, partners, siblings, and friends. At MNDT Rehab, we treat more than the individual; we work to mend the relationships that give recovery its deepest meaning. Through family counseling sessions, cultural sensitivity training for our staff, and open communication with loved ones, we help patients rebuild trust and create a home environment that supports lasting sobriety.
We believe that when families heal together, relapse becomes far less likely and the community around Orange grows stronger for everyone.
Treatment Philosophy
Our treatment philosophy stands on three pillars that guide every decision we make:
Peer Accountability. Recovery is not a solo project. Our community-meeting-driven schedule starts each morning with a group circle where residents share goals, celebrate milestones, and hold each other to honest self-reflection. Peer mentors are paired with newcomers from the first day, creating a bond of mutual responsibility that extends well beyond discharge.
Nature as Therapy. Our outdoor yoga deck, meditation labyrinth, and tennis court are not amenities in the traditional sense; they are clinical tools. Time spent outdoors reduces cortisol, improves sleep, and helps patients reconnect with their physical bodies after years of substance-driven disconnection. Equine-assisted therapy sessions on our grounds offer a nonverbal pathway to trust and emotional regulation.
Creative Expression Healing. Words are not the only language of recovery. Our art therapy and music-based programming give patients channels to process trauma, grief, and hope when traditional talk therapy feels insufficient. Many alumni describe their first painting or song written in treatment as the moment recovery stopped feeling like punishment and started feeling like possibility.
Our Team
Dr. Patricia Sandoval, MD
Medical Director
Board-certified in addiction medicine and psychiatry, Dr. Sandoval oversees all medical protocols at MNDT Rehab. She completed her residency at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and spent six years in hospital-based emergency addiction intervention before joining our founding team. Her bilingual practice in English and Spanish ensures that language is never a barrier to compassionate medical care.
David Okafor, LCSW
Clinical Director
David brings fifteen years of clinical social work experience to MNDT Rehab, with specialized training in culturally adapted cognitive behavioral therapy. He developed our peer mentorship pairing protocol and leads weekly family counseling intensives. His research on cultural identity in recovery has been presented at multiple California addiction conferences.
Linh Nguyen, RN, BSN
Director of Nursing
Linh manages our 24/7 nursing team and coordinates medication-assisted treatment protocols across all 35 beds. With a background in ICU nursing and detox care, she ensures that every patient receives medically sound, personally attentive support through the critical early days of withdrawal and stabilization.
Marcus Reyes, CADC-II
Lead Counselor & Peer Coordinator
Marcus is a certified alcohol and drug counselor who draws from his own recovery experience to connect with patients in a way that feels genuine and nonjudgmental. He facilitates daily community meetings, manages peer accountability pairings, and runs the evening house meeting program that residents consistently cite as a turning point in their treatment.
Dr. Amina Hassan, PsyD
Behavioral Health Specialist
Dr. Hassan specializes in dual diagnosis treatment and trauma-informed care with a particular focus on patients from Middle Eastern and North African backgrounds. She leads DBT skills groups, individual trauma processing sessions, and collaborates closely with the family counseling team to ensure that treatment extends into the home environment.
What Our Alumni Say
"I was twenty-three and terrified that asking for help meant admitting defeat. The staff at MNDT Rehab never made me feel judged. They understood my Dominican background, respected my family's concerns, and helped me see that getting treatment at my age was actually the bravest thing I could do. Two years later, I'm finishing my apprenticeship and my parents finally sleep through the night."
-- M.R., Age 25
"As a project manager, I kept my drinking hidden for years behind long hours and business dinners. MNDT Rehab helped me address my addiction without stripping away my sense of professional identity. The individual counseling sessions were private, the schedule respected my need for structure, and they worked with my insurance so I could focus entirely on getting well. I returned to my career with clarity I hadn't felt in a decade."
-- J.K., Age 41
"I took a medical leave from UC Irvine after my prescription stimulant use spiraled. At MNDT Rehab, I found a community of peers who understood the pressure of academics and the shame of falling behind. The art therapy sessions helped me process feelings I couldn't put into words, and the peer mentorship program gave me someone to lean on every single day. I went back to school the following semester and graduated on time."
-- S.L., Age 22
Begin Your Journey to Recovery
Our compassionate team is ready to help you take the first step.