The Truth About South Coast

 I was a patient at South Coast Recovery in Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano in August 2006. I had been struggling with a coke addiction and sought treatment at South Coast Recovery's facilities. Had I done my research I would have found out the owner had been sued for sexual misconduct in 1998; a court battle that went on for years. These records are available to the public at the Newport Judicial Court House located at. The person who sued him was a patient.

In the state of California it is illegal for any doctor holding a degree or license to have sex with their patients. Because the owner, Dennis Larkin does not have a formal degree or have a license to practice as a councilor himself, he was found not guilty.  The rehabilitation field is newly blossoming and regulations and restrictions on them have not yet been completely developed.

For this reason I am warning all Mothers against sending your child to South Coast Recovery. I myself was a witness to the predatorial nature of the owner. I saw inappropriate pictures of female clients on his computer and knew of a girl (who will remain nameless) that allowed him to photograph her nude. This client was able to attend South Coast Recovery completely free two-three times, revived a car as a gift from the owner and lived at his house for an unknown length of time.

I am personally aware of these because I am not only a witness to the victimization of clients in need of help but also a victim. The owner Dennis befriended me after I was relapsed from his Rehabilitation Facilities at the Coffee Shop which I work at. He frequented the coffee shop "to check up" on me. One day after a certain movie that is related to recovery was circulating the coffee shop, I told Dennis about feeling he might be interested in using it in his rehab. He invited me to watch it with him at his house and I agreed. Nothing unusual happened that alarmed me of his character and so the friendship continued.

After a relapse happen after much turmoil in my life occurred I called Dennis to see if he would allow me to attend his rehab for free this time. After paying 12 thousand dollars the first time, and knowing there were all kinds of girls getting in for free I assumed he would help. I was in a desperate situation and left myself completely open to be taken advantage of.

As it happens, I called him while he was vacationing in Arizona. He insisted that come to Arizona with him as I was homeless staying with a person who used drugs. He insisted that he would drive back up to California to get me so we could talk about getting me back into South Coast Recovery and how he could help me get my life back on track. He was very sympathetic to me and told that after everything I had been through I needed to get away. He had a helicopter flight and horse ride down through the Grand Canyon planned. I agreed to go on the trip even though all I wanted was a safe place to stay with people who were not using drugs.

One of the first nights we were there he offered to buy me a drink with dinner. I was shocked and surprised by this. He explained to me that I was different that most of the other clients and I could drink a little when I wanted to. He even had a sip of the alcohol himself and later at a meeting I attended with him he still claimed he had not had a drink in fourteen years. Nothing of a sexual nature occurred on the trip and he invited me to come live with him until he could get me into South Coast.

I thought it was very strange to find whiskey in his refrigerator but didn’t think much of it at the time. He said it was someone else’s and I believed him. He continued to reaffirm the idea that I was different than everyone else and I could drink alcohol by bringing me home alcohol after leaving the rehab. I would drink, thinking and feeling that his words were true; that I was different than everyone. I mean this was the owner and creator of the place where I learned how to stay sober in the first place. I believed everything he said because of who he was. I really figured he had it figured out better than I did and I trusted him.

One morning after a typically night of drinking at Dennis' house I woke up feeling shitty as usual, only this time I had a new reason to feel shitty. I found out when Dennis asked me "Are you always that good in bed", that we had had sex the night before. Dennis knew I blacked out most of the time when I drank because I was on prescription pills. He had helped me fill them at the pharmacy and took me to his doctor to have the prescription written.

I was devastated and felt discussed with him and me. My trust was completely shattered and it changed my whole opinion of the whole "recovery" thing. I allowed this to continue and unfortunately I do remember the other couple of times we had sex. I wasn't doing it because I wanted to, I did it because I had no where to live and he promised me the world and a job at South Coast Recovery. I felt that the damage had already been done that first night and I had no choice but to look out for myself and to let this man take advantage of me if it meant I wouldn't be homeless. I still ended up being homeless in the end though.

Dennis eventually got me into South Coast Recovery and I lived in one of the houses in Dana Point. Often times Dennis would have me sneak of the house at 12 o'clock midnight to meet him on the street so he could take me to his house and have sex with me. It felt like I was being forced to have sex with him in order to stay at the recovery house.

One day after I had only been in South Coast the second time for about a week. The newly hired Dr. Bob had a session with me. After the second visit he asked me if Dennis had been making improper advances toward me because two other clients had confided in him that they were being sexually harassed by the owner Dennis. I broke down in tears and admitted to what I had been going through. I asked him not to tell anyone and told him he did not have my permission to tell anyone about this. He broke my confidentiality which he could be found guilty of a criminal act for and told Dennis I had told on him.

The next morning Dennis Larkin had officially retired from him own company South Coast Recovery at the demand or threat to quit came from the employees at South Coast. I was promised I would still receive help at South Coast as a patient and my place to live would not be jeopardized. However, the next morning I was greeted by two employees who felt I was the enemy and sided with Dennis and told me I had to move even though I was promised by one of these two people that I would not be moved.

After leaving South Coast Recovery my life got worse. I was stuck in California for getting a dui while living on the streets in a camper van after leaving South Coast Recovery. I only came to California to seek treatment for my addiction and to get help, unfortunately some of the people that own these rehabs are in it for the money they make and find the opportunity to take advantage of girls who are in desperate points in their lives and as I found out they all don't practice what they preach and aren't necessarily sober themselves.

Keep in mind when trying to find a Rehab that these places are not regulated and are free enterprises. There are a few regulations for state licensing but they only ensure health codes etc. Really do your research when trying to find a rehab. It's hard to find out everything, if I hadn't told you about the law suit a patient pressed against Dennis Larkin for sexual misconduct you would have never known unless the people whose trust and well being have been violated come forward and make this information public.

To anyone who has been a victim of a crime like this, make your voice known. Don't let these types of scum get away with taking advantage of people. There is no code of conduct currently imposed on owners of rehabs, who usually are closely (at least in this case) involved with their patients care and well being. My hope and prayer is that as people come forward and report such crimes, the authorizes will have to take a closer look at this problem and ensure we and our loved ones are protected from predators.