South Florida multi-service organization will close next week

A West Palm Beach, Fla., addiction treatment and sober living program is the latest casualty of tumultuous financial conditions in the industry.

Grace's Way announced via an e-mail blast on Tuesday that it will close its doors on Sept. 29. “Despite our best efforts, we were not able to maintain the financial ability to fulfill our company's mission and commitment to the quality of care that we believe our patients and their families need to find lasting recovery,” the e-mail stated.

The organization's CEO, Bernie (Bernadette) Schultz, has committed to furnishing professional and personal references for every Grace's Way staff member “in the hopes that every member of the Grace's Way family lands at one of the many quality programs we know exist in Florida,” the e-mail stated. Schultz established Grace's Way, which offered a continuum of treatment and recovery support services, in the aftermath of her son Dave's battle with addiction and subsequent recovery. The mother and son became business partners in the venture.

Schultz could not be reached on Tuesday to comment on the factors that led to the decision to close. A staff member who answered the phone at the facility said she was not in the office on the day of the public announcement.

There also was no additional information posted early Tuesday on the facility's website, which features the header “The Cycle of Relapse Stops Here” on the homepage.

Times of upheaval

A variety of factors have complicated business prospects for South Florida addiction treatment centers and recovery residences in recent months. These include a saturated market in the region, a growing resistance in other parts of the country to refer patients to Florida because of professional ethics concerns, and an atmosphere of stricter regulation that has had some treatment organizations eyeing a relocation out of state.

“We have worked so hard and tried our very best … But sometimes even your best is not enough,” read the announcement. “Our whole Grace's Way family is sad, but we are soldiers and each of us will continue our personal and professional journey and remain steadfast in our commitment to serving this population for as long as possible.”

John Lehman, a leader in the effort to promote ethical standards for treatment and recovery support in Florida, tells Addiction Professional, "We are saddened that Grace's Way is closing its doors at a time when ethical, quality treatment and recovery support services are so desperately needed to address the addiction pandemic facing our nation."