A drug and alcohol rehab facility in San Jose was shut down by the state Wednesday, forcing clients to seek treatment elsewhere.
Life Choices is a 31-bed facility that has been operating for 13 years. State records show the center's license was up last week on Feb. 28.
"The state gave me some sort of notice the center is shut down," said Gary Nadel, a counselor at Life Choices.
Employees said the facility was nearly full with patients. Workers also said the state had given Life Choices "a hundred violations."
In a statement emailed to NBC Bay Area on Wednesday, the California Department of Health Care Services said it had “denied an application for extension of licensure for Life Choices in San Jose. The facility no longer holds a valid license to operate a residential treatment facility. DHCS is ensuring that residents are accommodated elsewhere to minimize any interruption in the treatment services that they need.”
The agency declined to comment any further due to an ongoing investigation.
Tom Bredal, who lives near the facility, said he was never comfortable with the center being located near a school.
"If the state did it, it must be something serious," he said.
A relocation team helped transfer clients to another treatment center in San Jose. Most of Life Choice's 15 employees said they are now looking for new jobs.
