Employees of Live Free Recovery Consultants in Newton, New Hampshire from left, Steve Pierce, Tanya Leith, Linda Faghan, Bob Faghan, and John Iudice.

NEWTON, N.H. — Bob Faghan knows firsthand that completing a rehabilitation program is only half the battle of beating addiction. What’s harder, he said, is staying sober after settling back into the toxic comforts of life at home. 

Twenty-one years ago he kicked the habits of excess alcohol consumption and marijuana use with the help of an inpatient rehabilitation program. He went on to earn a master’s degree in clinical psychology and is now dedicated to helping cure the region’s crippling opioid epidemic.

With 16 years of clinical experience in Massachusetts, the 49-year-old designed a new approach to sobriety after years of watching highly motivated, drug-free individuals fall into relapse.

“It started to really dawn on me that there was a disconnect with what was being taught in treatment and how it applies to the real world,” he said.

In 2015, it moved him to open Live Free Recovery Consultants — a long-term recovery care center that started as a side business before morphing into a full-time job.

Opening in New Hampshire was an easy decision, Faghan said. As a Newton resident, he watched overdoses increasingly ravage the area for years.

By the end of 2016, the office of the chief medical examiner projects 482 drug-related fatalities statewide, a statistic that rose from 439 in 2015.

“Newton just seemed like a natural fit to open this type of place,” he said. “I live in town, the police chief and board of selectmen have been very cooperative and we’re really at the epicenter of the epidemic.”

Located just a couple miles from the Massachusetts border, the site has become a beacon of hope for addicts across the region.

Faghan employs seven recovery coaches, two licensed alcohol and drug clinicians and a social worker. The team is able to treat 25 people at once, and they hope to expand their reach in the coming months.

After contacting Live Free Recovery via phone or email, each potential client starts the road to recovery by meeting with a master’s level clinician or certified recovery coach at a location of their choice.

If they decide to enter a six-month program, they’ll meet with those professionals regularly, receive an individualized recovery plan, as well as means for recovery education and family education.

Anthem Blue Cross and Medicaid cover all of the $3,000 fee; Tufts Health Plan and Cinga Health Insurance pay for about half.

Lifetime unlimited email and phone contact is what Faghan considers the crux of Live Free Recovery.

“We’ve had some pretty good feedback from clients about how it really seems to work,” he said. “If someone went to electrician school and only had experience in the classroom, you wouldn’t let them wire your house the next day. That’s how we approach this. It’s a process.”

Many coaches are either in recovery themselves or grew up surrounded by addiction, Faghan explained, furthering their ability to aid addicts and their loved ones.

The program includes GED and SAT prep, lessons in college applications and essays, job search and resume development, housing searches, and mental health referrals if needed.

“It’s a unique perspective,” said recovery coach Steve Pierce. “We know where they’re coming from and what they’re feeling. You can really empathize.”

Each recovery coach must follow Department of Health and Human Services guidelines, which include regular training seminars.

“I’ve worked in nearly every type of treatment facility, and this program really has the ability to provide major change,” added John Iudice, a clinical supervisor. “It helps to not take someone out of their environment when it comes to recovery.”

Faghan’s wife, Linda, spent years bearing witness to her family’s issues with addiction.

“I’m able to facilitate and bridge conversations with loved ones,” she said.

Come January, the team will take on a new task: a comprehensive adolescent intensive outpatient substance abuse program with peer recovery support.

Transportation will be provided for the youths and their families to attend several meetings per week. The same 24/7 access to professionals will also be offered.

Faghan said he’s been wanting to kick off the program for a while, but a lack of funding when it comes to programs that aren’t registered as a nonprofits has proved troublesome.

“If state and federal funding were available, we’d be able to expand much faster,” he said. “As it stands, we’re trying to help people as immediately as possible. If they come to us and they need a detox program, we help them find that first and then go on from there. We’re doing the best we can.”

As new clients enter his uniquely designed program, there’s a piece of advice he finds himself extending often.

“There’s a clear difference between blame and accountability. You’re not to blame for having the disease, but you do have the power to overcome it,” he said.

Edelstein writes for the North Andover, Massachusetts Eagle Tribune.