Expanding to Texas

No Matter What Recovery Chief Clinical Officer Jessica Steinman, left and, No Matter What Recovery National Outreach Specialist Byron Williams, right

CAROLINE SAVOIE | East Texas Staff Writer
carosavo@storydustsearch.com

AUSTIN — No Matter What Recovery, a Los Angeles–based addiction and mental health treatment program for the LGBTQ+ community, is expanding to Texas, with plans to open a new treatment center in Austin in early 2026.

The organization, founded by Paulo and Anthony Arranaga-Grayson, currently operates five sober living homes and an outpatient program in Los Angeles. Its Austin location will be the first outside California — a move Chief Clinical Officer Jessica Steinman said reflects both rising demand and a lack of affirming recovery options in the South.

“There are only about 10 LGBTQ-specific treatment centers in the entire country, and most are within a few miles of each other here in Los Angeles,” Steinman said. “We can’t just stay in California. Our clients in Texas deserve the same access to care and the safety to heal without having to educate their own clinicians.”

Steinman, who has more than a decade of experience developing addiction treatment programs, said she will relocate to Austin to oversee the new facility. She said her priority is making sure clients get comprehensive, gender-affirming care that addresses the unique ways shame, identity and trauma intersect for LGBTQ+ people in recovery.

“In queer communities, sex and substance use are deeply intertwined,” Steinman said. “For many, it’s rooted in a culture of hidden experiences — bathhouses, clubs, hookups — where being yourself wasn’t always safe. That’s why visibility and affirming spaces matter, especially in Texas.”

The Austin clinic will offer dual-diagnosis treatment for mental health and substance use, as well as evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical

Behavior Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It will also include specialized programming around chemsex, or sexualized drug use, which Steinman described as “a growing public health concern” among gay and bisexual men.

No Matter What Recovery’s chemsex unit offers a free virtual support group open to anyone interested in learning more.

Steinman said opening a Texas facility required careful consideration of client safety and access to affirming networks.

“We’re connecting with allies on the ground and preparing for challenges we don’t face in California, from insurance barriers to family rejection,” she said. “But Austin has a thriving gay and trans community. It’s the right place to begin.”

The expansion lines up with the center’s decision to hire Byron Williams as the organization’s national outreach specialist. Williams, a Texas native now based in Austin, said he’ll work to build partnerships with treatment providers across the South and Midwest while raising awareness about LGBTQ+-affirming recovery.

“I started my recovery journey at 16, carrying the weight of being Black, gay and addicted in spaces I just didn’t fit into,” Williams said. “Treatment gave me freedom and connection, and I knew I wanted to help others find the same.”

Williams said one of his goals is to educate providers who may not understand the nuances of LGBTQ+ treatment.

“Too many programs call themselves affirming because they have a rainbow flag on the wall,” he said. “Real affirming care means understanding gender identity, sexuality, chemsex risks and how to support families through the process.”

For both Williams and Steinman, the Austin expansion represents a step toward greater visibility and access for LGBTQ+ people in recovery, especially in regions where stigma, politics and limited understanding get in the way of health care.

“We’re not just bringing a program,” Williams said. “We’re building a community of healing where people can be fully seen, supported and celebrated.”

According to a press release, No Matter What Recovery expects to finalize its Austin property by the end of 2025, with services launching in early 2026. n

For more information, visit NoMatterWhatRecovery.com