Joe Henderson on Fixing Addiction Treatment
EPISODE 40 / 09.03.2025
Meet Joe Henderson—CEO and change-maker—who saw a broken system and said “DANG, someone’s got to fix this.” With only a $10,000 credit card and a fire in his gut, he built a sober living empire from the ground up.
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Show Notes
Joseph Henderson didn’t come to addiction treatment through his own recovery story—he came to it through a family legacy of service and one unforgettable moment that changed everything. After walking into a substandard treatment center and seeing patients forced to sleep in hallways, he knew the system was broken. Today, as founder and CEO of Sierra Health & Wellness and The Elijah House Foundation, Joe has turned that spark into one of the leading behavioral health networks in California and Nevada.
Armed with nothing more than a $10,000 credit card and a mission, Joe opened a small sober living house that grew into a network dedicated to dignity and quality in care. In this conversation with Todd and Bettijo, Joe pulls back the curtain on the messy realities of the recovery industry—patient-brokering scandals, the stubborn stigma of addiction, and the hard truths about insurance companies that too often put profits before people. Joe also explains why the 2008 law that redefined addiction as a medical condition was both a blessing and a curse, opening doors for treatment while also unleashing fraud and inadequate reimbursement that still haunt the system.
But this isn’t just an exposé—it’s also a story of hope and humor. Joe shares how Sierra’s holistic model goes beyond substance use to address the mental and physical health issues at the root of addiction, while Todd adds levity with a hilarious, all-too-relatable story from his own early recovery. Together, they explore why “luxury rehab” shouldn’t be a privilege, but a standard of care available to everyone.
This episode is raw, urgent, and at times laugh-out-loud funny—a behind-the-scenes look at how one man is fighting to bring dignity, quality, and compassion back to addiction treatment. It’s the kind of story that’ll make you say… well, DANG!
EPISODE Highlights
- Joe’s roots in service: how a family legacy with the Salvation Army shaped his calling. (1:23)
- The “spark” moment—patients sleeping on hallway floors—that lit the fire for change. (3:08)
- Joe shares that he is a “normie,” but his family’s struggles with polyuse addiction inspired his work. (5:44)
- Launching the Elijah House Foundation with nothing but a $10,000 credit card and a 10-bed men’s program. (8:24)
- Joe explains that Sierra Health & Wellness was built on the belief that ‘luxury rehab’ should be a standard of care, not an exclusive privilege. (19:35)
- The messy truth about the 2008 federal law impacting insurance companies and how good intentions went sideways. (15:40)
- The rampant fraud that is festering in the addiction treatment industry, documented in this NY Times article. (19:55)
- Treating the whole person: why recovery means healing the mind, body, and addiction together. (23:19)
- A day in the life of a patient at Sierra Health and Wellness, from admissions to the nursing team, detailed in the movie short Joe produced Troy’s Story. (27:00)
- Do they really tie people down in rehab? (31:20)
- If Joe had a magic wand, this is the one thing he’d fix in addiction care. (46:16)
- ToddFlix: Countdown (55:51)
ToddFlix Pick
Listen to Learn
- The challenges of getting people into and keeping them in addiction recovery.
- Why the 2008 law that classified substance use disorder as a medical condition was both a blessing and a curse.
- How to fight the stigma of addiction and treat it as the disease that it is.
- The dangerous process of alcohol detox and why you should never attempt it alone.
This isn’t just a conversation about addiction—it’s about fighting for dignity, compassion, and real change in a broken system. Joe’s work is proof that better is possible. You’ll want to hear this one. Hit play!
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