What We’re About

Early recovery is like walking a tightrope, any quick movement or unexpected jolt can spell disaster. Unfortunately, most options involve the obvious jolt leading to the classic disaster: One day you’re being pampered, protected and smothered by staff in a controlled environment, the next you’re discharged; broke, homeless and alone. We call them quarantine programs and they end as abruptly as they begin. In contrast, life at BHR is a thousand baby steps men in recovery take together at a comfortable pace. No cookie-cutter workbooks, no pre-packaged assignments, no unpaid employment and no arbitrary finish date. In fact you’ll find no trace of the one-size-fits-all approach. We utilize a peer based recovery design based on evidence that men struggling with addiction are best reached by those with proven success in their own recovery. Perhaps just as clear is the research that men in early recovery benefit from meaningful interaction within the community. The nature of this interaction is the factor that differentiates recovery programs from one another. Our practice of anonymity allows men to reintegrate with dignity at their own pace and on their own terms. As such, early exposure to employers and the outside recovery community is of immense importance. Recovery does not occur in a vacuum. Our process of seamless integration means that residents are never singled out publicly, denied fair compensation or transported in marked vehicles. Our forward focus is on the potential of what we’re becoming, not the stigma of what we currently are. With self-support at the foundation of recovery, that means we accept no government benefits or public charity. There’s no such thing as a free lunch and countless have fallen for bait and switch recovery programs. Finally, we believe that families should be the primary beneficiaries of a successful outreach. It makes no difference if we have the most beautiful facility on earth if we’re sending penniless graduates back to struggling households. We respectfully disagree with the notion that men in recovery should be financially supported by anyone other than themselves. Instead, we adhere to the NARR national Code of Ethics which ensures that everyone who holds employment does so voluntarily at a fair wage to sustain their own existence. For this reason we refuse to accept special interest funding or grants and we never allow wealthy donors to buy access or influence policy. We have absolutely no connection to politics and never will. We know that greed and ambition will destroy a good thing and we value integrity over all else. This arrangement gives men a personal stake in their own future and a sense of purpose. Fair compensation coupled with affordable rent in a natural setting is the advantage sober men need to learn responsibility, gain independence, and leave prepared for a productive life. While we acknowledge that the majority of traditional programs are sufficient for the majority of participants and therefore justified, we believe that a healthy challenge to long-standing norms can only result in a better discussion about the future of addiction recovery.

As a hybrid organization, we have chosen not to operate retail stores, engage in business ventures or be involved in third party staffing. Moreover we never solicit donations. This singleness of purpose gets at the heart of our values and the point of departure between us and other organizations. Conventional thinking has been that private grants or the general public should foot the bill for individuals in recovery while those residents focus on tasks designed to further the agenda of an organization. Though entirely sensible, we see a potential difficulty here between the theory and practice of personal responsibility and the obvious potential for a conflict of interest. This realization has contributed to the founding of Beach House Recovery as a viable alternative to traditional models. All things considered, if a resident works 40 hours per week at at a market value of even $10/hour they are essentially contributing $400 per week to an organization while those they love back home are burdened with everything from childcare to utilities, rent, transportation and groceries. In fact, these are the true donors; spouses, parents and children shoulder the unseen costs of addiction that continue to accumulate. Families never go away for six months and leaves their financial problems behind. They shoulder the burden while their unpaid creditors pick up the remainder of the tab. Far from being free or affordable, unpaid employment is the true price of the program and that comes at a HUGE COST. Given the opportunity, that same resident could pay fair rent, address their financial responsibilities back home and build savings for a better future while learning to live sober in a recovery setting. Not a halfway house, but a highly intensive structured living environment. This is the hallmark of our community and the factor that sets us apart. Paying an affordable $125 weekly, the same resident could benefit from the majority of earnings and learn from others the concept of financial responsibility. They can achieve self support which is priceless. Actually they could thrive in a real job while building a career which sustains their independence. In fact, it is our revolutionary belief that one person cannot get well on another’s dime. We are each responsible for our own existence. For those who argue that quarantine-style centers with self-serving labor programs are the only way to avoid all temptation, i say yes you are correct, but for exactly how long? Our experience shows that men who leave our homes with gainful employment and substantial savings transition to stable housing and meaningful employment while men who graduate treatment broke and homeless end up back on the streets where temptation is always waiting.

Before there was any AA, there were the spiritual insights of men like Carl Jung and William James that shaped the process. What came to be known as the 12 steps were universal experiences that have been occurring since early times. In every culture, every faith and on every continent humans have had powerlessness experiences when hopelessly defeated. The fact that we call this a “step” and assign number “one” doesn’t entitle us to package, buy or sell it. In the same way, human beings that hit a bottom are confronted with a need for power beyond themselves. Some call that “step 2” and publish workbooks and manuals and imagine they can mechanically achieve it with pen and paper. They can’t. The process occurs naturally at its own pace under extreme pressure. Similar attempts to manufacture step 3 on demand in religious settings are notoriously short lived. These are fallacies that have harmed the general perception of the 12 step community. No one can produce a genuine experience contained in the steps. It’s not for sale or transmitted by experts. It either flows or doesn’t, and you are simply ready or not for the experience. You will hear men say they’ve taken the steps before and it didn’t work, but answering questions in a workbook or filling out forms in treatment is not a substitute for spiritual challenges found in the steps. It’s an authentic personal journey. You can’t buy it here or anywhere else but you can take action to prepare for its arrival. Our job is to provide an environment conducive to a spiritual experience and an abundance of capable guides.

The fact is that people get clean and find religion every day. They often thrive sometimes for a year or even more, but very few maintain it. The rest become misleading statistics in questionable advertisements. Curiously each facility sets its own self-serving standards then promptly grades itself and announces its own generous score. But, honestly, is there any reliable way to confirm an addict is “succeeding” by phone or mail years later? Declaring “success” after one year is like announcing a victory after the first half of a marathon. Our own program is stacked with men who once achieved a year or more of sobriety and in some cases multiple years. And yet here they are searching for something that lasts. To be sure, year two and three of sobriety will uncover and draw out the cracks and expose any weakness. We believe that the essence of success involves sustainable progress rather than temporary goalposts. The problem is that most leave short term treatment full of guilt, remorse and shame because they’ve done nothing to address it. They rush home defeated and unprepared with little more than a course in indoctrination. Most become an immediate financial burden to a family held hostage by the endless cycle. At BHR we believe that success involves incremental gains that support a sustainable recovery. This is a natural progression not an artificial achievement and no one gets a trophy or diploma. In other words success is a man who arrives at BHR broken, funds his own recovery and has an experience with all 12 steps before leaving fully prepared. He doesn’t leave his current job until hired for the next. He doesn’t return to someone else’s place because he has established his own. He can fund his own relocation at the proper time and provide for his own transportation. He takes responsibility for every aspect of his existence and ownership of his consequences. He has a church, a home group and a sponsor waiting in advance at his next destination. He has considerable savings from real world employment. He makes every move with integrity and places the welfare of his family ahead of his own selfish pursuits. That kind of success is available to anyone who’s willing to make the effort - all 100%.

Any male who who has successfully detoxed, can provide a clean urine sample, is free of any and all mood or mind altering prescription medications and is not on the sex offender registry is eligible to apply. Anyone that is incarcerated must be released on their own before applying. New residents MAY NOT leave for personal commitments prior to release from probation. This includes court, medical and family matters. Everyone in phase 2 must work full time, no exceptions. This is not an appropriate environment for retirees or those on disability. All prospective residents must be willing to attend and participate in 12 step recovery programs as well as church services. Every resident must be able to financially support themselves in recovery and abide by all rules and guidelines. Residents are never guaranteed placement in phase 2 or 3, particularly if there are disciplinary issues. We are an intensive recovery community not a loosely organized halfway house. This is not a homeless shelter, there are no government benefits being used and the general public doesn't fund our existence. We offer nothing for free because everything in life has a cost. You’ll never appreciate what you didn’t earn and never enjoy what you don’t deserve. This is not about what we can get from the system, but what we can pack into the stream of life. Every resident must vigorously participate in community life and recovery activities. This may well be the most challenging and most rewarding thing you’ve ever attempted. It will require a willingness to go to any length.

We do not have the resources to transport residents to and from routine medical appointments, court requirements and pharmacies. We have no affiliation with any doctors, probation offices or court agents and do not shuttle offenders back and forth to their personal commitments. We never hold, monitor or dispense any medication. We cannot give medical advice and have no qualifications to practice law or medicine.

Not exactly. Several medications are being widely abused despite their current classification. We do not allow ANY substance which has the potential for misuse, including medication assisted therapy (MAT). We strongly support the rights of any individual to seek life saving treatments which involve the use of controlled substances, however we are not qualified or approved to administer or monitor the use of such medications on our property. It’s simply illegal to dispense medications in our facility and it’s irresponsible to enable those who are prescribed to share close quarters with those who are without. That is precisely why a bar denies admission to someone under 21 - because of the high probability that otherwise responsible, legal drinkers may influence and assist others who are not. Seroquel and Neurontin are specifically banned due to recent proliferation. We have no opinion on medication assisted recovery and offer no comment as to its effectiveness. We support your right to attempt this method. As an abstinence based program we have no interest in such issues and are in no position to judge. We are not a part of that debate. Everyone has the right to decide what we put, or decide not to put, in our own bodies. It’s a personal choice not a democracy. We don’t, however, have the right to push our beliefs or agenda on others. CAUTION: never change or stop a medication without consulting a physician.

Although we entirely support your efforts, you alone will be responsible for any transportation and appointments that conflict with our own schedule. We will assist with documentation needed for the courts if specifically requested. We are not a law enforcement agency and therefore do not provide court related services. Probation and court appearances are the sole responsibility of the individual. We cannot report to your probation officer because that is your own responsibility. It may be wise to focus on full compliance with the court system prior to entering our program.

While we know that Jesus was criticized and endlessly harassed by the religious elite of his own day, I’m still saddened when i see statements taken out of context to fan the flames of division. If you don’t think, talk and act a certain way then you too may be branded as morally inferior and subject to the prejudicial slur known as being “secular.” It means that you too have essentially eaten with tax collectors and sinners. Like Jesus, you’ve offended the religious minded. But Jesus didn’t label things or operate that way. Think about this: on any given day millions of Christians in need will seek the assistance of doctors, hospitals, surgeons and proven pharmaceuticals for every ailment imaginable and no one in a state of emergency thinks to ask an ambulance driver whether or not they are secular or if the hospital is a church. If they are sued in court they seek advice from a “secular” attorney. They hire a real estate agent to buy a home not a Sunday school teacher and I don't know of any ordained auto mechanics to fix my car. No one thinks of these things in terms of christian vs secular, nor should we. The notion that everything in life is divided up in terms of faith vs secular is a self-serving concept pushed almost exclusively by those with a financial stake in selling religion. But theology isn't treatment for someone dying of addiction and calling it “rehab” or “treatment” doesn’t make it so. To set the record straight, AA’s own textbook clearly states that there is only one power which is “God.” After pointing out the need for “power greater than ourselves” in step 2, the Big Book immediately instructs us to pray to our own “Maker.” In other words “higher power” is what we lack and our “Maker” is the only source. One is the logical conclusion of the other and both are clear if you’re intent is not taking things out of context. Pretty simple right? Actually it is. In step 7 we are asked to pray for help once again, this time we are asked to pray to our “Creator.” The point of step 2 is to identify the fact that we actually need “higher power” before we sharpen our focus in step 3 and identify the source. Twelve step fellowships were never designed to replace our church attendance. They simply complement the process. Thousands of people die alone each year because someone told them that 12 step fellowships ask you to choose your own god and represent a threat to Christianity, but nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus always sought out those in need and met them where they were with compassion and understanding. He always saw a mission field and ignored the religious elite. I strive to be more like him and i entirely ignore them. Beware of the pharisees of the recovery movement. We now work with dozens of pastors who know this truth. As it turns out, there is nothing ungodly about the twelve steps and there's nothing Christian about attacking things we don't understand.

Yes. We take in a steady stream of residents who avoid other facilities because of the discomfort of caffeine and nicotine withdrawal on top of the misery of dope sickness. It is our experience that fighting two battles at the same time is unwise and ineffective. We respectfully feel that critically ill individuals should be stabilized before addressing secondary issues. Any doctor knows as much. There’s nothing therapeutic about inducing involuntary withdraw from nicotine. We’ve been told that changing this policy could make us eligible for government funding but that’s not what we’re about and we wouldn’t accept their funding either way. We are not for sale. We are the polar opposite of those facilities. We have a saying in recovery, “first things first.”

Cell phone privileges are granted following release from probation after 6 week review. Residents may apply for phase 3 after four months of residency which would allow them unlimited vehicle privileges at 6 months. We never allow third party or company vehicles to be parked on our property.

All applicants must be at least 21 years of age. Familiarize yourself with the options, costs and guidelines contained on this site. All will be required to go above and beyond every expectation. If you are ready to move forward fill out an online application and follow up within a day for a phone interview. Make 100% sure any medications you take will be permitted here. You will need to provide a $100 non refundable entry fee in advance of arrival to reserve a bed, otherwise be subject to first come first serve. Use the “submit payment” page found on this site to pay that admission. We do not accept insurance. In all cases you will need to pass a drug screen prior to arrival. DO NOT arrive under the influence, test positive for opiates or show up actively detoxing as you will be turned away. You must blow 0.0 on our breathalyzer. You need to be aware that all payments are nonrefundable.

In the typical cookie-cutter recovery center men in early sobriety spend an arbitrary amount of time together in a generic course of study before leaving on a prearranged graduation date. One size fits all and everyone leaves broke, homeless and unemployed. Although sometimes effective, many graduate penniless and unprepared for life outside of a nanny-state environment. Progress is measured by the calendar and success is tied to the concept of “clean time” or the financial gains of the facility. Men are typically denied family contact and fair compensation for employment. In a peer recovery community, however, the man with a month sober learns from the guy with a year. The man in need of a job is guided by the dozens already employed. The one on foot is never far from the generosity of a ride. Every man recovers at his own pace and bares some responsibility for the success of all others. No one speaks down from a moral or spiritual hilltop or lectures anyone else. There are not separate classes of people, there are only human beings on a spiritual path. You come to a recovery community to get help, you stay to give back.

Unfortunately not. Beach Christian Recovery is a hybrid nonprofit organization and educational outreach that serves members of Beach House Recovery LLC. We do not have the capacity to host the general public on private property due to insurance and safety concerns. Online or print media that promote affiliation with or public access to our pastor is mistaken and misleading.

All arrivals should report to 1198 Riverview Dr, Calabash NC 28467. A nonrefundable $100 pre-admission fee must be covered before arrival can be confirmed. This should be completed online under the “submit payment” page. Full payment is due upon arrival and is not refundable under any circumstances. Please do not show up unannounced. Arrivals should be confirmed several hours in advance of arrival.

Do not overpack, essential items can be purchased locally or mailed. There is no shortage of trips to the local convenience stores. Many residents show up with little more than the shirt on their back and are showered with generosity from their new brothers. Personally I would want my own grooming items, towel, pillow, twin sheets and blanket along with clothes for at least one week. If you are a family member of a new resident we recommend giving a Food Lion gift card rather than cash. Upon admission you will surrender any digital devices including personal phones until you are released from probation status. We do support and encourage regular phone contact with immediate family and will assist in that.

No visits are permitted for the first 6 weeks and all subsequent visits must take place off property after the privilege is earned. Every resident is entitled to a 24 hour pass after 2 months of residency and release from probation. This is followed by a 48 hour pass for phase 2 residents following 3 months of residency if approved. We do not recommend that new residents book visitations or appointments in advance due to the fact that release from probation is dependent upon a number of factors. At the appropriate time, each resident will inform the family when released from probation and eligible for a visit. Our insurance policy states that nonresidents are not permitted on BHR property. All residents are protected by a privacy and nondisclosure policy that prevents us from sharing information without a release.

Beach House Recovery is an entirely voluntary commitment. Admission is a voluntary rental agreement rather than a healthcare program. Any adult can leave at any time and we must legally respect their rights and decision to do so. Every resident is personally responsible for their own coming and going and we have no ability care for or protect someone who leaves of their own accord. TO BE CLEAR WE CANNOT FORCE YOUR LOVED ONE TO STAY NOR CAN WE MONITOR THEIR SAFETY ONCE THEY LEAVE. There should be no reasonable expectation of continued care once an individual withdraws from the rental arrangement. We provide a sober living environment not a healthcare facility.

For the security of our home Phase One residents may not receive packages at our main location, they must wait until they enter residential phase 2 housing. BHR operates a community spanning 10 different mailboxes throughout 8 properties serving over 60 men. Residents are welcome to make use of those on the understanding that BHR does not monitor or police their use and is not responsible for delivery, collection or lost mail. We do not have the resources to update families on whether or not individual residents have sent or received packages. For residents who establish mail delivery at one of our satellite homes, it is solely your responsibility to forward mail elsewhere upon leaving. We do not have the resources to collect and forward mail upon discharge. Our mailing address is 1198-B Riverview Dr, Calabash NC 28467