When Kenny Chatman received a 27 ½ year federal sentence in 2017 for crimes arising out of his operation of a drug rehab center, his lawyer offered an interesting explanation as Chatman had no prior experience in drug treatment when he opened his first sober home in 2012. “He walked into an industry that is infected. He became another infected member.”
Chatman’s conviction for turning patients into prostitutes and sex slaves, and encouraging drug abuse at his drug rehab center, all while bilking insurance companies out of millions, may seem sensational, but many elements of his case are hardly unique.
The current rate of drug addiction in the US has turned drug rehab centers into a significant growth industry. Drug rehabs are portrayed in the media as everything from victims to villains. On one end of the spectrum is sympathetic reporting on a lawsuit recently brought in Michigan by a former University of Michigan football player against the city of Detroit. Former All-American running back William Taylor Jr. filed a federal lawsuit alleging Detroit city and zoning officials are discriminating against drug addicts by catering to preconceived stereotypes and denying them a place to get better.
The drug rehab center was likely needed as Michigan has one of the nation’s most severe addiction crisis. A recent article ranked Michigan as the state with the nation’s fourth most significant drug addiction problem. Detroit is known for being one of the hardest hit cities when it comes to drugs, but Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Director Shelly Edgerton called the opioid epidemic “a public health crisis that has affected every community in Michigan.”
Taylor's center for recovering addicts was shut down after an area property association asserted that it was a nuisance and a threat to public safety. Also cited was the claim that it scared away potential new home buyers and hurt the neighborhood's historic image.
But there are also a plethora of stories reporting on the negative aspects of drug rehabs. Some, like the aforementioned Chatman case, involve sensational allegations of prostitution, human trafficking, and insurance fraud. There are well-documented reports of drug rehabs morphing into cults, like Synanon, essentially becoming a cultish criminal organization merely posing as a drug rehab.
Drug addiction professionals claim that every industry has bad actors and that drug rehabs should not be judged harshly because of a few egregious examples. Yet it is now the very essence of the drug rehab industry that is being questioned.
Abuse Through Treatment Deception
The industry in its current state is ripe for abuse. There are no national accreditation standards for addiction treatment and very little in the way of regulations. Additionally, there is no accountability for facilities and programs that do not provide treatment that is consistent with medical standards and proven treatment practices. Without accreditation standards, drug addiction rehabilitation and treatment facilities have great flexibility to design and implement programs as they choose, with little regard to accepted medical standards or proven methods of success.
US Addiction Services Reviews
When Kenny Chatman received a 27 ½ year federal sentence in 2017 for crimes arising out of his operation of a drug rehab center, his lawyer offered an interesting explanation as Chatman had no prior experience in drug treatment when he opened his first sober home in 2012. “He walked into an industry that is infected. He became another infected member.”
Chatman’s conviction for turning patients into prostitutes and sex slaves, and encouraging drug abuse at his drug rehab center, all while bilking insurance companies out of millions, may seem sensational, but many elements of his case are hardly unique.
The current rate of drug addiction in the US has turned drug rehab centers into a significant growth industry. Drug rehabs are portrayed in the media as everything from victims to villains. On one end of the spectrum is sympathetic reporting on a lawsuit recently brought in Michigan by a former University of Michigan football player against the city of Detroit. Former All-American running back William Taylor Jr. filed a federal lawsuit alleging Detroit city and zoning officials are discriminating against drug addicts by catering to preconceived stereotypes and denying them a place to get better.
The drug rehab center was likely needed as Michigan has one of the nation’s most severe addiction crisis. A recent article ranked Michigan as the state with the nation’s fourth most significant drug addiction problem. Detroit is known for being one of the hardest hit cities when it comes to drugs, but Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Director Shelly Edgerton called the opioid epidemic “a public health crisis that has affected every community in Michigan.”
Taylor's center for recovering addicts was shut down after an area property association asserted that it was a nuisance and a threat to public safety. Also cited was the claim that it scared away potential new home buyers and hurt the neighborhood's historic image.
But there are also a plethora of stories reporting on the negative aspects of drug rehabs. Some, like the aforementioned Chatman case, involve sensational allegations of prostitution, human trafficking, and insurance fraud. There are well-documented reports of drug rehabs morphing into cults, like Synanon, essentially becoming a cultish criminal organization merely posing as a drug rehab.
Drug addiction professionals claim that every industry has bad actors and that drug rehabs should not be judged harshly because of a few egregious examples. Yet it is now the very essence of the drug rehab industry that is being questioned.
Abuse Through Treatment Deception
The industry in its current state is ripe for abuse. There are no national accreditation standards for addiction treatment and very little in the way of regulations. Additionally, there is no accountability for facilities and programs that do not provide treatment that is consistent with medical standards and proven treatment practices. Without accreditation standards, drug addiction rehabilitation and treatment facilities have great flexibility to design and implement programs as they choose, with little regard to accepted medical standards or proven methods of success.