About NTHB Rehab
Learn about our mission, our team, and our commitment to your recovery.
Our Story
NTHB Rehab exists because of a loss that should never have happened. In 2020, our founding family watched a beloved brother and son lose his fight with opioid addiction after cycling through programs that treated the substance but ignored the person. The discharge papers always read "completed," yet the underlying pain — untreated depression, fractured family relationships, a sense of purposelessness — remained.
That experience ignited a conviction: treatment must be measured not by days completed, but by lives genuinely transformed. Our founders partnered with addiction medicine physicians and licensed clinical social workers to design a model rooted in patient outcomes. Every protocol, every hire, every amenity at our San Jose facility was chosen to answer one question: does this measurably improve a patient's chance of sustained recovery?
Six years and more than 4,000 patients later, NTHB Rehab stands as proof that grief can become purpose. Our 48-bed center on Alum Rock Avenue operates with a staff-to-patient ratio that ensures no one falls through the cracks — because we know firsthand what happens when they do.
Our Mission
NTHB Rehab's mission is twofold: to prevent addiction from taking root and to treat it decisively when it does. We believe that effective addiction treatment extends beyond clinical intervention — it requires community education, early identification of risk factors, and sustained support long after discharge.
Our prevention initiatives include partnerships with San Jose schools and community organizations to educate young people about substance use risks. Our treatment programs deliver intensive, evidence-based care that addresses the biological, psychological, and social dimensions of addiction. And our alumni network ensures that the transformation achieved in treatment continues to grow in everyday life.
We measure our success not by admissions, but by the patients who stay sober, return to their families, re-enter the workforce, and become advocates for others still struggling.
Treatment Philosophy
Nature as Therapy: Our meditation garden, outdoor yoga deck, and nature-integrated programming reflect our belief that the natural world is a powerful catalyst for healing. Research consistently shows that time in green spaces reduces cortisol, improves mood, and strengthens the neurological pathways disrupted by substance use. At NTHB Rehab, nature is not an amenity — it is a clinical tool.
Cultural Humility: San Jose's population represents dozens of cultures, languages, and belief systems. Our clinical staff is trained in culturally responsive care, recognizing that a treatment approach effective for one patient may be ineffective or even harmful for another. We adapt our therapeutic methods, dietary options, spiritual practices, and communication styles to honor each patient's identity.
Strengths-Based Recovery: Traditional treatment models focus on what is broken. We focus on what is strong. Every patient arrives with resilience, skills, relationships, and experiences that can be leveraged for recovery. Our therapists identify and amplify these strengths, building treatment plans around each person's existing capacity for change rather than a deficit-based checklist.
Our Team
Dr. Elena Vasquez, MD, FASAM
Medical Director
Board-certified in addiction medicine and internal medicine, Dr. Vasquez oversees all medical protocols at NTHB Rehab. With 15 years of clinical experience across emergency departments and residential treatment centers in the Bay Area, she designed our medically supervised detox program to minimize patient discomfort while maximizing safety. Dr. Vasquez holds a Fellowship from the American Society of Addiction Medicine and leads weekly psychiatrist rounds for every residential patient.
Raymond Okafor, LCSW, CADC
Clinical Director
Raymond brings 12 years of direct clinical work in dual diagnosis treatment to his role leading NTHB Rehab's therapeutic programming. A licensed clinical social worker and certified alcohol and drug counselor, he developed our strengths-based assessment protocol used during intake. Raymond specializes in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Motivational Interviewing, and he supervises a team of eight therapists to ensure consistent quality of care across all treatment tracks.
Priya Sharma, PsyD
Director of Family Programs
Dr. Sharma holds a doctorate in clinical psychology with a specialization in family systems. She built NTHB Rehab's Family Systems Therapy curriculum from the ground up, creating structured workshops that help families understand addiction as a shared experience rather than an individual failing. Her work has been recognized by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, and she oversees our family lodge program, weekend family sessions, and post-discharge family support groups.
Staff Sgt. (Ret.) James Whitfield, CADC, CCTP
Veterans & First Responder Program Lead
A retired Army staff sergeant and combat veteran, James understands the unique intersection of service-related trauma and substance use. After his own recovery, he earned his Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional credentials. At NTHB Rehab, he leads programming specifically designed for veterans and first responders, drawing on peer support models and trauma-focused CBT to build trust with patients who are often reluctant to seek help.
Accreditations & Certifications
NTHB Rehab maintains the highest standards of care through nationally recognized accrediting bodies.
Alumni Testimonials
"After two combat deployments, I came home carrying more weight than my rucksack ever held. Alcohol was the only thing that quieted the noise. The team at NTHB Rehab understood what I'd been through without me having to explain it. They helped me process the trauma underneath the drinking. Fourteen months sober now, and I finally sleep through the night."
— Marcus T., U.S. Army Veteran
"I thought my problem was just cocaine. Turns out I'd been self-medicating severe anxiety and undiagnosed bipolar disorder for years. The dual diagnosis team here identified what every other program missed. For the first time, I'm treating the actual condition, not just the symptom. That changed everything for me and my family."
— Jennifer R., NTHB Rehab Alumna
"Twenty-two years as a paramedic, and I thought I could handle anything. But the calls kept stacking up, and so did the pills. NTHB Rehab built a program around the specific pressures first responders face — the shift work, the hypervigilance, the guilt. My wife says she has her husband back. My crew says they have their partner back."
— David L., EMT, San Jose