@flo
Hopefully, “long term” means until the professional staff is convinced that he “gets it”.
And since its court ordered, in all likelihood they have the authority to do just that.
Most long term residential facilities are for a minimum of 90 days as opposed to the more common 30 days (which is typically the cutoff point for many insurance companies willingness to cover).
This is then followed by an indefinite period living in a sober house in order to eventually transition to a job and regular life.
This is especially crucial for younger alcoholics who have literally no life experience in responsible living sans alcohol and whose maturation process was halted when their addiction began. So you could basically have someone who is chronologically and physically inhabiting a 20+ year old body with the mental and emotional development of a 11–13 yr. old (depending upon how early they began drinking.)