About Richard Taite
Personal Journey & Background
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Richard Taite is currently the founder and Executive Chairman of Carrara Treatment Wellness & Spa, an ultra luxury addiction treatment facility, and also the Executive Chairman of 1 Method Centers, affordable substance use disorder treatment facilities. Richard graduated from UCLA with a degree in Political Science and Public Law and intended to become a lawyer, but life and fate had a different plan for him.
After struggling with addiction himself, Richard learned what worked, what didn’t work, and where programs fell short and failed clients. With 21 years of continuous sobriety, Richard has transformed his personal struggle with addiction into a lifelong mission to help others, providing him with unique insight into the challenges and possibilities of recovery.
Professional Achievements
Cliffside Malibu (2005-2018)
In 2005, Richard founded Cliffside Malibu, a boutique luxury rehab with only six beds. Richard steadily grew Cliffside into what was then widely considered the world’s premiere addiction treatment facility with 83 beds. In June of 2018, Richard sold Cliffside Malibu for nine figures, and five years later, due to the exploding fentanyl epidemic, Richard came back to work to help.
Carrara Treatment & Current Leadership
Bringing this same foundation into Carrara Treatment Wellness & Spa, Richard assembled the finest clinical team anywhere in the world and integrated an unmatched wellness and spa program—there has never been anything like this before. All 30 of the finest staff and practitioners from Cliffside Malibu followed Richard to Carrara, ensuring that his new venture continued to deliver world-class, personalized care.
Quantifiable Impact
Throughout his career, Richard has helped over 10,000 families navigate the journey to recovery, establishing himself as one of the most successful addiction treatment professionals in the country. One of his core beliefs is there is nothing to get, there is only to give.
Innovation in Treatment
Client Care Department
Richard created an important industry innovation at Cliffside when he instituted a dedicated Client Care Department. He knew from experience that early in treatment people often froze-up in therapy sessions and would leave feeling frustrated that they didn’t get to express what they wanted. The Client Care department consisted of four dedicated licensed therapists who would walk the property every day looking for somebody with their head in their hands, or otherwise displaying signs they were having a difficult time.
This active attunement to the clients’ needs ensured that love, empathy and respect would always be Cliffside’s top priority. Anticipating what a patient’s needs might be — before they actually had one — was a core element in Cliffside’s ability to achieve positive outcomes.
Wellness Integration Philosophy
At Carrara, Richard focuses on self-care, which graduates to self-esteem, which graduates to self-love. As Richard says, “I have yet to witness a person who loved himself while simultaneously killing himself with drugs and alcohol… It just doesn’t happen.”
Media Presence & Recognition
As a celebrated entrepreneur and visionary leader in the world of addiction treatment during the ever-burgeoning opioid crisis, Richard was a constant presence on television, radio and in magazine articles throughout his tenure at Cliffside, including featured appearances on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, ABC News’ Nightline, CBS’ This Morning, Entertainment Tonight and was the addiction expert in Prescription Thugs, an award-winning documentary, among many others.
In 2020, Richard was honored with a Pollie Award for his work during the presidential election. Richard is also deeply invested in addressing the homelessness crisis and is passionate about providing veterans, particularly those with PTSD and substance use disorders, the support and treatment they deserve.
Current Mission & Advocacy
Fentanyl Crisis Leadership
A major aspect of Richard’s advocacy today is spreading awareness about the fentanyl epidemic, a crisis he feels demands urgent attention. He emphasizes that burying a child is the most unnatural thing in the world, a tragedy that completely destroys families. Richard’s mission is to ensure more parents don’t have to suffer that loss by bringing awareness and solutions to the forefront of the national conversation.
We’re Out of Time Podcast
Today, Richard hosts the “We’re Out of Time” podcast, focusing on the urgent fentanyl crisis and advocating for comprehensive solutions to save lives and restore families. Through this platform, he continues to educate the public and influence policy discussions around addiction treatment and recovery.
Personal Philosophy & Legacy
Despite all his success, Richard remains grounded in his purpose: to restore families and save lives. His work has reached thousands, and his drive to help those battling addiction is as strong as ever. With Carrara Treatment Wellness & Spa, Richard continues to innovate and lead, proving that real recovery is possible when therapy and compassion are at the center of treatment.
Building this legacy of giving people the life they were always meant to live, and leaving this world better than he found it, he believes his children will be proud of. As he always says, “A good father only cares about two things, that his children are proud of him, and that they are okay in the world when he is gone.”