About Us

Turning Point Recovery Society, located in Richmond, BC, is a leading non-profit organization dedicated to helping individuals reclaim their lives from addiction. For over four decades, we have provided a safe, supportive, and structured environment where people can embark on their journey toward long-term recovery.

At Turning Point, we believe that recovery is possible for everyone. Our team is committed to empowering individuals to make lasting changes.

Mission & History

Our Team

Mission Statement

Turning Point Recovery Society is a non-profit organization committed to improving the health and well-being of individuals with addiction issues, their families and the communities we serve through a continuum of residential and outpatient support services, education and leadership.

Addiction has become one of the most critical and pressing health and social issues facing our society today. Addiction causes an inordinate amount of suffering in every Lower Mainland community and across our province. Everyone knows someone who has been directly or indirectly affected by addiction.

In delivering on our mission, Turning Point:

Provides safe and supportive residential-based recovery services for vulnerable citizens in our community

Facilitates the entrance of these individuals into community-based addictions support networks

Assists these individuals to regain their independence, reach their full potential and become contributing members of society

Helps reduce the social and economic costs of substance abuse within the community and the province of British Columbia

Our Values

At Turning Point Recovery Society, our values are the foundation of everything we do. They shape our relationships with the people we serve, guide our team culture, and inform every decision we make. These principles reflect our commitment to creating a safe, inclusive, and healing environment for individuals on their recovery journey.

Turning Point’s Core Values:

Compassion Over Judgment

We lead with empathy, not stigma.
We recognize that addiction is not a moral failing, but often rooted in trauma, mental health challenges, or systemic barriers. Every person is more than their struggles and deserves to be treated with kindness, dignity, and care.

We Practice This By:

Seeing the human behind the addiction, not defining them by it.
Creating a non-judgmental space that fosters trust and safety.
Responding to setbacks with support, not punishment.
Using language that is respectful and stigma-free.

Trauma-Informed Practice

We understand that trauma is often at the core of addiction and mental health challenges.
Our programs are built to avoid re-traumatization and instead promote safety, choice, and empowerment.

We Practice This By:

Prioritizing emotional and physical safety.
Building trust through clear communication and boundaries.
Including peer support from those with lived experience.
Reducing power imbalances through mutual collaboration.
Honoring each person’s voice, culture, history, and identity.
Providing flexible, voluntary, and responsive programming.
Maintaining trauma-sensitive spaces and policies.\

Person-Centered Care

We honor each individual’s unique path by tailoring care to their values, goals, and strengths.
Recovery is self-defined, and we walk alongside our clients as partners, not as directors.

We Practice This By:

Respecting each person’s dignity, autonomy, and choices.
Co-creating recovery plans that reflect personal goals.
Offering real choices in types of support and care.
Addressing the whole person, mind, body, and spirit.
Focusing on strengths and resilience, not just deficits.
Working collaboratively with clients, peers, and communities.
Delivering culturally sensitive, inclusive, and equitable care.

Integrity

We are guided by ethics, transparency, and accountability.
Integrity builds trust with our clients, staff, partners, and community.

We Practice This By:

Being honest and transparent in all communications.
Aligning our actions with our stated values.
Using resources responsibly and ethically.
Upholding confidentiality and professional boundaries.
Acknowledging mistakes and taking corrective action.
Creating strong systems for oversight and feedback.

Why These Values Matter

Many of the individuals we support have experienced marginalization, trauma, and systemic discrimination. By centering compassion, trauma-awareness, person-centered care, and integrity, we create an environment that fosters real recovery, not just compliance or control. At Turning Point Recovery Society, we are not just offering services; we are building community, hope, and long-term change.

Our History

I In 1982, two men seeking to stay sober themselves, decided to invite several other men and women to join them and share an apartment while they worked through the challenges of early recovery. From that apartment, the entity known today as Turning Point grew. In 1984, several leaders of Vancouver’s business community joined with these pioneers and formed a registered society: The Western Keys to Recovery Society.

That society later split into the Western Steps to Recovery Society (the operating body), and the Western Recovery Foundation (the asset holders). The Society then reformed itself in 2000, and the Turning Point Recovery Foundation was formed to pursue all forms of funding needed to cover operating costs.

In April 2002 we celebrated our 20th anniversary of existence by hosting a gala dinner at Hotel Georgia in Vancouver. Turning Point welcomed Brenda Plant as Executive Director in 2005, and under nearly two decades of her leadership, dramatically expanded its programs and services, growing into one of Canada’s most respected and innovative recovery service providers, prior to retiring in 2025.

Over its 20-year history, Turning Point has been home to over 2,000 men and women in Vancouver and Richmond.

Our Team

Staff

Turning Point’s team is professionally trained in addiction counselling and/or holds advanced degrees in social work, social services, or other health-related disciplines.

Many of our team members have lived experience, and several are Turning Point alumni. All employees adhere to the ethics, policies, and guidelines of the Society and the certifying boards of their respective licensing and regulatory bodies.

Board of Directors

Our Board members bring a diverse combination of business, accounting, legal and social service backgrounds to their positions. Board and Staff participate annually in ethics training.