Becky Baillie, CEO of Recovery Centers of America at Lighthouse, joined Ken Rosato on ONNJ Mornings to talk about the Mays Landing facility’s 10th anniversary and its impact on South Jersey. For South Jersey families looking for addiction treatment close to home, her message was clear: addiction is a disease, not a moral failing, and RCA at Lighthouse works to remove the barriers that keep people from getting care.
Ten Years of Care in Mays Landing
RCA at Lighthouse celebrated 10 years in March. It was the first Recovery Centers of America facility, opening with 53 beds, and today it has 133. Baillie said her primary goal with her team is to decrease the barriers that keep people in South Jersey from getting care.
Addiction Is a Disease, Not a Moral Failing
Stigma is still one of the biggest. “It’s not a personal moral issue; it truly is a disease,” Baillie told ONNJ. RCA at Lighthouse encourages family involvement to help patients and their loved ones understand the disease and how recovery works. Baillie said family support is everything, especially heading into the holidays.
She compared addiction to diabetes. It isn’t a one-time treatment, and some people manage it more easily than others. Some patients may need to return to treatment for more education and support, and that’s okay.
Making It Easier to Say Yes to Treatment
Baillie also walked through the ways RCA at Lighthouse makes it easier to say yes to treatment. Patients can bring their dogs or cats if they have nowhere else for them to go. WorkFlex lets people keep up with work obligations during parts of the day while in treatment. As a registered nurse, she welcomes medically complex patients when RCA at Lighthouse is the appropriate level of care. The facility is also licensed to treat co-occurring disorders, since addiction and mental health often go hand in hand, with substance use disorder as the primary reason for admission.
Help for Kratom Withdrawal
She also flagged a rise in kratom use. Stopping kratom can involve withdrawal that requires detox, and RCA at Lighthouse treats it. “If anybody’s having difficulty with kratom, help is here,” she said. Baillie encouraged anyone who needs help to call 1.800.RECOVERY.
Recovery Centers of America (RCA) is on a mission to save one million lives impacted by addiction and mental health disorders, one person at a time.
