Fern House
Fern House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1983 that operates a 104-bed residential recovery program in Palm Beach County, Florida, providing zero-tolerance, 12-step-based substance use treatment to indigent men referred primarily by the courts, corrections, and faith-based organizations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersWest Palm Beach, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Fern House does
Fern House, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit residential recovery program founded in 1983 in West Palm Beach, Florida, providing structured, peer-supported recovery services to indigent men with substance use disorders. The organization operates two facilities totaling 104 beds: a 64-bed main campus at 1958 Church Street in West Palm Beach serving newcomers through a six-month structured program, and a 40-bed transitional living facility (Fern House II / Harry Hamilton campus) in Lake Worth for graduates who need additional supported housing before full reintegration. Residents are referred primarily through the 15th Judicial Circuit, Florida Department of Corrections, and local faith-based organizations, with roughly one-third self-referring by walking in off the street; intake is partially digitized through the Sobriety Hub online application platform.
The core offering is a zero-tolerance, 12-step-based residential program combining mandatory AA/NA meetings, gainful employment within two weeks of admission, nightly meetings, household responsibilities, and three daily meals, with residents contributing $280 per week toward the cost of their stay. The model is explicitly designed to convert residents from tax burdens into taxpayers. Revenue derives from two streams: per-resident weekly contributions and charitable donations (with an Indigent Care Fund targeting $250,000 and a single annual Fall Brunch fundraiser). Fern House accepts no government funding and is governed by a 17-member Board of Directors of local business professionals, with day-to-day operations led by Executive Director Charles "Chuck" Cordle (a Certified Addictions Counselor and alumnus, in role since 2014) and Manager Steven Wilson (alumnus promoted from within in 2022). Annual throughput is approximately 260-325 men, with more than 1,000 men helped through the Indigent Care Fund cumulatively.
Fern House firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Fern House
- Legal name
- Fern House, Inc.
- Website
- https://fernhouse.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Fern House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1983 that operates a 104-bed residential recovery program in Palm Beach County, Florida, providing zero-tolerance, 12-step-based substance use treatment to indigent men referred primarily by the courts, corrections, and faith-based organizations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Fern House industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Addiction Recovery and Rehabilitation Services
- NAICS
- Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities (62322)
- SIC
- Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Residential Substance Use Rehabilitation (Inpatient Rehab) (HLAFACAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services (HLAFACAN), Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO)
Keywords
Where Fern House is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- West Palm Beach
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Fern House business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Resident Contributions: Each resident is required to contribute $280 per week toward the cost of their stay, which covers housing, three daily meals, all utilities, and participation in the recovery program. Residents must obtain gainful employment within two weeks of admission.
- Donations and Fundraising: Charitable donations from the public, including an Indigent Care Fund that has helped open doors to over a thousand men. Fern House only asks for help once per year through events like the Fall Brunch. All fundraising goes toward capital projects and future expansion, not operating costs.
- No Government Funding: Fern House accepts no tax dollars and has developed a formula to exist without government funds. This financial independence is cited as a key part of their success, turning residents into taxpayers rather than tax burdens.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Weekly | Standard Residential Program |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Fern House product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Fern House operates a structured, peer-supported residential recovery program for indigent men with substance use disorders, providing housing, meals, mandatory 12-step meetings, employment requirements, and accountability-based rehabilitation. The program spans two facilities totaling 104 beds (64 for newcomers and 40 for long-term transitional living), with each resident required to contribute $280 per week and obtain gainful employment within two weeks of admission.
Product overview
Fern House operates a residential rehabilitation program for men with substance use disorder, consisting of two facilities: the Church Street main campus with 64 beds serving newcomers to recovery, and the Harry Hamilton/Fern House II campus with 40 beds for long-term transitional assistance, totaling 104 beds. The program combines structured housing, mandatory employment, 12-step meetings, and gradual reintegration support.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fern House Residential Recovery Program (Church Street)
- Fern House II Transitional Living Facility
- Weekly AA & NA 12-Step Meetings
- Sunday Nondenominational Service
- Indigent Care Fund
Companies that use Fern House
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Fern House technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Fern House partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Palm Beach Yacht ClubcoreAnnual sponsor of the Fern House Fall Brunch event. Host venue for the major annual fundraising event held each November. The 2025 brunch featured MLB legend Daryl Strawberry and celebrated 40+ years of rebuilding lives.
- Daryl StrawberryminorMLB legend (National League Rookie of the Year, eight-time All-Star, four-time World Series champion, New York Mets Hall of Fame) served as keynote speaker at 2025 Fern House Fall Brunch, sharing his story of success on the field and challenges off the field.
- Jeff O. (Jeff O.)minorFern House alumni speaker at 2025 Fall Brunch. Celebrity chef who made multiple appearances on Oprah Winfrey Show, worked as Executive Chef at Mar-A-Lago, and was part of opening team at Villa by Barton G in Versace Mansion.
- FedEx CaresminorCorporate volunteer group that joined Fern House residents for beach cleanup at Jupiter Inlet Park in July 2024 as part of service work component of recovery program.
- Suncoast High SchoolminorLocal high school students participated in beach cleanup with Fern House residents at Jupiter Inlet Park in July 2024, demonstrating community partnership and youth engagement.
- Palm Beach State CollegeminorCollege students participated in beach cleanup with Fern House residents at Jupiter Inlet Park, demonstrating educational institution partnership and service learning opportunities.
- WPTV Channel 5minorLocal television station covered the Fern House beach cleanup event at Jupiter Inlet Park, providing earned media coverage of the organization's community service efforts.
- Sobriety HubcoreTechnology platform used by Fern House to power their online application process. Prospective residents use Sobriety Hub to submit applications for admission to the recovery program.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Fern House competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Oxford House: Nonprofit network of 2,500+ democratically self-run sober living homes serving individuals in recovery from SUD. Operates on a similar resident-paid model and serves residents referred from courts, treatment programs, and the community — directly comparable referral and resident-economics profile to Fern House.
- Sundown M Ranch: Nonprofit residential SUD treatment center in Washington state serving adults, with a long-standing 12-step program and sliding-scale fees. Shares Fern House's nonprofit structure, residential model, and faith-informed 12-step approach, despite operating at larger scale and in a different region.
- Boca Recovery Center: Florida-based residential SUD treatment provider with multiple facilities including in Palm Beach County. Direct Florida regional competitor serving a similar population, with insurance billing capacity that Fern House lacks — illustrates the payer-mix competitive pressure on Fern House's resident-paid model.
- The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Centers: Operates 170+ long-term residential recovery centers across the US using a near-identical model: voluntary admissions, work-therapy component, 12-step-based programming, no insurance billing, faith-based funding. Closest analog to Fern House's structure and economic model.
Broad incumbents
- Caron Treatment Centers: Nonprofit residential and outpatient SUD treatment organization operating in Pennsylvania and Florida. Shares Fern House's faith-informed 12-step orientation and Florida geographic footprint (Caron Florida), but operates at much larger scale with insurance billing — comparable model, broader service portfolio.
- Rosecrance: Nonprofit behavioral health organization offering residential, outpatient, and prevention services for SUD and mental health. Comparable mission (community-based recovery nonprofit), 12-step integration, and resident-paid model, though with broader service lines and multi-state presence.
- Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation: One of the largest nonprofit residential SUD treatment providers in the US, operating multiple campuses with intensive inpatient and outpatient programs. Overlap with Fern House on residential 12-step programming and clinical/counseling approach, but at vastly larger scale and with broader service lines.
Emerging players
- The Crossroads Centre (Antigua): Nonprofit residential SUD treatment center founded in 1998 with a 12-step-based program modeled on the Minnesota Method. Operates internationally and shares Fern House's 12-step orientation, resident-funded model, and long-term residential approach at comparable organizational scale.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Fern House social profiles
Digital presenceFern House financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Fern House leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
Fern House subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Fern House funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Fern House M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Fern House
What does Fern House do?
Fern House operates a structured, peer-supported residential recovery program for indigent men with substance use disorders, providing housing, meals, mandatory 12-step meetings, employment requirements, and accountability-based rehabilitation. The program spans two facilities totaling 104 beds (64 for newcomers and 40 for long-term transitional living), with each resident required to contribute $280 per week and obtain gainful employment within two weeks of admission.
Is Fern House a public or private company?
Fern House is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Fern House founded?
Fern House was founded in 1983. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Fern House based?
Fern House is headquartered in West Palm Beach, United States, in the North America region.
How does Fern House make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Resident Contributions are the primary driver. The others are donations and Fundraising and no Government Funding.
Who are Fern House's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Oxford House, Sundown M Ranch, Boca Recovery Center and The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Centers. Broad incumbents are Caron Treatment Centers, Rosecrance and Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. The Crossroads Centre (Antigua) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Fern House have an API?
No public API is recorded for Fern House.
What industry is Fern House in?
Fern House's product category is Addiction Recovery and Rehabilitation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAFACAE, Residential Substance Use Rehabilitation (Inpatient Rehab), with a secondary code of HLAFACAN, Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services. Its NAICS code is 62322 and its SIC code is 8050.