Desert Hope Treatment Center (NV)

Recreational Activities 

Recovery is unique and treatment should be tailored to each patient. At Desert Hope, we customize your treatment plan and offer a variety of recreational activities and experiential therapies to ensure your treatment experience is dynamic.

Experience unique hiking excursions from the valleys of Red Rock Canyon, to the slopes of Mt. Charleston, and to the sandy shores of Lake Mead.

Co-Occurring Mental Health Disorders

Addiction doesn’t always manifest alone, and often times can be connected with other mental health struggles. Clinicians at Desert Hope are able to treat patients with co-occurring mental health disorders such as PTSD, depression, anxiety disorders, and others.

Chronic Medical Condition & Pregnancy Accommodation

Desert Hope is equipped to care for medically compromised patients, including those with lung conditions (such as COPD), high blood pressure, and diabetes. Desert Hope is also one of a handful of addiction treatment centers in Las Vegas that is authorized to treat pregnant women. Our facility works with an OB/GYN in Las Vegas that has expertise in caring for high-risk pregnancies, ensuring the safety of both the patient and their baby during treatment.

Individual Therapy

Depending on your level of care, you will participate in 50 minute therapy sessions at least once a week. A variety of different treatment modalities are used, including but not limited to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and motivational interviewing (MI).

Group Therapy

During your stay at our Desert Hope Las Vegas rehab facility, your participation in groups will vary depending on your personalized treatment plan and your level of care. All group sessions are separated by gender to address gender-specific issues that may be present within topics such as stages of change, first responders, spirituality, and LGBTQ.

Some of our group therapy topics and offerings include:

• LGBTQ support groups.
• Early recovery.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy.
• Veterans/first responders.
• Spirituality engagement.
• Women’s empowerment groups.
• Stages of Change.

Alternative Therapies

Desert Hope offers additional treatment interventions to therapeutically support patients’ overall care and wellbeing. Below are a few of our noteworthy offerings:

• Yoga.
• Recreational outings.

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)

Desert Hope in Las Vegas understands that medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is an effective option in the cessation of drug or alcohol use for some people. Therefore, we utilize MAT in conjunction with behavioral therapy and other therapeutic interventions if the patient and their treatment team decide that medication could contribute to their overall recovery. MAT is not mandatory, but can prove extremely helpful for those aiming to stay sober for long periods of time.

Some requirements for the MAT program include:

• 1 year of high-dose opioid use.
• Commitment to a longer treatment stay (minimum 45-90 days under care).
• Involvement of a loved one in treatment with a full open release of information (ROI).

Veteran’s Affair Community Care Partner

Desert Hope Treatment Center is a VA Community Care Partner, meaning that we work 1-on-1 with veterans assigned by the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Local VA to provide the most effective and customized treatment possible to those who serve (or served) our country.

Discrimination Prohibited

Desert Hope Treatment Center does not discriminate and does not permit discrimination, including, without limitation, bullying, abuse or harassment, on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, gender, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or HIV status, or based on association with another person on account of that person’s actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, gender, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or HIV status.

Each patient or resident who has experienced discrimination may file a complaint with Department of Health and Human Services Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health (DPBH) and provide the contact notice for DPBH.

At Desert Hope, our highly trained and knowledgeable multidisciplinary team includes psychiatrists, other medical doctors, nurses, and therapists. All therapists at Desert Hope’s drug treatment center in Las Vegas, Nevada are master’s level and all are fully licensed in the state of Nevada. Our registered nurses are also all licensed in the state of Nevada. Desert Hope’s case management team includes drug and alcohol addiction counselors certified in Nevada. Our experienced clinicians have diverse training, and some of their specialties include CBT, person-centered therapy, and DBT. As recognized experts in addiction treatment, Desert Hope also serves as a teaching facility and provides clinical education to treatment professionals from several programs, including the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Touro University Nevada.

We have a nurse-to-patient ratio of 1:12, a therapist-to-patient ratio of 1:10, and a BHT-to-patient ratio of 1:20.

For patients who identify as LGBTQ, Desert Hope has a group that meets weekly and discusses concerns unique to this population.

George Gatski, CEO

George Gatski’s own recovery journey helped inspire his career path. Sober for more than 30 years, George has dedicated his professional life to his passion: helping others change their lives.

He brings more than 20 years of experience in the field of substance use disorders and mental health, including prior CEO experience at Acadia Behavioral Health, Meadows Behavioral Health, and Las Vegas Recovery Center, where he developed programs for all levels of care in addiction treatment; trained the clinical, medical, and administrative staff; and created specialized recovery programs.

A long-time resident of Las Vegas (he’s called the city home since the mid-1970s), George is originally from Athens, Greece but moved to the United States with his family when he was 5 years old. He earned his MBA from the University of Phoenix, where he studied human services and management, and he is also a certified alcohol and drug counselor (CADC) and CADC-supervisor.

As the CEO of Desert Hope, George is committed to impacting the recovery of all who come through the treatment center doors.

Dawn McCallum, Director of Compliance and Quality Assurance

Dawn McCallum, received her bachelor’s degree in psychology at California State University, Long Beach and her master’s degree in community counseling at the University of Texas, San Antonio. Dawn is a licensed professional counselor in the State of Texas.

McCallum has worked in behavioral health for more than 13 years, including in acute psychiatric hospitals, dual diagnosis facilities, and substance use primary facilities treating both adolescents and adults, respectively. Her experience includes work in both inpatient and outpatient facilities. She has worked with several accrediting bodies, including the Joint Commission, CARF, and state agencies.

Westbrook Kaplan, MD, Medical Director

Dr. Westbrook Kaplan completed his undergraduate degree at the University of California at Berkeley from in 1995 and his residency training in internal medicine at University Medical Center from in 2004 in Las Vegas, Nevada. He has been a hospitalist since 2004 and has worked in addiction and recovery since 2012. His expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of acute medical conditions in combination with wellness allows for a comprehensive approach to recovery and healthcare. He is committed to supporting clients with treatment strategies that are based on evidence, experience, and compassion.

Jonathan Sprecher, RN, Director of Nursing

Jonathan Sprecher is an executive with a wide scope of leadership skills.  He is trained as a registered nurse and is a member of the California Bar. Mr. Sprecher started his career in healthcare as the administrator of a small nursing home in Southwestern Michigan.  From there, he worked in several hospitals, serving in the positions of CNO, COO, and CEO.

Sprecher spent 11 years serving as the CNO/COO at Methodist Hospital of Southern California, a 450-bed facility. From there, Sprecher moved to Fountain Valley Medical Center, a 450-bed facility with a women and children’s hospital, a surgical hospital, and medical hospital/ER. There, he served as COO. He has also served in several interim roles with Nielson Healthcare in critical access hospitals, in the COO/program manager role at Johns Hopkins/Al Adan and Tawam Hospitals in the Middle East, and as the CNO at Howard University Hospital.

Mr. Sprecher believes that employee morale is central to patient happiness and has worked in many of his positions to prioritize and increase patient satisfaction.

Kristin Berg, Director of Admissions

Kristin Berg has been in the behavioral health industry for more than 15 years, working in various roles in substance misuse and mental health facilities in Las Vegas. Berg obtained her master’s of science in counseling and is a licensed alcohol and drug counselor, as well as an alcohol and drug counselor supervisor for interns.

Desert Hope offers tours each day of the week. Staff are always present at our facility and tours are welcome at any time, but we recommend that potential patients and their families call our Las Vegas rehab center ahead of time.

Arrival

Our admissions process usually takes an hour or less to complete. During the admissions process, each patient undergoes a comprehensive assessment and meets with a mental health professional to develop his or her customized treatment plan.

Meals

Patients at Desert Hope are fed three nutritious chef-prepared meals daily. Desert Hope can accommodate clients with special dietary needs related to their medical or religious needs.

Housing Details

Our hotel-style rooms accommodate 2 people per room with a shared private bathroom. Desert Hope’s luxury inpatient facility can house 148 patients total, and patients can request a private room at an additional cost. Laundry services are available on site.

Technology

Because connectivity with patients’ support system is so important, patients may bring and use their electronic devices at Desert Hope during free hours and at other designated times. We provide free Wi-Fi to all patients and guests.

Communication

A loved one can only receive information about a patient if the patient signs a release of information for that individual.

Programming

Having a strong support network is vital in healing from addiction. Unfortunately, substance abuse can damage certain familial relationships and other relationships with loved ones. To begin healing those relationships damaged by addiction, Desert Hope offers a family day every other Saturday from 1:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The leader of this program invites patients and their families to partake in an interactive and educational discussion. After the family day programming ends, staff members offer an opportunity for patients and families to visit with one another.

Visiting Your Loved One

With patient consent, loved ones can visit patients every other Saturday, after the family day educational programming. During your loved one’s treatment, we can work with you to plan a visit to our Las Vegas rehab center. Your loved one’s treatment team will provide you with all of the information you need to schedule your visit.