Families Free

What Families Free does

Families Free is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Johnson City, Tennessee, that delivers licensed mental health, outpatient substance abuse treatment, and family-reunification services to vulnerable populations across a nine-county Northeast Tennessee region. The organization operates four integrated program verticals: Healing Families / Parent and Child Together (PACT), an outpatient and community-based program for women with drug-exposed infants up to age 8; Restorative Justice / NETRRC, a one-year residential recovery program in Roan Mountain for men and women overcoming addiction; Community Recovery, which delivers gender-specific evidence-based curricula such as Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT) and Thinking for a Change inside local detention centers; and Storie Housing, sober-living shelter capacity for up to 40 women and children. Service delivery is supported by four regional offices (Johnson City, Elizabethton, Kingsport, Mountain City) and an in-house clinical team led by Clinical Director Robin Ledford under Executive Director Lisa Tipton.

The underlying technology stack is clinical rather than digital: Families Free relies on standardized evidence-based treatment methodologies (MRT, Thinking for a Change) and family assessment instruments (FAST, ACE, ecomaps, genograms) rather than proprietary software, APIs, or AI systems. The organization maintains no public developer surface, no patents, and no disclosed integrations; intake is handled through a referral-based online form and partnerships with detention centers, drug courts, Carter County government, and community organizations. The First Judicial District Felony Recovery Court, which Families Free manages, was named one of ten national NADCP Adult Drug Court Mentor Courts in 2022, indicating operational maturity within the justice-recovery continuum.

Families Free generates no client-facing revenue: all services are provided free of charge and the organization does not accept insurance. Operating revenue is derived from three streams: government grants (primarily the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, supplemented by Carter County opioid settlement funds), charitable donations and annual fundraisers (the Song, Stories, Sunset event raised $100,000 in 2021 and $121,500 in 2022), and ancillary social-enterprise income from the WOVEN coffee blend sold at local retailers. The organization is governed by an independent Board of Directors and operates as an autonomous 501(c)(3) with no parent entity.

Name

Families Free

Legal name

Families Free

Website

https://familiesfree.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Families Free is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Johnson City, Tennessee, providing licensed mental health, outpatient substance abuse treatment, residential recovery, and supportive housing to vulnerable women, children, and justice-involved individuals across nine Northeast Tennessee counties, funded primarily by state grants and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social and Behavioral Health Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (62411), Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities (623220)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Maternal, Child & Family Health Organizations (BPAGACAF)

Keywords

• Substance abuse treatment
• Mental health services
• Residential recovery programs
• Offender reentry support
• Family reunification services

Headquarters

HQ city

Johnson City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Grants: Primary funding from the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Programs are partially funded by state grants and opioid settlement funds from regional counties.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Charitable donations from individuals and organizations, annual fundraiser events (Song, Stories, Sunset), and corporate sponsorships. Tax-deductible 501(c)(3) organization.
3. Coffee Sales: WOVEN blend coffee sold at local retailers with proceeds supporting vulnerable women and children in Northeast Tennessee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Families Free is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing licensed outpatient substance abuse treatment, mental health services, residential recovery, and sober housing to vulnerable families affected by incarceration and addiction in Northeast Tennessee. Its integrated program portfolio includes Healing Families (PACT) for women with drug-exposed infants, Restorative Justice/NETRRC for justice-involved adults, Community Recovery groups inside detention centers, and Storie Housing for women and children. All services are delivered free of charge and funded by government grants and donations.

Product overview

Families Free is a non-profit organization (501(c)(3)) providing licensed mental health and outpatient substance abuse treatment services. The organization operates four integrated core programs: Healing Families (supporting women with drug-exposed infants through outpatient and community-based services), Restorative Justice/Northeast Tennessee Regional Recovery Center (a one-year residential recovery program), Community Recovery (gender-specific groups in detention centers with evidence-based therapies like MRT and Thinking for a Change), and Storie Housing (emergency shelter for women and children). All services are grant-funded and provided free of charge to clients. The programs are partially funded by the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and emphasize teaching vital life skills through individual and group intervention and evidence-based curriculum promoting healing and restoration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Healing Families: Program building strength and resiliency for families affected by Adverse Childhood Experiences, focusing on parent-child reunification and access to community resources.
• Restorative Justice
• Community Recovery
• Storie Housing
• Northeast Tennessee Regional Recovery Center (NETRRC)
• First Judicial District Felony Recovery Court (FJDFRC)
• Woven
• Parent and Child Together (PACT)

Products and services

• Healing Families (Parent and Child Together / PACT) Intensive outpatient and community-based program supporting women with drug-exposed infants and children up to age 8. Builds nurturing parent-child bonds and connects participants with parenting education, housing assistance, employment services, mental health support, and family reunification resources.
• Restorative Justice / Northeast Tennessee Regional Recovery Center (NETRRC) One-year residential recovery program for men and women committed to overcoming addiction and reclaiming their lives. Delivers evidence-based substance abuse treatment, mental health services, life skills training, parenting education, trauma groups, yoga, psychiatric evaluations, and family therapy across nine Northeast Tennessee counties.
• Community Recovery Facilitates gender-specific groups inside local detention centers, using Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT) and Thinking for a Change curricula to equip participants with cognitive and life skills for successful community re-entry, paired with office-based case management.
• Storie Housing Safe, sober living residence providing free accommodation and wraparound support for up to 40 women and children in recovery, including 5 women and 4 children in the Storie House private residence, enabling integration of new life skills while remaining connected to treatment and employment programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30+ individuals graduated from recovery court program since 2017
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• Northeast Tennessee Regional Recovery Center (NETRRC)coreOthersOperated by Families Free, offering transformative one-year program for men and women overcoming addiction. Facility serves nine counties across the region with ribbon cutting attended by Gov. Bill Lee.
• Calvary ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts Christmas celebrations for clients and families. Major community partner providing event space and volunteer support.
• IntellithoughtsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides networking services and support to Families Free since 2015. Believes in restoration-focused services for at-risk families.
• ReclaimedsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity supporter describing Families Free as walking women through recovery with dignity. Provides practical assistance and belief in recovery.
• First Baptist of KingsportsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides space in Kingsport for ministry through a hand of grace and love to those in need in the region.
• First Christian Church, Johnson CitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted Spring 2023 Pop-Up Clothing Event for clients. Ongoing partner for community events.
• Chateau SelahsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue host for annual fundraiser events. Beautiful mountain backdrop for Song, Stories, Sunset fundraiser.
• Sam Buchanan of ColorWorkssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer providing employment with benefits for program participants. Accommodates recovery schedules.
• Andy Wilson of Mapes Piano String CompanysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer providing employment with benefits for program participants. Accommodates recovery schedules.
• Reclaimed Inspired GoodsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail location in Johnson City where WOVEN blend coffee is sold.
• Stir Fry and Southern Craft BBQminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRestaurants in Johnson City serving WOVEN blend coffee.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Cornerstone of Recovery: Tennessee-based residential substance use disorder treatment provider using evidence-based curricula and family-inclusive programming, serving adults from across the Southeast — highly comparable model of residential recovery and family re-engagement.
• Volunteer Behavioral Health Care System: Tennessee statewide nonprofit providing mental health, substance use, and recovery services across 32 counties, including residential and outpatient treatment — comparable service mix (treatment plus family/social support) and reliance on Tennessee DMHSAS funding.
• Cumberland Heights: Nashville-area nonprofit addiction treatment organization offering residential and outpatient recovery programs for adolescents and adults, including family programming — same evidence-based addiction treatment model and family-inclusive approach as Families Free.
• Frontier Health: Northeast Tennessee/Southwest Virginia nonprofit behavioral health and social services organization offering outpatient substance use treatment, recovery courts, and family services — the closest geographic and programmatic competitor to Families Free in the same nine-county region.
• McNabb Center (Helen Ross McNabb Center): Tennessee-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing mental health, substance use, and social services across East Tennessee, serving justice-involved individuals, women and children, and people with co-occurring disorders — directly comparable population and geographic footprint to Families Free.

Regional players

• Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services: Tennessee-based behavioral health provider serving children, adolescents, and adults with mental health and substance use disorders — comparable mission and population focus but anchored in Middle Tennessee rather than Northeast Tennessee.

Broad incumbents

• Bradford Health Services: Southeast-wide for-profit addiction treatment provider with a larger footprint of residential and outpatient facilities, including Tennessee locations — overlaps with Families Free's substance use disorder treatment mission but operates as a broad incumbent across the region.

Others

• National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP): National membership and standards body that designated Families Free's recovery court as a Mentor Court — defines the recovery court model that drives Families Free's core program and certifies peer courts, making it the central industry association for the company.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/4familiesfree
• Instagraminstagram.com/familiesfree

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Families Free