About ALORA Rehab
Learn about our mission, our team, and our commitment to your recovery.
Our Story
ALORA Rehab was founded 12 years ago by Dr. Elena Vasquez, a practicing clinician who spent a decade working in hospital emergency departments across Los Angeles County. Night after night, she watched patients cycle through overdose stabilization only to be discharged with a pamphlet and a referral to a facility hours away. Most never followed through.
Dr. Vasquez left hospital work with a clear conviction: quality addiction treatment should not require families to send their loved ones to distant cities. She chose San Dimas, a quiet community in the San Gabriel Valley foothills east of LA, because it offered the calm environment patients need without forcing them far from home.
What began as a 20-bed residential program has grown into a 54-bed, full-continuum treatment center with 106 staff members and more than 9,100 patients served. The core principle has never changed: bring the care to the community, not the other way around.
Our Mission
Our mission is built on a single word: dignity. Every person who walks through our doors deserves to be treated with respect regardless of where they have been or what substances have shaped their story. We believe that accessible, community-based treatment produces better outcomes because patients remain close to the families, jobs, and neighborhoods they are working to rejoin.
ALORA Rehab exists to close the gap between world-class clinical care and the communities that need it most. We measure success not just by sobriety milestones but by restored relationships, renewed purpose, and patients who reintegrate into their daily lives with confidence.
Treatment Philosophy
Our treatment philosophy rests on three pillars that shape every clinical decision we make:
- Community Reintegration - Recovery does not happen in a vacuum. From the first week of treatment, we help patients rebuild connections with their neighborhoods, local support groups, and the people who matter most. Our proximity to San Dimas and surrounding communities makes this practical rather than theoretical.
- Mind-Body Connection - Addiction affects the whole person. Our programming integrates physical wellness, including yoga, aquatic therapy, and walking trails through the foothills, with clinical modalities like CBT, neurofeedback, and experiential therapy. When the body heals alongside the mind, lasting change follows.
- Peer Accountability - Patients hold each other to high standards through structured group therapy, shared daily schedules, and mentorship from those further along in their recovery. This creates a culture where honesty is expected and vulnerability is safe.
Our Team
Dr. Elena Vasquez, MD
Founder & Medical Director
Board-certified in addiction medicine with over 20 years of clinical experience. Dr. Vasquez oversees all medical protocols and ensures every patient receives individualized, evidence-based care rooted in compassion.
Marcus Tran, LMFT
Clinical Director
A licensed marriage and family therapist with 14 years in residential treatment settings. Marcus leads the clinical team and specializes in dual diagnosis care and family systems therapy.
Rachel Okonkwo, LCSW
Lead Therapist
Rachel brings expertise in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy and experiential modalities. She coordinates the creative arts programming that distinguishes ALORA's therapeutic approach.
David Moreno, RN, BSN
Director of Nursing
With a background in emergency medicine and psychiatric nursing, David manages the 24/7 nursing staff and oversees all medication-assisted treatment protocols during detox and residential care.
Accreditations & Certifications
ALORA Rehab maintains the highest standards of care through nationally recognized accrediting bodies.
Alumni Testimonials
"At 23, I thought treatment was for older people with decades of addiction behind them. ALORA showed me that catching it early was the smartest thing I ever did. The art therapy sessions helped me process feelings I didn't even know I was carrying. I'm building a life I actually want to wake up for."
- Former Patient, Age 23
"Crack cocaine cost me my marriage and nearly cost me custody of my two boys. The family programming at ALORA gave us a place to be honest with each other for the first time in years. My ex-wife and I are co-parenting again, and my sons know they can count on me. That's worth more than anything."
- Former Patient, Age 39
"I didn't want to be at ALORA. Full stop. My brother drove me there after an intervention, and I planned to leave the second he pulled out of the parking lot. But the staff never treated me like a problem to solve. They were patient, straightforward, and never condescending. Somewhere around day ten, I stopped fighting it and started listening. Best decision I never wanted to make."
- Former Patient, Age 36