Deep Dive Into One Of The Rehab Rackets That Turns Addicts Into “Personal Servants” And "Slaves"

As the widespread opioid crisis in the United States continues to spread, hundreds of new drug rehab programs have sprung up. Many are cost-prohibitive for addicts trying to get clean, costing thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars.

In a new story by the Reveal News podcast, reporters Amy Julia Harris and Shosana Walter took a deep dive into one non-profit rehab center program that offers treatment for free.

Instead, addicts engaged in labor.  

“She promised them counseling and recovery for free. When they arrived, she put them to work 16 hours a day for no pay at adult care homes for the elderly and disabled.”

Recovery Connections Community, a rehab program in North Carolina run by Jennifer Warren, was founded in 2011. Although Warren has no current counseling licence and a history of complaints fielded by four separate state agencies, she's been able to remain in business.

In part, that’s because adult care homes are always in need of workers and regulations are lax, according to Reveal News.

Drug addicts were put to work as janitors, cooks, and personal care aides with little to no training.

"Disasters happened all the time," the story noted.

Thrust into the homes with little training or sleep, the rehab participants changed diapers, bathed patients and sometimes dispensed the same prescription drugs that sent them spiraling into addiction in the first place. For some, the temptation proved too great. They snorted prescription pain pills, swallowed droplets of morphine from used medical syringes and peeled fentanyl pain patches off patients and sucked them to get high.

Seven rehab workers were accused of sexual assault or misconduct involving patients at the elderly homes.