The Refuge

What The Refuge does

The Refuge is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, faith-based residential addiction recovery ministry headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, founded in 1999 originally as a family-run ministry in rural Vinton County. The organization delivers a free, 13-month program structured across four sequential phases — Discovery (30–45 days), Relational, Application, and Launch — serving men 18+ struggling with drug or alcohol addiction. Its core product is the Residential Addiction Recovery Program, which integrates Christ-centered spiritual programming with a comprehensive service stack: individual and group counseling, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, trauma-informed care, addiction and mental health counseling, medical support, peer support, workforce development with reported 90%+ job placement, low-cost recovery housing, financial literacy classes, leadership and life-skills training, free legal aid, and a transportation/car program delivered through partner employers, attorneys, CPAs, and Lindsay Honda.

The operating model is a peer-run, community-led organization supplemented by licensed clinicians; five of eight named executives are program alumni, including the CFO and Chief Development Officer, reinforcing the lived-experience mentorship model. The Refuge does not operate a technology product; its infrastructure consists of a website with an online prescreen form, a podcast (Relational Recovery), a YouTube testimonial channel, and a Classy.org donation portal.

Revenue is generated through three streams: competitive government grants (over $2.6 million secured from local, county, and state sources in recent years), individual and corporate donations via online and mail-in channels, and modest participant rent in later program phases once men begin working. The organization is credentialed through Ohio Department of Behavioral Health, Ohio Recovery Housing, ECFA accreditation, and HIPAA compliance. As of the latest reporting, The Refuge has served more than 5,000 men since inception, with a third-party alumni survey reporting 66% sustained sobriety, 92% continuous full-time employment, and 96% non-involvement with the judicial system post-program.

Name

The Refuge

Legal name

The Refuge Inc.

Website

https://therefugeohio.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Refuge is a 501(c)(3) faith-based nonprofit in Columbus, Ohio, delivering a free 13-month residential addiction recovery program for men through clinical counseling, workforce development, and Christ-centered community support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Addiction Recovery Services

NAICS

Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities (62322), Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities (6232)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300), 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), Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE)

Keywords

• Faith-based recovery
• Residential addiction treatment
• Men's recovery program
• Behavioral health services
• Recovery housing

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants: The organization has secured over $2.6 million in competitive government grants from local, county, and state sources
2. Individual and Corporate Donations: Donations from individuals, churches, and organizations through online donation platform (Classy.org), mail-in checks, and non-cash gifts
3. Participant Rent: In later stages of the program, once men begin working, they contribute by paying a modest rent while living in recovery housing

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Refuge provides a free, 13-month Christ-centered residential addiction recovery program for men, structured across four phases: Discovery (30-45 days), Relational, Application, and Launch. The program combines licensed individual and group counseling, trauma-informed care, cognitive behavioral therapy, addiction and mental health counseling, medical support, peer support, workforce development with partner employers, low-cost recovery housing, financial literacy, leadership and life skills training, free legal aid, and long-term spiritual discipleship, all delivered at facilities in Columbus and Lancaster, Ohio.

Product overview

The Refuge is a faith-based, non-profit residential addiction recovery ministry offering a single unified program—the 13-month The Refuge Residential Addiction Recovery Program. The program is divided into four sequential phases (Discovery, Relational, Application, and Launch) and is provided free of charge to all accepted participants. The program combines clinical services (Individual Counseling, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Trauma-Informed Care, Addiction Counseling, Mental Health Counseling, Medical Support, Peer Support) with practical life development (Workforce Development Programming, Financial Literacy Classes, Leadership Training, Practical Life Skills, Free Legal Services) and spiritual programming (Long-Term Discipleship Programming). Participants may also access Low-Cost Recovery Housing during and after the program. Additional offerings include a podcast (Relational Recovery Podcast) and blog content. All services are delivered through the organization's own staff and facilities in Columbus and Lancaster, Ohio, with no technical product integrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Refuge Residential Addiction Recovery Program A free, 13-month Christ-centered residential addiction recovery program for men, delivered across four phases — Discovery (initial 30-45 days), Relational, Application, and Launch — combining licensed counseling, trauma-informed care, cognitive behavioral therapy, addiction and mental health counseling, medical support, peer support, workforce development, recovery housing, financial literacy, leadership and life skills training, free legal aid, and long-term spiritual discipleship.
• Workforce Development Programming
• Low-Cost Recovery Housing

Quantifiable outcome

• 66% of alumni remained clean, sober, and free from the compulsion to drink or use drugs since completing The Refuge
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Ohio Department of Behavioral HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState certification and government partnership that has enabled The Refuge to secure over $2.6 million in competitive government grants and serve as a trusted partner in Ohio's recovery landscape.
• Ohio Mental Health and Addiction ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState certification through this agency that opened doors for credibility, accountability, and collaboration in Ohio's recovery services ecosystem.
• Southwestern Recovery CentersupportingTechnology or IntegrationPartnership to provide additional mental health care support for residents who need extra mental health services beyond what The Refuge staff provides directly.
• Partner EmployerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfter completing the first month, men begin working with partner employers. The workforce development program has a job placement rate of more than 90%.
• Partner AttorneyssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree legal aid provided through partnership with attorneys to help resolve legal issues that may hinder progress in recovery.
• Partner CPAssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree tax preparation services provided through partnership with certified public accountants.
• Lindsay HondasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCar program providing graduates with access to reliable transportation to support employment and independent living.
• Veritas Community ChurchsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue for celebration services honoring graduates of the program.
• Classy.orgsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline donation platform (classy.org/give/238592) used for accepting charitable contributions.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Netcare Access: Netcare Access is a Franklin County, Ohio-based behavioral health and crisis services provider. It serves as a frequent referral source for The Refuge, providing detox and mental health stabilization that complement The Refuge's longer-term residential programming in the same Columbus market.

Direct peers

• McShin Foundation: McShin Foundation is a Virginia-based nonprofit recovery community organization offering peer-led residential recovery housing and outreach. It shares The Refuge's peer-driven, recovery-housing-centric model and similar reliance on volunteer mentors and alumni networks.
• The Raleigh House of Hope: The Raleigh House is a faith-integrated residential addiction treatment program in Colorado combining clinical care, work therapy, and spiritual programming. It mirrors The Refuge's residential-plus-workforce-development model in a different region.
• Celebrate Recovery: Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered 12-step recovery program operating in over 30,000 churches globally. While primarily a community/outpatient model rather than residential, it targets the same faith-based recovery audience as The Refuge and shares the church-referral channel and Christian discipleship approach.
• Teen Challenge: Teen Challenge is the largest faith-based residential addiction recovery network in the US, operating in over 1,200 centers across all 50 states. It uses a Christ-centered, long-term residential model very similar to The Refuge, making it the closest direct comparable for program design, target population, and funding model.

Broad incumbents

• Caron Treatment Centers: Caron is a large, well-established nonprofit addiction treatment provider with multiple locations including Pennsylvania and Florida. It offers residential, outpatient, and extended care programs and competes with The Refuge in the higher-acuity residential space, though it is secular rather than faith-based.
• Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation: Hazelden Betty Ford is the largest nonprofit addiction treatment provider in the US, offering residential, outpatient, and sober living services across multiple states. It competes with The Refuge for the same population in Ohio at a much larger scale, but does not use a faith-based curriculum.
• Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Centers: The Salvation Army operates a national network of faith-based, long-term residential addiction recovery programs (typically 6-12 months) serving men. It directly competes with The Refuge for similar clients and uses a comparable work-based, Christ-centered model, but at significantly greater scale and geographic reach.
• Volunteers of America: Volunteers of America operates a national portfolio of residential and outpatient addiction recovery, supportive housing, and reentry programs for underserved populations. Its Ohio-based recovery housing and residential programs overlap directly with The Refuge's market and referral channels.

Others

• Ohio Recovery Housing: Ohio Recovery Housing is the statewide certification body for recovery housing operators in Ohio. While not a direct treatment peer, it is a key regulatory and ecosystem gatekeeper that certifies The Refuge's housing operations and influences statewide recovery housing standards.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/therefugeohio
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheRefugeOhio
• Instagraminstagram.com/TheRefugeOhio
• Xx.com/TheRefugeOhio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/therefugeohio

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 The Refuge