Hilltop Recovery Services receives approval for new inpatient residential treatment center for women
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The county of Lake has given the final approvals for a new substance abuse treatment center in Lake County, which will be the only facility of its kind focusing just on women.
Hilltop Recovery Services’ new facility, Hilltop for Women Leandra’s House, received the Lake County Planning Commission’s approval for its major use permit on Jan. 13.
The facility is located in an expansive and fully remodeled former single-family home on 20 acres at 14725 Catholic Church Road in Clearlake Oaks.
Lori Carter-Runyon and her husband, Ryan Runyon, acquired the site in 2017, and have been working on plans to open the treatment center there since 2020.
Ryan Runyon said it will be Lake County’s only inpatient residential treatment center just for women, with a maximum of 20 beds at build out.
Another program in the county, Tule House in Upper Lake, is an eight-bed residential substance abuse treatment program but it’s different from Hilltop for Women in that it’s not for the general population but instead focuses on the perinatal population, welcoming women with children up to age 12.
Hilltop for Women is just across the road from Hilltop Recovery’s inpatient residential treatment center for men, which they purchased in 2015. That facility, located on five acres, has a capacity of 38 and as of Thursday had 32 residents, Runyon said.
Hilltop Recovery Services had been located for years on a 320-acre property that once had been a hot springs resort near Anderson Springs.
The 2015 Valley fire destroyed that treatment facility, prompting the Runyons to move their operations to Clearlake Oaks. They also have a clinic and three sober living environments — two for men and one for women — in Lucerne, Ryan Runyon said.
He said they purchased the Hilltop for Women property and did a complete renovation of the 3,500 square foot home, which also has a large garage.
Runyon said Leandra’s House is named for family friend Leandra Green, a talented young woman who was living on the East Coast when she overdosed on fentanyl and died.
A large sign with her picture is just to the right of the front door.
“That’s why we’re doing it, right there,” Runyon said, pointing to the sign and noting the danger of a drug that could kill such a capable and talented person.
The remodeled home has four bedrooms with bunk beds and four and a half bathrooms, and it’s ready to welcome residents.
On the walls are posters that read, “Bet on yourself” and “Actually I can.”
They’ve added a new pool in the big backyard, which also is being landscaped.
Runyon said residents from the men’s program have helped with the work and projects around the property. As part of their recovery, he trains them in new skills.
“Anything they learn they’re excited about,” he said.
The Leandra’s House property, much of it an old walnut orchard, occasionally sees bears and their cubs rambling through the trees. Runyon said they also have deer.
Nearby sits an RV and a trailer for evacuations. They’ve had experience evacuating, not just the south Lake County site but also from the men’s facility across the road, Runyon said.
At the men’s facility, two friendly dogs — Doofus, a big, good-natured mutt with a brindle coat who is good at scaring bears and Hope, with the looks of a large Labrador mix — roamed around and played with staff and residents.
The men’s facility also has a pool, a regulation-size beach volleyball court, a nine-hole movable disc golf course, a garden and a huge and ancient oak tree that Runyon hopes someday will feature a treehouse.
Lori Carter-Runyon said they are training staff for the women’s facility and it could be open as early as Feb. 15. If the training isn’t completed, they will plan for a March 6 opening.
“We have a waiting list,” Ryan Runyon said, explaining they have been doing screenings ahead of the county’s final approval in order to be ready, since they knew the need.
“We want people to get services,” he said.
Runyon said those who come for treatment often stay around 90 days, which in the scheme of things for an individual trying to rebuild their life after years of addiction isn’t long.
He said they’ve also had people stay longer — from six months and even up to a year.
Runyon said it’s not about going from bad to good; he wants the people who come for treatment to be happy and do well.
“I want them to heal,” he said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.