The local subject of high-end drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers in Malibu and the impacts they have on local neighborhoods has gone national, with a story appearing about the subject Friday on the New York Times website.
The article quotes several city officials, including Malibu City Attorney Christi Hogin, Mayor Joan House and City Councilmember Lou La Monte. Actor Ryan O’Neal and education activist Karen Farrer are also quoted.
In the last few months, city officials have shone a critical light on the dozens of rehab centers operating out of Malibu. They recently returned from a trip to Sacramento to speak with Malibu’s representatives to speak about legislation on the issue.
The city argues that many rehab centers, such as Passages Malibu, tack on fake addresses to guesthouses and pool houses in order to obtain state licensing for extra facilities. The practice violates local zoning laws, according to the city, which is asking the state to step in on enforcement.
The article cites addiction experts who question the effectiveness of the so-called “Malibu Model” of rehabilitation, in which the Malibu rehab centers offer resort-style creature comforts—and charge $60,000 per month and upwards for them. This is opposed to traditional hard-line rehab centers which are more minimalist.
How do the high-end facilities and their patented mind/body/soul regimens stack up against bare-bones programs? “There’s absolutely no evidence to suggest they’re more successful,” said Richard Rawson, associate director of Integrated Substance Abuse Programs at the University of California, Los Angeles. “There’s nothing wrong with having fun things for patients to do, but to call yoga or surfing evidence-based therapy is ludicrous.”
But representatives from the rehab centers said the luxury comforts were necessary for their high-end clientele.
“The Malibu Model says people who don’t complete treatment don’t get better,” said Dr. David Sack, chief executive of Promises. “We see people who are highly successful individuals. If they’re not in a comfortable environment, they’re not going to stay long enough to benefit from treatment.”
To read the full article, go here.