Addiction Research Foundation

What Addiction Research Foundation does

Addiction Research Foundation (ARF) is an independent, privately funded nonprofit headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, founded and led by Executive Director Steve Moore and Co-Founder Pam Moore. The organization operates in the substance use disorder treatment and recovery space, with a mission to develop clinical tools and inclusive community spaces that improve recovery outcomes. Its core products are the STAR Matrix, a visual clinical assessment framework that measures both the severity and diversity of substance use disorders across five domains (Genetics/Biology, Frequency/Intensity/Duration, Coexisting Disorders, Physical Issues, and Consequences/Shame), and the Multi-Modal Recovery Process (MMRP), a proprietary treatment methodology designed to complement the STAR Matrix. Both are copyrighted works developed through years of clinical practice and outcome studies.

ARF serves three primary customer segments: clinicians and treatment programs implementing the STAR Matrix for client assessment, individuals in recovery seeking free community-based support, and international recovery communities participating in cross-cultural research. It also operates C3 (Caring, Conscious, Community), a free, open recovery meeting space that hosts all recovery modalities without fees. The organization explicitly states it does not accept funding from the treatment industry or pharmaceutical companies to preserve independence.

The business model is predominantly donation-driven, with suggested contribution tiers ranging from $25 (STAR Matrix materials for one clinician) to $1,000 (one month of C3 operations). A secondary revenue stream comes from STAR Matrix training and implementation services — interactive workshops, implementation guides, and outcome tracking support sold to clinicians and community programs. The organization has begun international expansion through a 5-year cross-cultural research partnership in Costa Rica (launched 2025), supported by Spanish-language editions of three published books. No revenue figures, headcount, or specific grant amounts are disclosed.

Name

Addiction Research Foundation

Legal name

Addiction Research Foundation

Website

https://addictionresearchfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Addiction Research Foundation is a Birmingham, Alabama-based nonprofit that develops the copyrighted STAR Matrix clinical assessment tool and Multi-Modal Recovery Process for substance use disorder treatment, while operating C3, a free community recovery space, funded primarily by individual donations and clinician training services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Addiction Treatment and Recovery Research Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services (HLAFACAN), Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO)

Keywords

• Addiction treatment research
• Clinical assessment tools
• Recovery support services
• Substance use disorder
• Nonprofit health research

Headquarters

HQ city

Vestavia Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As an independent nonprofit organization, ARF relies entirely on donations from individuals and private funders. The organization explicitly does not accept funding from the treatment industry or pharmaceutical companies to maintain independence and objectivity.
2. Training and Implementation Services: Revenue is generated through STAR Matrix training programs for clinicians and community programs, including workshops, implementation guides, and outcome tracking support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Addiction Research Foundation develops the STAR Matrix, a visual clinical assessment tool that measures both the severity and diversity of substance use disorders across five domains (Genetics/Biology, Frequency/Intensity/Duration, Coexisting Disorders, Physical Issues, Consequences/Shame). It pairs this with the copyrighted Multi-Modal Recovery Process (MMRP) treatment methodology. The foundation also operates C3 (Caring, Conscious, Community), a free, open community space hosting all recovery modalities, and publishes educational books on recovery available in English and Spanish.

Product overview

The Addiction Research Foundation offers a portfolio of clinical tools and recovery resources centered around two core products: the STAR Matrix assessment tool and the C3 (Caring, Conscious, Community) free recovery meeting space. The STAR Matrix is a visual framework that measures substance use disorder severity and diversity, paired with the Multi-Modal Recovery Process (MMRP) methodology. The foundation also publishes educational books including 'Show Me The Way', 'Natural Pathways of Recovery', and 'Many Paths: Stories of Healing From Substance Use', all available in English and Spanish. Additionally, the Costa Rica Project represents a 5-year cross-cultural research initiative to validate these tools internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• STAR Matrix: A groundbreaking clinical tool that measures both the severity and diversity of substance use disorders, developed by the Addiction Research Foundation to help clinicians and programs assess recovery readiness and progress.
• C3: Caring, Conscious, Community

Products and services

• STAR Matrix A visual clinical assessment tool that measures both the severity and diversity of substance use disorders, helping clinicians understand and choose interventions matching each person's unique path to recovery. It identifies five domains: Genetics/Biology, Frequency/Intensity/Duration, Coexisting Disorders, Physical Issues, and Consequences/Shame.
• C3 (Caring, Conscious, Community) A free, open community space that supports all forms of recovery meetings including 12-step, non-12-step, faith-based, and secular programs, at no cost to attendees. Offers peer-led recovery meetings, educational workshops, community events and wellness activities.
• Multi-Modal Recovery Process (MMRP) A comprehensive copyrighted treatment methodology developed by the foundation for revolutionizing substance use disorder treatment, used alongside the STAR Matrix assessment to guide personalized recovery interventions.
• STAR Matrix Training Services Interactive workshops, implementation guides, and outcome tracking support for clinicians and community programs learning to use the STAR Matrix methodology in their practice.
• Show Me The Way: How To Unhook and Live Free A book by Pam Moore providing guidance on recovery from substance use disorders, available in English and Spanish.
• Natural Pathways of Recovery A book explaining how to use the STAR Matrix Assessment and MMRP to revolutionize treatment outcomes in substance use disorder care.
• Many Paths: Stories of Healing From Substance Use A book by Pam Moore, Steve Moore, Shauna Moore and Friends sharing stories of healing from substance use, available in English and Spanish.

Quantifiable outcome

• Research shows 93% of individuals report known family history of substance use (genetics arm)
• +4 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Costa Rica Recovery CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Multi-year research partnership to investigate whether the STAR Matrix and Multi-Modal Recovery Process works as a cross-cultural model. ARF received a grant to begin a 5-year study in Costa Rica. The partnership includes translating books to Spanish (Show Me The Way, Natural Pathways of Recovery, Many Paths) and training local peer support.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Caron Treatment Centers: A large, established nonprofit addiction treatment provider offering residential, outpatient, and recovery support services — overlapping with ARF's clinical and recovery-support mission at greater scale.
• Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation: One of the largest US addiction treatment nonprofits, operating residential and outpatient programs plus a research arm. ARF is a much smaller, research-and-community-focused nonprofit operating in the same substance use disorder space.

Direct peers

• Shatterproof: A national nonprofit focused on transforming the addiction treatment system through quality standards and evidence-based practice — closely aligned with ARF's mission of better outcome measurement and treatment innovation.
• National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD): Long-standing national nonprofit advocating for prevention, treatment, and recovery from alcoholism and drug dependence — comparable as a mission-aligned SUD nonprofit peer to ARF.
• Partnership to End Addiction: National nonprofit offering resources, support, and advocacy for families affected by substance use. Operates in a similar nonprofit, education, and community-support space as ARF.
• Faces & Voices of Recovery: Recovery community organization advocating for the full diversity of recovery pathways — directly aligned with ARF's modality-inclusive C3 community model.
• Center on Addiction: Formerly CASAColumbia, a research and advocacy nonprofit focused on substance use prevention and treatment system reform — directly comparable to ARF's research-and-policy-adjacent nonprofit work.
• LifeRing Secular Recovery: A secular, peer-led recovery support alternative to 12-step programs. Comparable to ARF's modality-inclusive C3 community offering for individuals outside traditional 12-step frameworks.
• Recovery Research Institute: Research-focused organization producing evidence on recovery pathways and outcomes; highly comparable to ARF's research orientation around the STAR Matrix and MMRP.
• SMART Recovery: SMART Recovery runs a global, secular, peer-led mutual-support network with online and in-person meetings, directly comparable to ARF's C3 community space and modality-agnostic philosophy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/arfoundationorg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/AddictionresearchfoundationOrg
• Facebookfacebook.com/addictionresearchfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/addiction-research-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Addiction Research Foundation