Our Mission is to offer hope and promote recovery to those who suffer
from the vicious cycle of addiction to alcohol and drugs.

The Healing Place of Huntington will use a 12-step program philosophy. We believe the way to recovery is to offer individuals the opportunity to change their thinking, behavior, and hearts. We recognize that recovery is a journey and not a destination. We believe that those in recovery have a life worth living and can become productive members of society to carry their experience to others who suffer from addiction.

What is the Healing Place of Huntington?
The Healing Place of Huntington will provide a long-term residential program of recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. The new substance abuse recovery center for men, located at 2425 9th Avenue in Huntington, WV, plans to open this fall. It will initially offer 26 beds and will increase capacity to 100 over time. The Healing Place also plans to open a facility for women in the future.

What is the Healing Place Model?
The Healing Place of Huntington is a replication of the model program at the Healing Place of Louisville, the largest shelter/addiction recovery center in Kentucky with more than 2,300 alumni returned to community life as productive citizens. The US Department of Health and Human Services has recognized the Healing Place in Louisville, KY as a "model that works"- a successful program of recovery that has proven effective in breaking the cycle of addiction. In fact, it serves as the model for Recovery Kentucky (a plan to open ten similar recovery centers in that state) and it has been replicated in communities such as Richmond, VA and Raleigh, NC.

Why choose the Healing Place Model?

• The Healing Place model is incredibly cost effective. The non-medical detox and residential recovery program is provided absolutely cost free to the individual alcoholic/addict. The residents contribute to their room and board in other ways- such as providing services in food preparation, housekeeping, building and grounds maintenance, security, peer-mentoring, teaching, etc. The Healing Place is a non-profit organization that relies on grants and charitable donations for funding and is able to keep costs down to an average of $25 per day per resident (considerably less than the average $250 per day in a traditional treatment facility or the $50 per day in our regional jail).
• The Healing Place model has a proven record of success for over 15 years. Statistics show that 65% of the alumni of the Healing Place of Louisville remained clean and sober for at least one year after completing the program. And of these, 85% stayed clean and sober for five years. This is roughly five times the national average for successful recovery from alcohol and drug addiction in traditional facilities. This model program saves lives and restores people to their families and communities. It takes the alcoholic/addict from detox to sustained recovery- from a position of entitlement to empowerment- from a tax burden to a tax payer.

How does the Healing Place program of recovery work?

• The Healing Place model of recovery is based on the 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous that a) views alcohol and drug addiction as a chronic physical, mental, and spiritual disease; and b) advocates a unique “social” method of treatment- one recovering alcoholic/addict helping another to achieve sobriety. Residents are not only required to attend outside AA/NA meetings, but to complete the curriculum of Recovery Dynamics, a systematic program of application of the 12 steps to daily life that consists of 28 classes and 32 written assignments.
• Instead of relying on professional counselors as staff, the Healing Place model uses in-house Peer Mentors- Silver Chip residents who have recently completed the program and, thus may serve as successful role models of recovery. These peer mentors are uniquely qualified to facilitate meetings and classes, provide peer support and guidance, and model appropriate social and life skills.
• Residents form a therapeutic community that operates on the principles of peer mentoring, group conscience, and consensus decision-making. The community emphasis on taking personal responsibility for one’s actions, self-discipline, and accountability to the peer group provides the primary catalyst of change for the recovering addict and alcoholic.