Photo: Wayne Emde

Randi Kolibaba presenting her novel to a crowd at the Schubert Center in November 2023

Author and long-time member of the RCMP, Randy Kolibaba, has been named COO of a program designed to help people with mental health and substance issues.

Kolibaba was the chief of the Vernon RCMP before he retired. He also did a tour of duty in Kosovo, helping to restore order with the national police force after the war.

He is now the chief operating officer of Inner Immersion, a behavioral health program based on the near-death experience of its founder, Jose Hernandez.

When Kolibaba talks about Inner Immersion, he does so from a place of experience.

“I was the contingent commander of Canada’s largest United Nations civilian police mission in war-torn Kosovo, Yugoslavia. There, as a result of directly investigating the horrors of the genocide, upon my return I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Kolibaba said in a testimony.

Although not free, Inner Immersion is used in a variety of BC facilities

Inner Immersion is currently used in the following treatment scenarios in the Okanagan:

• Red Road Recovery Centers (substance use) in Lumby, Sorrento, Salmon Arm
• Desert Valley Hospice Society (End of Life Care)
• Osoyoos – Penticton Indian Band

For more information, visit Inner Immersion website.