People First Radio – February 19, 2026People First Radio – February 19, 2026
People First Radio
A conversation with Home Based Recovery’s Rob DeClark outlines a structured, online alternative to inpatient addiction treatment, focusing on safety, cost, and early intervention. The episode also visits a regional Ethics Bowl, where high school students practise thoughtful, collaborative argument on challenging moral questions.
0:00•21 Feb 2026
Home-Based Recovery and Kinder Arguments: Sobriety Meets the Ethics Bowl
Episode Overview
- Home Based Recovery offers a seven‑month programme combining a 30‑day online curriculum, intensive one‑to‑one therapy, and six months of aftercare groups.
- Thorough assessments and partnerships with detox and medical professionals aim to make home‑based recovery safer for people with alcohol or opiate use disorders.
- The organisation focuses on people in early to mid‑stage addiction, aiming to “raise rock bottom” so fewer lose jobs, housing, and family before getting help.
- Rob advises people considering private inpatient treatment to look closely at staff qualifications and therapeutic focus rather than just amenities.
- The Ethics Bowl teaches students to research complex issues, work as a team, and engage in respectful, collaborative argument rather than simply trying to win a debate.
“There are other paths into recovery, and I don't think we should want to shut down or close off any of them.”
What can we learn from those who have battled addiction? This edition of People First Radio brings together two very different but surprisingly connected conversations: one about new routes into recovery, and another about teaching teens to argue kindly. First up, executive director Rob DeClark talks through Home Based Recovery, a Victoria-based programme that lifts the core of inpatient addiction treatment and puts it online.
After decades running residential centres, he’s watched costs soar from around $15–17,000 to “north of $40,000, $50,000 plus” for a six-week stay. His response? A seven‑month package built around a 30‑day online curriculum, up to 20 hours of one‑to‑one therapy, and six months of aftercare groups, all done from home.
Rob explains how thorough assessments help decide who’s a good fit, stressing safety for people dealing with alcohol withdrawal or opiate use, and linking them with detox and medication‑assisted treatment where needed.
He pushes back on the old “rock bottom” myth, saying most clients are still working, housed, and connected: “One of our goals… is to raise rock bottom and have less people experience the full losing of everything.” For those who can’t leave jobs or children, especially parents and carers, the home‑based option offers intensive support without disappearing from everyday life.
The second half shifts to Vancouver Island University’s regional Ethics Bowl, where high school students tackle moral questions on topics like weight‑loss drugs, life sentences, and cochlear implants. Instead of smashing opponents, teams are scored on clarity, research, and how well they build on each other’s ideas. Student Jack describes it as “less of a debate and more of a discussion,” while judge Jim Erkley says it’s about leaving a conversation “more informed,” even if no one completely changes sides.
From online sobriety support to kinder arguments about tough issues, this episode asks a simple question: what if we made both recovery and public debate easier to access and a bit more humane?
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