The ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening of Revive Life, a new rehabilitation and mental health clinic, was held on August 7, 2025, in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman served as the chief guest, commending the clinic’s mission to provide compassionate, personalized care for individuals and families affected by addiction and mental health challenges.

“This is an amazing community, but there are people in this community who need help, and we are so grateful to organizations like Revive Life for providing opportunities for compassionate and personalized care for individuals and families affected by addiction and mental health challenges,” said Mayor Ashman.

He noted that while public discussions on addiction and mental health have increased, perhaps not as much as it should be, adding that nearly everyone has been touched by these issues in some way.

“I am no exception, close members of my family are in recovery and deal with mental health challenges every single day,” Ashman shared. “We in the city care deeply about our residents and their needs. Our staff work together every day to provide exceptional services, including connecting residents with social service resources.”

To mark the occasion, Mayor Ashman proclaimed August 7 as “Revive Life Day” in Gaithersburg and presented the proclamation to the clinic’s founders, Bhanu Subramaniam, Vikas Dhall, and Radhika Nataraj.

“This journey literally began as a conversation around a dinner table, but quickly spiraled into a strong vision – as we fully understood the need for more intensive and continuous care for Substance Use and mental health issues. And the need is tremendous,” Subramaniam told attendees.

Citing troubling statistics, she noted that alcohol and drug use has been steadily rising, and drug overdose deaths have seen a recent uptick after a short decline. Mental health diagnoses have surged nearly 40 percent in the U.S. since the pandemic.

These numbers, she explained, highlight the need for intensive outpatient programs that offer daily sessions over multiple weeks, with gradual step-down care leading to regular therapy and support groups. Revive Life addresses this gap by offering Intensive Outpatient (IOP) and Partial Hospitalization (PHP) programs for substance use, mental health, and dual diagnoses, in addition to one-on-one outpatient therapy.

“Mental health is not a luxury, it is a necessity,” emphasized co-founder Radhika Nataraj. Sharing her personal perspective, she said, “I have seen the transformation when mental health is prioritized.”

She reminded attendees that behind every statistic is a real person — “someone’s spouse, someone’s parent, a sibling, a friend, someone’s child” — and that stigma often keeps their struggles hidden.

“We see them, but we don’t see them because stigma has taught us to look the other way,” Nataraj said. “My hope is that our center breaks the silence. We need to acknowledge the human soul, the person behind the pain. Our goal is to restore what life struggles have taken and to remind each person that walks through our doors of their inherent worth, strength, and the right to live fully.”

“This is a dream come true. This country has embraced us, given us the opportunity to what we have in our mind to prove it, and that’s what it is today,” said co-founder Vikas Dhall. He explained that the clinic’s mission, as reflected in its name Revive, is to serve the community and empower women, with the goal of making Revive a women-driven organization.

Dhall thanked guests for their support, including Jesse Singh, co-founder of the Center of Social Change in Maryland. Speaking to South Asian Herald, Singh described the initiative as “a very nice program” and “a need of the community right now,” noting that more such centers are needed in Gaithersburg and across Maryland.

Revive Life offers a range of programs tailored to individuals at various stages of recovery.

“Our partial hospitalization program is an intensive, structured treatment option for those stepping down from inpatient detox centers, providing comprehensive care while still offering a path of greater independence,” explained team member Navya Nataraj, who introduced the program and guests at the event.

She added that patients ready for more flexibility transition into the IOP program, which provides continued therapeutic support with slightly less structure, allowing for reintegration into daily life. “We treat both substance use disorder and mental health,” she said, noting Revive’s holistic approach that addresses both physical and emotional well-being.

In addition to the mayoral proclamation, Revive Life received citations from U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, Montgomery County Executive Mark Elrich, and Montgomery County Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles. Elisha Pulivarti, President of the U.S.-India SME Council, presented the citation on behalf of County Executive Elrich.

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