A new addiction treatment center in Greeley, Colorado for adolescents struggling with substance use disorders is expected to open by October 15.
The addiction treatment center, named Kokua Recovery — from the Hawaiian word ‘Kokua’, which translates to “extending love to others” — will offer substance abuse treatment and behavioral health programs for youths aged 13 to 17.
Dr. Ken Huey, Kokua Recovery’s founder and executive director, is a formerly retired therapist and clinical director who operated another substance abuse treatment facility called Calo for nine years. He was motivated to open the new center due to his brother’s struggle with addiction.
The drug and alcohol recovery center will require patients to stay in treatment for a minimum of six months. The center will also focus on education and teens will have to attend classes from Mondays to Friday from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. Weekends will revolve around community meetings and specialty groups.
The drug addiction treatment center will implement outdoor activities for youths, including snowboarding or skiing. Kokua Recovery patients will work out in the gym three days a week and maintain responsibilities around the house, including helping out in the kitchen.
A Kokua Recovery representative stated that the facility will house will host an average of 32 adolescents, with three to four per room, and be a controlled environment with limited access to technology at the start of drug and alcohol rehabilitation.
The drug treatment center will employ 75 people, with a majority of them being doctors, nurses and teachers. The nursing staff, once fully employed and trained, will be on call 24/7 to help any student that needs assistance.
The drug rehab center will charge $45,000 per student for the first two months of treatment. The final four months will amount to $14,000 per student. Kokua Recovery representatives anticipate insurance companies to cover approximately three-fourths of the bill. The drug abuse facility will also have a team to help patients find alternative forms of payment, including potential scholarship money.
Recent reports highlighted that Longmont was originally the intended location for the addiction treatment center but zoning regulations threatened to potentially delay the opening of the facility by two years. The Longmont County City Council members were not willing to alter its Land Development Code.
Longmont residents also opposed placing an addiction treatment center in their neighborhood, but Greeley residents were open to the facility. Thus, the site of the former Greeley Guest House was chosen as the location of the new center.
The facility was purchased for $1.85 million by Ensign Development Group on August 22, according to property listing records. That same day, Kokua Recovery was trademarked at the Colorado Secretary of State’s office.
A Kokua Recovery representative stated that renovating the future addiction treatment center costs approximately $300,000. A majority of the the bedrooms have been completely remodeled and there is a plan to double the size of the facility’s kitchen.
The founder of Kokua Recovery stated that he plans to open another facility in Greeley after the official opening of the upcoming addiction recovery center.
Author: Robert B. Hayek
Robert B Hayek is a reporter for Addiction Now and covers features and local spotlight stories. He previously worked for Fox Sports as a production assistant as well as a writer and reporter for an online website called Real Talk Sports Network. He has lived in Southern California his entire life, is a lover of books and writing and also surfs. Contact Robert at roberth@addictionnow.com
