Decision Point

Nick Myers is one those unique type of treatment entrepreneurs that have become increasingly ubiquitous on the private side of the business, the addict who goes to treatment, finds recovery and then opens his own treatment center. Increasingly it is this type of entrepreneur that is driving growth in the industry. In Myers’ case, he started off in the 1990s with a small sober living community in Dallas. But he had trouble staying clean, and Myers eventually left the city for an expensive stay at the famous Meadows in Arizona. Deciding to stay in Arizona, Myers opened Decision Point in Prescott, which is home to a thriving recovery community and a number of private treatment operations. Tapping into the court system for referrals, Myers built a treatment operation and sober living community that eventually grew to over 100 beds. But Myers, like other players in places like Delray Beach, FL, and Newport Beach, CA, where large numbers of centers and sober houses are concentrated, began to run into big NIMBY problems. It was thus a few years ago that Myers decided to scale down and refocus Decision Point. “We decided that the center would entirely focus on extended care, says Myers, adding that it was also decided that Decision Point would adopt the Florida Model, which offers residential type care at prices that are closer to those charged for intensive outpatient. Decision Point has since grown to an operation with 35 beds that is the only extended care facility in Arizona that accepts payment from commercial payors. We get about 50 percent of our business from insurance comanies, says Myers, adding that the payors like Decision Points reasonable rates that allow for longer term stays and, thus, better outcomes. And, with a specialty in trauma, Decision Point delivers a lot for the money, offering adventure courses and equine therapy, as well as experiential and traditional therapies.