Continuum Recovery Center Celebrating 3rd Anniversary

Continuum Recovery Center, a Phoenix-based holistic, outpatient addiction treatment rehab, has spent the last few years forging community relationships and establishing itself as one of the leading outpatient addiction center in the valley. While it’s been a long and winding road, they’re now thriving and celebrating their 3-year anniversary.

Which is quite a feat, considering how saturated the Phoenix market has become with various detoxes, inpatient and outpatient agencies. In fact, according to SAMHSA, there are 197 facilities within a 50 miles radius of Phoenix. That’s a lot of treatment options. 

How to distinguish oneself in this market? 

Continuum Recovery Center thinks it’s found the answer: from early on, their mission has been offering exceptional holistic addiction recovery within a framework of compassionate, ethical, and advanced business practices — on an outpatient-only basis. 

Frank Johnson, Continuum’s CEO (also known for being a former NBA player and head coach of the Phoenix Suns) had retired and was seeking a “second act.” He decided to invest time and resources into manifesting a vision for a safe refuge to help people help heal from their addictions, along with family and loved ones. 

“I started Continuum because I saw first-hand how devastating addiction can be, even those with great talents, abilities, and intelligence.” says Johnson. “It doesn’t discriminate. I personally don’t suffer from the disease, but I’ve witnessed the downward spiral of several close family members and friends and I felt a calling to get involved and make a difference.” 

But running a successful treatment agency isn’t easy under the best of circumstances. Juggling schedules, licensing and accreditations, staffing, and ensuring positive client outcomes are crucial. An experienced and effective operator can make the difference.

Frank and his partners tracked down Liz Martin, who was living in Seattle at the time. Martin is Continuum’s Chief Operations Officer and had just finished an 8-year tenure running and growing a renowned residential treatment center in Arizona. She was taking a much-needed break and enjoying being close to her family. Then her phone rang. 

“I was working as an executive consultant when Continuum called. They explained the opportunity: help create and develop a new outpatient agency,” says Martin. “I flew back to Phoenix and immediately saw the potential. It was the perfect opportunity to put my skills to work to develop my ‘dream’ holistic program. A month later, I was living back in the valley full-time.”

Martin immediately busied herself with developing PHP, IOP, and OP programs, incorporating best practices from her previous experience, built on a foundation of smart management and operational efficiency. 

She also called on her network of contacts and recruited some Arizona’s most renowned clinicians, licensed professionals, and other skilled behavioral health staff to help her build a truly integrated program. 

A Holistic Approach to Recovery

The word “holistic” gets tossed around a fair amount. But what exactly does it mean?  “Our approach is to help people heal in body, mind, and spirit,” says Martin. “We don’t just fix a piece of a person. We heal the whole individual.” 

Continuum was one of the first centers in Phoenix to fully embrace the holistic outpatient model. In addition to group and individual cognitive behavioral therapy, they began offering clients a full spectrum of classes, including physical fitness training, courtesy of Coach Carl (a former NFL coach); weekly yoga and mindfulness meditation; music and art therapy; nutrition; and naturopathic approaches such as B-12 shots, vitamin supplements and acupuncture from Dr. Dave Arneson, a much loved naturopathic doctor with a deep history in the Phoenix treatment community. 

Continuum also prides itself on being highly flexible, offering tailored programs and schedules designed to work with client’s needs. For example, their IOP includes morning, afternoon, and evening programs, which can be a huge help for someone who’s working or has other responsibilities during the day.

“Not everyone needs the traditional in-patient treatment programs,” says Martin. “For some, it’s a high threshold to go in-patient for 30, 60, or 90 days. For working people, parents, students, or anyone who needs to maintain existing responsibilities, we give them the ability to get well with minimal disruption to their lives.”

“One of our core strengths is definitely our incredibly knowledgeable and passionate staff. The entire team is 100% focused on helping clients recover through our high-quality integrated programming. We’re trying to make recovery accessible to as many people in Phoenix as possible,” says Martin. 

And what does the future hold for Continuum Recovery Center? Of course, all we really have is today, but Martin remains committed to building an enduring legacy of wellness and, in her words, a community of “raving fans.”  

“As we like to say, ‘not everyone heals the same way’” says Martin. “Ultimately, we want our clients to achieve long-term recovery and re-enter society as parents, workers, providers, sons and daughters, restored to health and well-being for the long haul.”

Judging from the last three years, with hard work and determination, Continuum will continue leading the way in addiction treatment and help Phoenix’s recovery community grow stronger in the process. For more information visit www.continuumrecoverycenter.com or call 855-549-3951.