Dr. Alejandro Alva, M.D., is the Medical Director at Southern California Sunrise Recovery Center. He is also the Founder, Chief Medical Officer, and Chief Executive Officer of Pacific Neuropsychiatric Specialists (PNS), and has spent more than 35 years in psychiatry evaluating and treating a broad range of mental health conditions.
Dr. Alva completed his bachelor’s degree at California State University, Fullerton, and earned his medical degree from the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara School of Medicine. He then came back to California for his psychiatry residency at the University of California, Irvine.
Over the course of his career, Dr. Alva has practiced in both inpatient and outpatient psychiatric settings, serving as a psychiatrist, medical director, researcher, and patient advocate. His work has included the VA Medical Center in Long Beach, Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, Chapman Medical Center in Orange, and a number of other behavioral health programs.
Dr. Alva treats adolescents, adults, and older adults living with a variety of psychiatric conditions, and he supports people with co-occurring mental health and substance use concerns when dual diagnosis care is needed. His approach centers on individualized, evidence-based psychiatric care shaped around each patient’s needs.