Sober Living America

What Sober Living America does

Sober Living America (SLA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1994 by Jim deVarennes in Atlanta, Georgia, that provides faith-based, 12-Step addiction recovery programming built around transitional housing. The organization operates 47 locations across 41+ cities in at least 16 states, with 1,800+ beds housing approximately 2,000 individuals daily. Its core offering combines apartment-style sober living housing, peer-to-peer recovery support, recovery and life-skills education, workforce development through staffing-agency partnerships, transportation, and spiritual education under the umbrella platform it calls LifeWorks Systems. Two differentiated programs layer on top of the standard offering: the Pinnacle Program, a 30-day intensive track with state-licensed counseling priced at $1,975/month (available only in Georgia and South Carolina), and the START-UP Program, a 4-day intensive entry program for residents with no support network. SLA explicitly waives admission fees for those without funds, framing its mission as serving individuals leaving treatment with no money, housing, job, or transportation regardless of financial situation.

The business model blends resident fees ($300/week standard subscription), donations and grants (a 501(c)(3) public charity), and a 'pay-it-forward' cycle in which stabilized residents voluntarily fund the next newcomer's stay. Only one external grant ($25,000 from Scott Hudgens Foundation in 2015) is disclosed. Distribution is direct: a centralized 877 number fielding 5,000+ calls per month with same-day admissions, treatment-center and hospital referrals, and a location-by-location SEO and content-marketing strategy. Education-outreach sub-brands — the Friends Care Campaign (since 2016) targeting college students and the broader public, and SLA University (since 2019) for internal training — extend the brand upstream into prevention and pipeline development. The organization is NARR-certified, has received three consecutive GreatNonprofits Top-Rated Nonprofit badges (2022–2024), and has helped over 100,000 people since inception. Management is led by the founder with a relatively small corporate HQ team (11–50 employees listed) supported by regional and local staff across the footprint.

Name

Sober Living America

Legal name

Sober Living America Inc.

Website

https://soberlivingamerica.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sober Living America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating 47 faith-based sober living homes across 16+ U.S. states, providing apartment-style housing, 12-Step recovery education, workforce development, and transportation services to individuals leaving addiction treatment regardless of ability to pay.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Addiction Recovery / Sober Living Services

NAICS

Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities (623220), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities (6232), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services (HLAFACAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE), Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO), Substance Use Prevention & Recovery Lifestyle Education (Non-clinical) (EDAAAHAL)

Keywords

• Addiction recovery services
• Sober living housing
• Transitional housing programs
• Faith-based recovery
• Residential treatment support

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices37 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Resident Program Fees: Monthly fees from residents. Standard program: $300/week. Pinnacle Program: $1,975/month (GA, SC only). Residents who stabilize and succeed pay forward to support newcomers.
2. Grants and Donations: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization receiving grants (e.g., $25,000 from Scott Hudgens Foundation in 2015) and public donations. Donations go directly to opening new facilities, with 100% of donations reaching those in need.
3. Pay-it-Forward Model: When residents stabilize and succeed in employment, they pay forward to support the next newcomer in need, creating a sustainable cycle of support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sober Living America operates a faith-based addiction recovery program built around apartment-style transitional housing paired with 12-step and Christ-centered recovery education, career development, transportation, spiritual education, and life-skills training. Residents enter the Standard Sober Living Program ($300/week) or the intensive Pinnacle Program ($1,975/month, GA/SC), with same-day admission available and no funds required to start. The program is delivered through 47 locations across the U.S. and is structured as part of the broader LifeWorks Systems integrating housing, workforce, transportation, and pathways to financial stability.

Product overview

Sober Living America operates as a faith-based addiction recovery organization offering a single unified program built around transitional housing with integrated support services. The core offering combines apartment-style housing, recovery education, career development, transportation, spiritual education, and life skills training into a comprehensive recovery ecosystem. The Pinnacle Program serves as a premium intensive 30-day add-on with licensed counseling (available in GA and SC), while the START-UP Program provides accelerated entry support. LifeWorks Systems represents the overarching integrated platform connecting all service components. The Friends Care Campaign and SLA University extend the brand into educational outreach and internal training respectively.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LifeWorks Systems: A complete, integrated system designed to help individuals move from instability to independence. Housing is provided through Sober Living America (SLA), along with workforce development, transportation, structured programming, and pathways to financial stability.
• Pinnacle Program
• Friends Care Campaign
• SLA University

Products and services

• Standard Sober Living Program Apartment-style transitional housing for individuals in recovery, delivered at $300/week with same-day admission and no funds required. Includes housing, peer-to-peer roommate recovery support, transportation to work and AA/NA meetings, career development, life-skills classes, relapse prevention, spiritual development, and 12-step studies. Delivered across 47 U.S. locations.
• Pinnacle Program Intensive 30-day recovery program available in GA and SC locations at $1,975/month. Includes housing, education, transportation, 4 classes per day, plus weekly individual and group sessions with a state-licensed counselor, focused exclusively on recovery during the first 30 days.
• START-UP Program Intensive 4-day intake program for new residents arriving without support, providing immediate connection to staffing partners for employment and onboarding into the daily 12-step peer-living environment.
• Career Development and Employment Placement Workforce-development service that connects residents with local staffing agencies and employers, provides job readiness and on-the-job training, and operates on second-chance hiring principles to help residents build careers during and after recovery.
• Recovery Education and Life Skills Classes Educational curriculum for residents covering the science of addiction, 12-step methodology, the role of neurotransmitters, relapse prevention, household maintenance, roommate relationships, integrity, and practical life skills.
• Spiritual Education and Development Faith-based spiritual programming that includes collaboration with Life Lessons Over Lunch (Northpoint Ministries), engagement with local church groups including Georgia Tech BCM, and curated spiritual resources for residents of all religious backgrounds.
• Resident Transportation Services Fleet of vans that transport residents to work, AA/NA meetings, church, and essential errands, supporting resident independence and access to recovery resources.
• Friends Care Campaign Addiction education initiative designed to teach college students and the public about the early warning signs of addiction. Includes self-assessment quizzes, Friend Guide materials, and automated seminars; has served 25,000+ students since 2013 and 30,000 students since founding.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100,000 people helped since 1994
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• Life Lessons Over Lunch (Northpoint Ministries)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative spiritual education program led by Andy Stanley providing faith exploration guidance without imposing beliefs. Supports residents in navigating existential questions during recovery.
• Georgia Tech University BCM (Baptist Collegiate Ministry)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudent group engages with SLA residents over shared meals and open discussions about faith, regardless of religious backgrounds. Provides spiritual support in inclusive environment.
• Local Staffing AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with staffing agencies that genuinely care about residents and their recovery journey. These partners provide employment opportunities and job placements that can lead to fulfilling careers, operating on second-chance hiring principles.
• Local Churches and Spiritual OrganizationssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerVarious local pastors and spiritual leaders visit residents offering support and care without judgment. Multiple spiritual resources referenced including materials from Joel Osteen, Louis Giglio, Tony Robbins, Zig Ziglar.
• National Association of Recovery Residues (NARR)coreOthersOrganizational membership in NARR, the national standard-setting body for recovery residences. NARR logo displayed on website indicating certified membership status.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Workit Health: VC-backed telehealth addiction treatment provider offering online MAT and counseling. Competes for the same post-treatment recovery patient pool but through a clinical, tech-enabled model rather than faith-based peer housing.
• SMART Recovery: Nonprofit offering science-based, secular alternative to 12-step programs with self-empowering addiction recovery tools. Competes for the same recovery support dollars but uses CBT/REBT methodology instead of faith-based 12-step.

Direct peers

• Celebrate Recovery: Faith-based recovery program (founded by Rick Warren's Saddleback Church) that integrates with churches nationwide. Shares SLA's Christ-centered recovery model but is a 12-step-style support group program rather than a residential provider.
• Oxford House: Largest nonprofit sober living network in the US with 2,500+ self-supporting houses using a peer-run democratic model. Direct peer to SLA with the same apartment-style, 12-step-based, no-professional-staff ethos, but operates nationally and is not faith-based.
• Halfway There (various operators): Network of sober living homes across multiple states providing peer-supported recovery housing. Direct competitor to SLA in the apartment-style, 12-step-based recovery residence space.
• Talbot Recovery Residences: Faith-based recovery housing provider in Georgia offering 12-step sober living for men. Direct peer in both methodology and geographic market, demonstrating the same Christ-centered recovery approach as SLA.
• The MARR Project: Atlanta-area nonprofit providing sober living, transitional housing, and recovery support since 1975. Geographic peer in SLA's home market, serving a similar post-treatment recovery population with similar apartment-based sober living.

Broad incumbents

• Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation: Major nonprofit addiction treatment provider offering clinical inpatient, outpatient, and recovery housing across the US. Overlaps with SLA on the recovery residence component but operates more clinically and at much higher price points.
• Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Centers: National faith-based nonprofit operating long-term residential addiction recovery programs with work therapy components. Overlaps with SLA on faith-based residential recovery and workforce development (LifeWorks Systems vs. Salvation Army work therapy).
• Recovery.org / American Addiction Centers: National addiction treatment directory and provider network connecting individuals to treatment and sober living options. Overlaps with SLA's patient-acquisition channel and offers competing referral pathways to clinical and residential care.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SoberLivingAmer
• Facebookfacebook.com/soberlivingamerica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Sober Living America