Episode 30: Rehab director Jim Scarpace on treatment, compassion

Jim Scarpace was on track to become a special agent with the the Drug Enforcement Agency in the late-1990s, but the agency's criminalization of substance abuse disorder and its militarization didn't sit right with him. After all, he was working in a residential treatment center, where he saw people from all walks of life suffering, many of them having turned to using or dealing drugs out of desperation.

Today, he's the executive director of Gateway Foundation in Aurora, where I underwent treatment in early 2019. He's amassed a quarter-century of experience helping people with not just substance abuse, but also mental health.

Our conversation with Jim was presented by Gateway Foundation. If drugs and alcohol are starting to take over your life, or the life of someone you love, it’s time to be honest and enlist some help. Gateway offers life-saving inpatient services, as well as virtual treatment. Call 877-505-HOPE to schedule a consultation, or visit gatewayfoundation.org for more information.