For too long, recovery has been accessible to only a few. Release Foundation is changing that.
Release Recovery Foundation envisions a world where everyone has access to addiction and mental health treatment. Our goal is to remove financial barriers to treatment for those who can’t afford it through scholarships at NAATP-vetted facilities across the country. Our scholarships can go toward residential treatment services, extended care sober living, intensive outpatient treatment, intervention, counseling, and more. In our first three years, we’ve given out more than 115 scholarships to those in need.
Bridging the Gap in Underserved Communities
We have seen a disturbing trend among treatment centers: very low rates of minorities and LGTBQ+ are accessing services, even though NSDUH data shows the LGBTQ+ community suffers from higher rates of substance abuse than the general population. NSDUH data also reveals the BIPOC community is 10% less likely than the general population to seek treatment for substance use disorder or mental illness and 25% less likely to complete it. That is why we have created scholarships specifically devoted to bridging the gap in these communities. Learn more below.
How Funding Works
Who is eligible for funding?
Anyone who needs treatment, is willing to get it, and is unable to afford it is welcome to apply for scholarship funding. All those willing and in need—whether that’s you, a loved one, or a patient—will be considered.
How do I apply for scholarship funding?
The first step is for each applicant and/or referring treatment center to fill out a simple application (request an application at the bottom of this page). Our scholarship qualification committee then reviews the application and sets up a screening interview to better understand the type of support that is needed, the level of financial assistance required, and the willingness of the individual to comply with all clinical recommendations should assistance be granted.
The RRF team is comprised of leaders with lived experience. We deeply understand the importance of urgency when a person is ready and willing to seek help. We aim to make decisions as quickly as possible. If funding is approved, we will coordinate care and funding with our partners and develop a plan to start down the path of recovery.
What treatment services does the funding cover?
The services and resources our scholarship funding covers include:
- Inpatient treatment centers.
- Interventionists.
- Outpatient treatment centers.
- Individual therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists.
- Recovery coaches.
Does everyone who applies receive funding?
While the Release Foundation can’t assist every single applicant, our whole team is here to help in any way we can. If we are unable to fund an applicant, we will strive to point them in the right direction and connect them to other resources.
Where can scholarship recipients receive treatment?
Release Recovery Foundation is the nonprofit arm of Release Recovery. Our scholarships do not go toward the for-profit, however, but rather to a select group of trusted, NAATP-vetted partners. We work tirelessly to screen providers and ensure that our funding only goes to the most ethical professionals. We have provided scholarships to the following programs/providers:
Alpha Behavioral Health
Ashley Addiction Treatment
Brad Richards Inc.
Breaktide Coaching
Brookdale Premier Addiction Recovery
Caron Treatment Centers
Charleston Recovery Center, Inc.
Charlie Health
Cirque Lodge
Dr. Alex Horowitz
Princeton Detox and Recovery Center
The Guest House Ocala
High Watch Recovery Center
Innovo Detox
Integrative Life Center
Jonathan Rauch, LMSW, CASAC-T, CIP
Maryland Addiction Recovery Center
Mountainside
Muir Wood Adolescent and Family Services
Recovery Care Partner
Recovery Centers of America
Right Path House, LLC
Shoreline Recovery Sober Living
St. Paul Sober Living
Surfside Recovery Services
Synergy Houses
The Bridge to Recovery
The Counseling Center
The Retreat (Wayzata, Minnesota)
The Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Center
Transitions In Recovery
Wendy Caplan, LICSW
Recovery at Wildwood Farm
Support Our Scholarship Fund Today
Help us bridge the gap between what people can afford and what people need to transform their lives. Help us reach more people. Help us save more lives.
“Your kindness and commitment to finding my husband the help he needed was the most valuable gift we have ever received as a family. Release Foundation gave my husband care that he so desperately needed, and we absolutely could not have afforded on our own. Our family remaining together and whole was only possible if he was able to get the help he needed, and you all made that happen.”
– Natalie B.
Ready for help?
Complete this form, or contact us directly at connect@releaserecoveryfoundation.org or (646) 883-6196 to request a scholarship application.