Vancouver recovery home celebrates 30 years of helping youth overcome substance abuse

From the outside, Peak House looks like most other single detached homes in Vancouver — spacious, with a backyard.

But instead of housing a single family, Peak House serves as a recovery home for youth seeking help with substance use. There are eight rooms, and the house is kept tidy. There are books and board games on the shelves, and colourful, handmade posters on the walls.  

"People often come, thinking that they're going to be stepping into an institutional kind of facility and we're very much a home," said executive director James Kelly.

"We're on a residential street. We have great relationships with our neighbours and we participate in the community."

This week, Peak House is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

For the past three decades, it's been helping young people between 13 and 18 years old address substance abuse. Youth enrol in a voluntary, live-in 10-week program, where they can attend therapy, but also take part in activities that help them develop life skills and establish healthy relationships.

'Ready to go back out there'

For one youth, whose name the CBC has agreed to withhold,  getting treatment at Peak House means he's no longer hooked to methamphetamine.

He also gets to bond with other young people, and sleep in a clean house instead of on the streets.

"At first, coming here, I was a bit iffy about it, but then after I went through the program, I'm ready to go back out there," he said. "I don't have a worry that I'll end up using again."

He says he plans to get a job and return home to his family after the 10 weeks are over.

Peak House 2

Peak House is operated by the Pacific Youth and Family Services Society and funded by Vancouver Coastal Health. B.C. Housing owns the physical building where the program is run.  

As Peak House marks its 30th year anniversary, it's also aiming to raise $300,000 to buy a second property.

Kelly says "Peak House 2" would serve as a home for youth who have finished the 10-week treatment program but who don't have a suitable home to go back to.

"So often for those young people, they need a little bit more time in a supported environment where they can continue to build on the skills that they've learned here with a little more freedom to start doing some of the things that are required for independent living — so maybe having a job, but still having access to counselling and the support that they have here," said Kelly.

"It's really important to have youth supported at all levels across the continuum."