Image Credit: Valiant Recovery

KELOWNA - At $18,000 per month, not too many people with drug or alcohol addictions will handily be able to afford the Valiant Recovery centre in Kelowna.

It’s probably the most expensive program in the country, Valiant CEO Royce Dockrill, told iNFOnews.ca.

“Enjoy addiction treatment in an elegant setting,” reads one headline in the Valiant “Luxury Rehab” website page.

“Valiant Recovery offers addiction treatment in a spacious private residential setting which has been dubbed by previous clients as ‘luxurious and uplifting. Why choose a beautiful environment for your treatment? Why choose our gorgeous home in breathtaking Kelowna, British Columbia? When you have your needs attended to and your environment is calming, you have a better chance of letting go of addictions, stress and trauma.’’

A YouTube video carries a narrative from a successful businessman who was an alcoholic until a friend told him about this “… top-notch recovery home with fine cuisine, hospitality, full-sized recreation room, theatre room, sauna, massage, the works.”

But, there’s more to it than the luxurious come on.

The comprehensive program focuses on an individualized path "guided by a caring and compassionate staff."

And therein lies the key to the reported 64 to 73 per cent success rate that's dependent on length of stay, Dockrill said.

He pointed out that one of the keys to success in treating addictions is  one-on-one counselling to deal with the underlying causes of the addiction – things like anxiety, depression, grief and trauma.

Another key factor is that someone may be more willing to go through recovery in a setting that is as nice or nicer than their own home. Plus, they may not feel they'll fit in with, or connect to, people in publicly-funded recovery centres.

There is a cheaper private option.

He also runs The Crossing Point residential addiction treatment centre in Kelowna at a cost of $10,500 per month, a cost he says is as low or lower than any comparable private program in B.C.

This is where someone who is, for example, lower income or even currently homeless may get treatment, if they have the support of their families.

“There’s a good chunk of the people on the street – I don’t know the percentage but I know of individuals on the street in Kelowna whose families want them in treatment but they’ve said no,” Dockrill said. “So they (families) say ‘fine, you’re not living under my roof and call me when you’re ready for treatment and we’ll help to get you in.’”

That may mean going somewhere for detox but there is generally no waiting lists at either of Dockrill’s facilities because the one-on-one counselling creates an entry point, rather than having to wait for a session to run its course.

And, he doesn’t agree with the current focus on “supportive housing” with its emphasis on providing safe housing first then letting those with addiction problems find their way to treatment when they’re ready.

“If we offer free housing to that individual so they can live in a safe environment, we’ve freed up what resources they have to, now, buy drugs and continue using,” Dockrill  said. “So, instead of next week or next month for them to be tired of living on the streets and saying, ‘hey mom, I’m ready to do this,’ now it’s going to be six months or a year later before they finally hit a bottom and say, 'no, I finally have to do this.'”

Besides, he said, just getting clean or sober or on opioid substitutes doesn’t address the underlying problem that led to addiction in the first place.

He gave the example of someone who may have attended Alcoholics Anonymous and stayed sober for 10 years out of sheer willpower but is still a miserable person because the roots of the addiction have not been addressed.

And, if both these options are out of reach for many people, there is a further chance for two people with the writing skills to qualify.

Dockrill is holding a 10th-anniversary contest to give away two free 30-day treatment sessions to people who win the most votes for writing a compelling story about why they or a loved one can benefit from the treatment program. View the contest details here.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Rob Munro or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

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News from © iNFOnews, 2019