KENT—High atop a hill in rural Kent sits an idyllic 200-acre campus, a serene retreat for troubled souls.
They come to High Watch Recovery Center on Carter Road hoping to reset their lives, to reach a deeper understanding of themselves and to follow a new path forward that does not include addictive substances.
The world’s first 12-Step treatment center, High Watch was established in 1939 and has evolved over nearly nine decades to provide sophisticated individual treatment programs that guide guests from initial detoxification through to post-treatment care that helps to ensure a successful reintroduction to independent living.
“High Watch is a very spiritual place and that is particularly impactful,” said Andrew Roberts, the new chief executive officer, during a recent interview.
And well it ought to be. High Watch was born out of the association the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) formed with Sister Francis [Ethelred Frances Folsom]. Born to a well-educated, affluent family, Sister Francis yearned to create a retreat for anyone in need of healing. She purchased farmland in Kent in 1926 and named it Joy Farm.
When AA founders, Marty Mann, and Bill and Lois W. first came to Joy Farm in 1939 to spend the weekend with Sister Francis, Bill W. famously described the spiritual atmosphere as “being so thick, you could cut it with a knife.”
Bill and Lois W. spent six weekends at the farm that first summer, falling in love with the site. Joy Farm officially became High Watch Farm later that year.
A CEO with ties to High Watch
As the new CEO, Roberts knows that feeling of serenity well. Roberts’ relationship with High Watch stretches back nearly a quarter of a century, to when he first came there as a guest. Even after he ended his extended stay at the recovery center, he often returned to the campus when he was in Connecticut.
“But then, when I moved to Ohio, I lost touch,” he recounted.
The majority of his career has been spent working with nonprofits after earning “master’s degrees for do-gooders” from Brandies and Harvard. In 2024, he was working as a consultant in Ohio when, in one of life’s inexplicable coincidences, he received a cold call from a recruiter searching for a new CEO for a Connecticut recovery facility.
“He was describing a job as an administrator for a health care facility in a small town in Northwest Connecticut,” recalled Roberts. “The more he talked the more it sounded like Kent. I said, ‘Are we talking about High Watch?’ He said, ‘Do you know it?’ and I said, ‘Do I know it? I love it!’”
Before he knew it, he had moved back East and was ensconced as CEO of the venerable facility, taking over direction of a campus that had nearly doubled in size since his sojourn as a guest.
A major expansion
In 2021, the facility had undertaken a 45,000-square-foot, $22 million, expansion that added a 12-bed detoxification facility, a 216-seat lecture hall, a new and welcoming entrance, offices, treatment areas, and residential rooms—even a meditative “silo,” where guests can sit and absorb the serenity of their surroundings.
Sleek and modern, the new buildings nevertheless reflect their agricultural roots, with post-and-beam construction, fixtures, furnishings, and materials such as reclaimed woods that enhance the character of the new and renovated spaces.
The new complex encloses a courtyard where those going through the detox process can go outside to enjoy nature in a safe surrounding.
In addition, The Barn, the campus dining facility, was expanded by 50 percent, eliminating seating problems on Saturday evenings when High Watch holds a supper and an AA meeting open to all individuals in the region who are in recovery.
“I came here in April, and it has just been so wonderful,” Roberts said. “Everything is still here, plus all the additions. I feel they have done a great job of keeping the essence of High Watch.”
Steeped in tradition, the recovery center nevertheless strives to stay on the cutting edge of addiction treatments.
During detox, a potentially dangerous process, guests are cared for by a medical team. Each guest receives an individual bio-psycho-social evaluation and during their initial stay, they confer with an individual therapist, take part in group therapy, and work with a 12-Step coach.
After 28 days, male guests may move to Hilltop, a Partial Hospital Program designed to facilitate adjustment to a homelike environment while providing continued clinical care.
In this stage of treatment, guests often encounter triggers they will face after leaving residential treatment, helping staff to prepare them for the next step in their treatment.
A similar environment is provided for women at a residential building known as Eden Hill in Canaan, Conn.
Building relationships with the town
Over the past year, Roberts has familiarized himself with the operation of the recovery center, but he has not yet formulated plans for future expansion. He said one of his first priorities is building relationships with the Kent community.
“High Watch’s relationship with the town has gone through ups and downs,” he said. “Right now, there is a lawsuit before the courts about building a greenhouse on our farm, which I attribute to a lack of communication. I want to deepen our connection with the community and part of our mission is to open the campus. For example, we intend to have a Kent Day in the spring.”
In 2021, High Watch opened Wilson’s, a coffee shop on Main Street, that acts as a steppingstone for High Watch guests as they reintegrate back into the general population. It has become a popular rendezvous for visitors to town and locals alike.
Early in the fall, High Watch held a dinner for the Kent Volunteer Fire Department, which helps the center when it needs medical transports. The center also participated in the town’s Christmas festivities, building the stars that twinkled along Main Street to the delight of all.
Referring to High Watch’s long and distinguished place in the history of addictive care, Roberts said, “Kent should be proud of High Watch.”
