Scott Gilbert and Brian Fehr, two friends who met twenty-eight years ago while receiving drug and alcohol treatment at the renowned Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, are bringing a new model of mental health and addiction care to Calgary, The Reprieve.
Gilbert founded his first Treatment Center in 2003 and, through the ownership of centers and his consulting company, has been involved in the development of 51 treatment centers across the USA, United Kingdom and, most recently, Canada. Fehr is best known as the founder and former CEO of BID Group, which he built from a small, family-run sawmill services company into a billion-dollar North American industry leader. In 2018, Brian was awarded the Order of British Columbia for his exceptional contributions to rural economic development, sustainability, and innovation in the forestry industry. Following his exit from BID Group, Brian established the Brian Fehr Group (BFG), an investment platform focused on revitalizing legacy industrial assets, developing renewable energy projects, and, now, something very personal to him, growing access to quality treatment across Canada. Together, they bring decades of leadership, lived understanding, and long-term sobriety to the founding of The Reprieve in Calgary.
Joining the founders in this new venture is the former Director of Clinical Services at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, Chuck Rice, who will serve as The Reprieve’s Clinical Director. Bringing decades of leadership in addiction treatment and program development, this addition strengthens the centre’s commitment to delivering care rooted in the highest international standards and clinical integrity.
In spring 2026, The Reprieve will open its first in-person outpatient mental health and addiction treatment centre, offering structured, clinically intensive programs for adults struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. The program is specifically designed for working adults who wish to pursue meaningful treatment while maintaining their home responsibilities and careers. “Treatment should raise expectations and reducing harm is not the same as ending it. People deserve more than survival. They are absolutely capable of rebuilding their lives,” said the founders. “We met in a place where healing was grounded in trust and clinical excellence. We wanted to bring that same standard of care to Calgary.”
Currently, adults in Alberta struggling with substance use are often left with limited options. Those with significant financial resources may travel out of province or to the United States for private residential treatment. Others rely on publicly funded residential programs delivered by dedicated nonprofit teams who work tirelessly within constrained budgets and long waitlists. Outpatient services are available locally, but they are often fragmented, unaccredited, costly, not abstinence-focused, or insufficiently intensive to support the fragile early days of sobriety. Psychiatric support can be difficult to access consistently, and many providers have limited specialized training in addictions or the capacity to provide the depth of engagement required for meaningful change.
The Reprieve was created to address these gaps. It is grounded in the clinical conviction that abstinence from alcohol and drugs provides the strongest and most sustainable foundation for lasting change. Its model offers an intensive, medically supported outpatient program that is significantly more affordable than private residential treatment while maintaining clinical rigor and accountability. The team is composed of professionals specifically credentialed in addictions, with extensive clinical experience and lived understanding of long-term sobriety. Medication may be used when clinically appropriate, but the program's focus is not directed solely at short-term symptom management. The work is relational, structured, and designed to address the root drivers of addiction. Integrated weekly family therapeutic programming is built directly into the treatment model, recognizing that addiction affects the entire family system.
The Reprieve’s core program is a 10-week intensive outpatient model led by master level Registered Psychologists, and Clinical Social Workers, with medical oversight provided by a physician trained in Addiction Medicine. The program is designed to address both substance use and co-occurring mental health concerns. Research indicates that intensive outpatient treatment can achieve outcomes comparable to inpatient care for many individuals who are clinically appropriate, while allowing clients to remain connected to their families and workplaces. The centre emphasizes measurable progress, personal responsibility, and long-term recovery support through extended aftercare. Family members are involved throughout the process, strengthening outcomes and reinforcing change beyond the clinical setting.
As Calgary continues to experience growing demand for accessible addiction treatment, The Reprieve aims to provide a new option for adults seeking serious, integrated care in a private outpatient setting.
To learn more about The Reprieve and its upcoming opening, visit https://thereprieve.ca.
About The Reprieve
The Reprieve is a Calgary-based outpatient addiction treatment provider founded by Scott Gilbert and Brian Fehr, who first met while in treatment at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. Drawing on both lived experience and years of professional leadership and community involvement, they established The Reprieve which raises the standard of outpatient care by drawing from globally trusted methodologies. The centre offers specialized programming for adults seeking structured addictions therapy, medical oversight, integrated family services, and sustained long-term support.
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Media Contact
Scott Gilbert
The Reprieve
5 Richard Way SW Suite 102 | Calgary, AB | T3E 7M8
(403) 800-8366
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Source: 38 Digital Market News
Release ID: 2232134
