Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre

I am forever grateful and indebted to AARC for the life-saving work they did for my son. Words cannot express the immense gratitude I feel towards this organization. Our journey with AARC has been nothing short of remarkable, and I wholeheartedly give them a well-deserved 5-star rating.

AARC provided the caring and support that we couldn't find elsewhere. The entire community at AARC is simply amazing. From the dedicated staff members to the incredible miracles witnessed in the lives of countless kids, AARC has created a truly transformative environment.

The commitment shown by the families and the exceptional network of support make AARC stand out. Everyone involved is fully dedicated to the recovery process, and it is evident that this commitment is integral to the success stories that emerge from AARC. The level of care and support my son received surpassed all expectations.

Choosing AARC was the best decision we made. I have absolutely no regrets, and if given the chance, I would make the same decision all over again. I wholeheartedly recommend AARC to anyone in need. They are a beacon of hope and healing for those struggling with addiction.

From the bottom of my heart, I want to express my deepest gratitude to AARC. The work they do is truly life-changing, and I consider us incredibly lucky to have found such an exceptional program. I sincerely wish that more options like AARC become available across Canada.

Thank you, AARC, for everything you have done for my son and our family. You have my highest recommendation.

I was 17 when my mom placed me in AARC. I was angry and didn't want to be there because I didn't think I had a problem with drugs. AARC helped me to recognize how I had been using drugs to cope with pain from my past. They helped me deal with this pain, and I realized I didn't need to keep using to escape reality. I am now over 10 years sober, and just finished my 3rd year of a Child Studies degree. AARC may not be for everyone, but I am forever grateful that it saved my life.

This is my honest experience coming from a 15 year old who has struggled with mental health and substance abuse. I was involuntarily put in AARC in January by my mom. She was told I would die without AARC’s treatment until she eventually believed it. My counsellors had no qualifications except having gone through the program themselves and most hadn’t even graduated high school. The only training they seemed to have received was restraint training. I was extremely stubborn for the first few months and refused to participate in treatment. But after months of ‘intensive therapy’ (humiliation) my spirit was crushed. I became extremely depressed to the point there was no life in my eyes and was more of a zombie then a person. I was also suffering from ptsd which AARC did nothing about after my many attempts to reach out for help. I was not suicidal before I went into AARC, but became extremely and made a plan. I felt super isolated as I was not even able to talk to my family and tell them what was going on. I reached out one last time telling the staff I needed more help and was going to end my life. Again no mental health or extra support was provided. On April 29th I was caught cheeking my meds after 3 weeks of saving them up unnoticed. I was brought into a room to wait for the cops to search me, but managed to take all the pills before they got there. I overdosed that night and was admitted to the hospital the next day. While in hospital I felt better then I had my entire stay at AARC. The only thing troubling me was the fear of having to go back. After 4 weeks of anxiety my psychiatrist and AARC staff agreed it was best that I don’t go back. I was not a safety concern at hospital or home, only at AARC. I’ve been out of AARC for 2 months now and I’ve stayed sober and as mentally healthy as possible. Although I would not be where I am now if none of this ever happened, I’m left feeling more traumatized then I was before I went in. I truly wish I could erase that period of my life. AARC almost killed me and in my case the means do not justify the end. I really encourage parents to look into places like this before putting their vulnerable kids there.

AARC was the last house on the block for our son. He came to AARC following two almost fatal overdoses. The AARC team saved him when all other services couldn't after years in the system. The system wrote him off but the AARC team understood him and saved his life. It is a miracle that he is alive today. Our family also had a chance to heal from the devastation that addiction left behind. This place is filled with people empowering and encouraging each other resulting in an invaluable support network for life. Extremely grateful for Dr. V and the outstanding work at this center

I highly recommend AARC if you are looking for help for your teenager who is destroying their life with drugs and alcohol. Our son has been sober for 12 years now because of this program. Our whole family will forever be grateful for AARC.

AARC saved my son's life. He was addicted to drugs and alcohol and AARC showed him the way to recovery. There were some relapses after treatment but he always knew how to get back to recovery. Now our whole family lives in recovery, freedom, hope and gratitude. I'm grateful because I was codependent of my son and I was destroyed, depressed, lost and hopeless and AARC showed me the way to detach with love and to live independently of my son's addiction. We went to AARC for our son but this program ended up saving the whole family. There is no easier or softer way, trust the process. There are detractors to every program, trust your heart. I wholeheartedly recommended AARC.