Avedis Recovery Story

At the beginning of the Avedis Recovery Story, we were five deeply connected people sitting in an unorganized, cluttered room. The lock for the door was broken, and on the door was a yellow paper sign with “Therapist” written in #2 pencil. Our main office had furniture, tables, and file cabinets stacked and arranged oddly in ways that looked like a game of Tetris. The building had many poor upkeep and care signs, including ceiling leaks and peeling carpets.

If you’re reading this, there is a good chance that you or someone you love is struggling with substance use disorder. This disease is personal, contagious, and harmful to the person abusing substances and their loved ones. Substance abuse ultimately leads to a tragedy that affects everyone connected to the person abusing substances.

The Avedis Recovery story is not linear. The story has many transcendent elements. Some have even called them ‘magical.’ (Read George, the CEO’s story, to understand this better.) In fact, Avedis is not a company name. Avedis was the brother who inspired the founder and current CEO. The Avedis Recovery story begins with the passing of Avedis’s life. The result of this has projected beams of light onto the healing journey of so many, including our staff.

It all began with just two people: George, the owner and founder, and his family friend, who was a college instructor to Avedis and eventually became the first program director. Next, they brought on an intern connected to Avedis before his passing and the company’s founding.

Growing the Staff 

Adding to our team of two, we began adding electronic medical records experts to our team. One is a Spiritual Counselor, Residential Technician Director, and Spiritual Counselor; another began as a therapist, then Clinical Director. Both individuals have been partners at a previous company for many years and thrived tremendously until it was bought out. Similar to lost veterans returning from a successful but lost war, the Spiritual Counselor and Clinical Director were blessed to be a part of the Avedis Family.

The last person who came on board was the Clinical Director, just mentioned. As we pushed ourselves beyond our limits, connected with great professionals, and organized tasks and operations, we soon had been blessed with our first 3 clients. At the time, we did our best to give our clients care, compassion, and all we had in our combination of addiction specializations.

Operational Improvements

Soon after our EMR (KIPU) was built, our CEO’s intelligence collaborated with others who share a similar Mission. The other management leaders had begun to merge naturally into areas where they believed they could not succeed initially. However, they set aside these negative thought patterns and strived despite them (just like what we give to our clients). In about 6 months, we began to find more and more growth, organization, remodeling of the office, set up clinical strategies/modalities, and each original leader began to function within multiple positions simultaneously. About 6 months later, we were licensed with the State. Our support was also from the ex-Chief of DHCS for 13 years, who told us he truly believes in us. About a year after, our Detox Facility opened, and once again, every department was developed through the strive and hard work of the original leaders.

Even today, our IOP facility, where we first began, does not look completely different. The story within the original team members and our growth make the difference in the Avedis Recovery story. They say recovery does not happen within 4 walls, and we do not use the “Luxury Effect” to heal our clients. Many have a misconception of recovery and reverse. They believe that if a client comes into a magical castle, they will be able to heal. The more privileges (activities, play, and distractive elements), the more they will heal. This is not Avedis Recovery.

Person-Centered Addiction Treatment 

We understand that recovery is one of the most painful and uncomfortable journeys a person can go through. Therefore, we ensure our clients understand that recovery occurs within the four walls of the human condition, not the external facility. We guide them through this approach from the beginning and give them this knowledge through genuine care and compassion. Our model of recovery includes A humble heart, an insightful mind – able to detach one’s desires to impulsive behaviors, a motivation that relies on ethics/morals, and the knowledge of addiction as an entity in itself filled with specific characteristics – not mistaken as the individual himself/herself and their personalities.

The light in our story shines brighter within each individual who has grown with the company. People improve, not just the physical building, items, or luxury. We are different and see goals from other facilities as distorted and not as true recovery. If one were to live luxury and be catered to, what happens when they leave and enter real life again? This hurts a client through adaptive behavioral habits (like addiction) and helps them. We attend to our client’s growth in a similar (yet we know everyone is different) fashion within this story. We believe that striving, sacrifice, a healthy ego, motivation, and true learning is the only way to develop in life.

Staff Personal Growth Translates to Client Outcomes

There is nothing fancy about Avedis Recovery from the outside, but from within the Avedis Recovery story, our growth has led to a deep connection with one another and especially ourselves. Only then, can we truly give what we have picked up within our journey to our clients? This is not a single journey within one path, it is an exploration that derives new and sometimes unpredictable paths that open along the way at a constant pace. The choices we make, while admitting there could have been better choices is the true definition of transcendence. Sometimes, in order to move forward we have to take a step back. In every relationship that life brings us, the core of our story is transported with a single belief: If you promise and claim to do something, make sure you fulfill your promise.

The Avedis Recovery story does not move in a linear path – it is filled with many magical and transcendent elements (read the story of our CEO as well). Avedis is not a company name, but an inspiring individual who is the brother of our current Owner/CEO. Our story begins here: The passing of his life has projected beams of light onto many’ s healing journey, including the staff. It began with two individuals, our Owner/CEO, and a family friend/Avedis’ College Instructor/colleague who was the Program Director. It then welcomed an individual who was an intern with Avedis before his departure and even prior to the current company’s existence.

Our newly established team pushed ourselves to our limits and beyond. Our team connected with other successful professionals, organized our work tasks and operations, and was soon blessed with our first trio of clients. We used all our skills and the combination of addiction specializations to provide our new clients with the care and compassion they needed to heal.

Continued Expansion

Soon other organizations and leaders that shared our mission merged naturally into our operations fold, like KIPU, which provides our EMR system. Their support, along with our CEO’s intellect, experience, and leadership, ensured our success. Any previously considered negative thoughts were cast aside, and we strived for the business to succeed, similar to how our clients pushed for personal success.

Within 6 months, our growth and organization continued, allowing us to remodel the offices. We also improved care strategies and clinical modalities. Each original leader began operating at peak efficiency, multitasking to safeguard our hard-earned successes. At the end of our first year, we earned our state licensure, having earned the respect and support of the ex-Chief of DHCS. A veteran of 13 years in that role, he shared his confidence in our programs and belief in our core values. Within the following year, Avedis Detox opened, a further testament to the hard work and faith of the core original leadership team. As our programs and treatment offerings grow, the facilities continue to expand and improve. Our IOP facility and offices look vastly different and improved since we bought the property and moved in.

Tying the Avedis Recovery Story to Our Mission

Our story and the commitment, conviction, and friendship of our original leadership team are what separate our programs from others. We believe that recovery doesn’t happen inside four walls. We don’t use what we call ‘the luxury effect’ to heal our clients. There are so many misconceptions about recovery. Many believe sophisticated amenities in a castle-like environment allow people to heal better. More activities, play, and distractive elements are available. The clients can heal quicker and more effectively.

We believe differently. Avedis Recovery views recovery as one of the more painful and uncomfortable journeys a person can take. So, we make sure our clients recognize this. We help them understand that recovery happens inside the four walls of the human condition. It’s not in a classy building or during fancy playtime. Our work guides them through this challenging time using a better approach. One that offers them this knowledge through genuine care and compassion. Our recovery model incorporates a humble heart and an insightful mind, inspiring detachment from desires and impulsive behaviors. We encourage motivation that relies on ethics and morals. Our clients learn to view addiction as an entity with its own characteristics. Addiction is not a person. It’s not their personality. It’s a disease.

The light in our story shines brighter within each person who has grown with the company. Our healing light doesn’t come from a physical structure, extravagant things, or luxurious features. We don’t advocate this distorted goal that other programs and facilities portray as true recovery. We ask ourselves and offer that you consider: If one lives in luxury and is catered to in recovery, what happens when they leave treatment and go back to their real life? This hurts a client’s adaptive behavioral habits (like addiction) more than it helps them. We serve our client’s growth similarly to our own. Success is earned through striving, sacrifice, a healthy ego, motivation, and true learning. This is the only way to develop positively in life.