Two Direct Benefits:

1. Improve outcomes for those seeking full recovery
2. Create a measurable and replicable recovery model which can be adopted by other communities.
3. Improve the 600+ Treatment & Recovery Programs across NC with an Evidence-Based Model

High rates of relapse plague the recovery community. Many of our residents who complete our 6-month mainstay recovery program (Phases 1-3) are just getting beyond their addiction and beginning to glimpse and reach for a fuller more independent life. Yet, upon graduation, they face some very large challenges: 1) finding affordable housing, 2) rebuilding one’s job skills to the level that would allow them to support themselves, and 3) resisting falling back into addiction and rebuilding their family relationships and support system. These are tall orders - especially when you consider our clientele: 27% of CRCI’s intakes have been homeless and upwards of 75% were jobless or intermittently employed or have never been employed.

All of this played into the creation of a “Phase 4” in 2023. CRCI offers up to 18 more months of a program, but with increased expectations, responsibilities, and independence for our participants. Currently 36 Men and 21 Women participate in Phase 4, giving them access to transitional housing – but now they are working and paying a percentage of their earnings toward housing and meals. This is not a program of handouts or a design that nurtures dependency. They continue to grow in professional experience and their capacity for earnings through job training and internships or continuing education. Throughout Phase 4, then, residents have continued support, but also have clearly defined career development and interpersonal goals for reconnection and rebuilding of family relationships -- and they learn budgeting and financial management.

We think this extended period for rebuilding one’s life surrounded by a community that is supportive and peer-led is one of CRCI’s strongest differentiators and why those graduating from CRCI have greater patterns of success.

Partnership with UNC

The UNC Chapel Hill’s Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SIE) Lab “explores, designs, and implements new ways addressing complex social problems.” With more than 100,000 people dying over overdoses each year and billions being spent to prevent, treat, and support recovery, drug addiction is most certainly one of the most “complex social problems” of our day.

In partnering with CRCI, UNC is prioritizing the creation of a quantifiable and replicable model of addiction treatment and recovery.

CRCI and UNC’s agreement has three goals:

• Create quantifiable measures of impact,
• Improve care for participants with a continuous feedback loop, and
• Create a replicable model for policy makers and local decision-makers to draw from as they seek to help their own communities.

UNC has crafted benchmarks for this broad form of recovery adopting a widely accepted Social Determinants of Health framework. They have identified 46 underlying indicators of health and wellbeing that fall into 6 categories:

• Income & Employment
• Housing
• Education & Culture
• Organization & Participation
• Health & Environment
• Motivation & Goals

They have developed an assessment tool called ASPIRE which takes much of what CRCI is already doing, but catapults it up to a higher level. It also quantifies each resident’s journey toward recovery and self-sufficiency, and involves them in setting goals, addressing their own deficits, and seeing their progress.

With the ASPIRE tool, each resident is assessed as either “suffering,” “struggling,” or “thriving” on each of the 46 indicators. The participant would take the assessment at defined intervals throughout their 18 months, with personalized recovery plans adapted to reflect their goals and needs.

Using ASPIRE helps the individual being served and it helps CRCI to continuously improve our program. But the broader impact and significance is that ASPIRE also offers a powerful framework for other recovery programs to adopt, giving them the ability to benchmark how they are doing and to think holistically about recovery. It’s about more than simply making it 30 days without substance abuse, but looking more broadly at the social determinants of health that might be making them vulnerable to relapse.

bio-psycho-social-spiritual ecosystem

Faith + Science = Thriving

Faith, spirituality, science, and community can provide an alternative path to recovery and wellbeing, addressing the root causes of substance use disorders. Our approach includes faith-based purpose, belonging, community service, and a recovery leadership program.

Aspire's Role in Bridge to 100

The Bridge to 100 initiative seeks to connect individuals from all 100 counties of North Carolina with faith-based, low-cost recovery centers. Aspire is a crucial component of this mission, offering an evidence-based, structured recovery model to guide participants toward self-governance.

How You Can Get Involved

For Individuals Seeking Help

If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, Aspire is here to guide you. Reach out to CRCI to begin your journey toward recovery.

For Organizations & Community Leaders

CRCI and Bridge to 100 partner with churches, nonprofits, and government agencies to expand the reach of faith-based recovery solutions. If your organization is interested in becoming an Aspire affiliate, contact us to learn more about partnership opportunities.

For Donors & Volunteers

Your support helps individuals break free from addiction and build new lives. Whether through donations, mentorship, or advocacy, you can make a lasting impact.