THE MISSION
To connect individuals, families, and professionals with treatment and recovery resources across the United States.
My son, Jack, died of an overdose in 2020. His story could have ended differently.
I don’t know what purpose the death of any 26-year-old might serve. I only know that surviving the searing impact of losing Jack meant finding meaning in the aftermath — and what followed was American Rehab.
The world of addiction recovery is complex. At its core, human connection is the opposite of addiction. For those living with substance use disorder who aren’t sure where to turn, American Rehab helps you find the connections that make recovery possible
American Rehab is also a practical tool for families and friends who feel overwhelmed and helpless while watching someone they love struggle with addiction.. Support and information resources can make a significant difference.
American Rehab also strengthens the work of treatment and recovery professionals — including boots-on-the-ground Certified Peer Recovery Specialists — by offering centralized access to multiple pathways to recovery.
To the extent possible, misleading, profit-driven, and predatory websites are excluded — avoiding wasted time and effort when it matters most.
As a national nonprofit, tax-exempt organization, American Rehab is free to use, does not accept advertising, and relies on donations to sustain its mission.
THEY DIDN'T KNOW JACK
In 2020, after his third overdose, Jack was court-ordered into residential treatment at a Minnesota state-licensed, accredited facility. His excitement and motivation to succeed — not always the case — combined with the assurance of quality care, created the appearance of a pivotal opportunity.
It started on day one. Jack’s treatment team failed to meet basic standards of care. Despite his decade-long addiction, they chose not to obtain his critical medical records, undermining the integrity of his ‘comprehensive’ assessment and everything that followed.
For Jack, no stranger to treatment, the routine was familiar: thirty days of repetitive, one-size-fits-all group sessions. Treating severe opioid disorder and depression with superficial care exposes an industry where ownership too often places profit over people.
By week three, barely able to speak through sobs, Jack knew he was trapped in a rabbit hole that triggered rather than treated his addiction. It gutted his hope — and him — to the core.
My warnings that Jack’s survival was at risk, and my offer to pay for meaningful residential treatment elsewhere, were met with politely condescending emails from ‘the team.’ They didn’t know Jack.
In spite of an extreme risk of relapse, Jack’s county case manager assigned him to a low-level online treatment program and placed him in a residence where he had recently used. Only minutes from access to his drug of choice, Jack began using the day he arrived.
Weeks later, another overdose. And a body bag.
It’s called system failure — unprofessional, negligent, reckless decisions that leave devastation behind — and others to live with the fallout.
A BACKWARD GLANCE
By junior high, the blue eyes, blonde hair, and shy grin of Jack’s youth began to fade. The carefree days of A’s and B’s, playing ball, and performing magic tricks at the local coffee shop gave way to anxiety, depression, insomnia, and ADHD. Feeding off each other, they dragged Jack into a suffocating undercurrent.
Desperate to numb the inner turmoil he didn’t understand, Jack turned to drugs. At 14, he wrote, ‘The realization of knowing I could pay to be happy was too amazing.’ Addiction had claimed my son.
What I wouldn’t give to hear Jack throw open my front door one more time, his booming, lilting voice echoing through the house: ‘Mom!’
The winter months routinely brought freshly falling snow. Heading out together on several such occasions, Jack would plow ahead in his heavy winter boots. As he carved a path for me through the fallen snow, I’d place a hand on his shoulder so I wouldn’t fall behind.
American Rehab is a nod to Jack, who gifted me with the rare and stunning beauty of love, joy, and innocence combined. Remembered for encouraging and instilling hope in others, his legacy lives on among the lines on these pages.
My world is smaller now. Quieter. I carry Narcan wherever I go — two doses, because one is often no longer enough.
Teresa Vetter
THE MISSION
To connect individuals affected by substance use with authentic help at every stage of treatment and recovery.
My son, Jack, died of an overdose in 2020. His story could have ended differently.
I do not know what purpose the death of any 26-year-old might serve. I do know that the jarring impact of losing Jack led me to create American Rehab — knowing how easily one can be misled, overwhelmed, and pushed to the brink while searching for real help within the multi-billion dollar addiction treatment and recovery industry.
American Rehab was created to support and strengthen the work of treatment and recovery providers by offering free, centralized access to an all-roads-to-recovery platform.
It’s also a practical tool for individuals, loved ones, and advocates — bringing together a wide range of treatment and recovery options in one place. By replacing a random search with a focused one — American Rehab educates and increases your ability to find individualized help that is right for you or a loved one.
