CARS is designed to serve men and women who are 20-40  years of age in different homes.  We’ve kept this window rather narrow because all our students are learning, not only to overcome their addictions, but to live together in a home environment for 9-12 months.  This becomes more challenging the wider the age gap among residents.  CARS is not equipped to serve minors at this time. If we ever consider serving minors we will have to develop a plan for education services that line up with our state’s requirements.

We are hoping the day will come when CARS will be a free program to students who are in need of help, but as of today there is a cost to the program.  Once an application has been submitted by a students or their support team one of our staff will walk you through the fundamentals of the program and financial side as well.  During a resident’s time in the program, he or she is responsible for her own personal expenses, including prescription medication expenses (not related to drug detox), any medical expenses incurred during their time in the program, spending money for outside activities and travel to/from CARS.

Program coverage versus applicant responsibility

• Transportation to/from the program (Resident)
• Food (CARS)
• Personal items—toiletries, hygiene, clothing…  (Resident)
• Potential medical/physicals fees (doctor appointment, hospital visits…) (Resident/CARS)
• Medications/Prescriptions costs (insurance costs/requirements) (Resident)

Our individual, one-on-one, and group counseling programs will be highly structured with biblically-based studies and activities designed to help our students examine the foundation of their problems—damaging perspectives, beliefs, and attitudes that have lead to destructive patterns of behavior. Our goal is to help our students see themselves as their Creator sees them and from that new identity help them adopt new, more truth-filled and constructive ways to process information, test new cognitive information, and develop convictions which leads to healthy self and God honoring behaviors.

Cars operates a 12 month program.  Our treatment programs will be unapologetically Christ-centered and biblically based. We contribute true restoration of people out of addictive enslavement to a foundation of faith in Jesus Christ. We believe that true change comes from what God first does on the inside of us; not the mere enforcement of behavioral modification.

At CARS we like to say OWN YOUR JUNK.  We will not promote a disease model when referring to chemical addictions—CARS will focus on building godly character and confidence. In the “disease model” of addiction the drug, the alcohol, not the user, is the agent; and the user is a passive host. In the moral model of CARS, the ex-addict is responsible for building character and deciding, based on new patterns of truth and teaching one embraces, to overcome a destructive habit; Our students are the active agents in their own recovery and restoration. At CARS we like to say, “It’s not drugs or alcohol, it’s moral training.” We won’t talk constantly about drugs or alcohol at CARS but character. The “once an addict always an addict” philosophy of many other models can be psychologically demoralizing for people leaving them in the cycle of addiction.  God’s Word shows us that God sees us differently thus we need to see ourselves differently.   We like to say around CARS–”Your identity is the foundation of your serenity.”

We’re open to anyone, but the assessment process will be the determining factor of entry into the program.  Where a person lives does not constitute a trump card to entry into our CARS program. We want to make sure the individuals we choose are the best fit for our program.

At CARS, we have a well-defined intake process. We are not an immediate/emergency entry program. Our application process involves an assigned Intake Coordinator working directly with the applicant (by phone) throughout the entire process from application review to entry. Intake/Admissions is the gateway into your program. Our goal is to provide the best assessment of applicants to determine if they are a good fit for CARS, while they are determining that CARS is the best fit for them.

YES, We will consistently assess the applicant’s level of commitment and desire for our program. Because we are voluntary, we will not bring anyone into the program unless they are ready, stable, and willing to receive help. We will access a person’s stability (to determine if we are able to care for their needs). We will access a person’s ability to manage themselves independently in a residential setting with our level of staffing. We will access for dependency issues and mental health issues. We are not a duel diagnosis program.

Our requirements are that a person come under their own desire. A person escaping jail time to hang out in our program does not fit our understanding of voluntary. Choosing CARS over jail is not an option for us.  CARS is a voluntary program.

CARS is not designed to be run as a state licensed facility with credentialed staff.  However CARS is a Christ-centered residential program that will be accredited through VARR (Virginia Alliance of Recovery Residences) and led by certified staff.

The Virginia chapter of NARR (National Association of Recovery Residences) is a national accrediting body who requires strict regulations be followed in all their recovery residences, so all Virginians seeking safe recovery residences can have timely access to effective services.

 

No, CARS is not an immediate or emergency entrance program.

CARS will focus on freedom from addictive behaviors. Our goal is to target the issues related to drug and alcohol. Often someone coming to our program will be dealing with drug and alcohol in combination with other issues.  All of these issues will be taken into consideration during the assessment.

CARS will not have it’s own detox services.  We will work with local doctors to assist us in getting our students into the best detox programs available before they enter our program. All students who need a detox must walk through one prior to entry into our program.

Although we are not a medical facility, we recognize that some men and women who enter our program will have medical issues that need to be managed. To that end, our homes will continually seek the support of local doctors and nurses to help us provide adequate management of medical needs while a student is in our program.

Some of these details are still being worked out as this program gets started.  Immediate family can visit the home once a month on a specified day with an appointment.  Phone calls will be offered once a week on a specified day for 5-15 minute depending on a student’s time in the program.

 

Our CARS homes will be run on love and laws. We want to be high on both. To be high on love and low on laws–we all love each other and nothing gets accomplished. To be high on laws and low on love, a program runs smoothly but there is no community. CARS will seek to run high on love and high on laws. Grace and mercy will be strong in our restore home, but the breaking of the rules will come with spelled out consequences. Minor infractions will lead to loss of privileges. Typically anything major would mean termination from the program.

YES, and we will randomly test those in our program for the presence of drugs and alcohol.  We will also ask the local law enforcement to offer random unannounced drug checks with drug sniffing K-9’s.

Cell phones are not allowed for students entering our program or on the property at any time.  Only students who are in the 9-12 portion of our program, who have earned the privilege to work off site, can have their phone while employed off campus.   But all phones will be turned in upon arriving back on the property of CARS.

Our CARS Restore Home are just that homes.  Now for some coming to CARS this will be the first time they have been required to have chores and responsibilities, but we will be teaching them to give of themselves to others and not just take.  Besides chores are important and builds self-confidence and teaches responsibility.

A typical day at CARS begins with

• Breakfast (Shared Responsibility)
• Bible Reading—each new student entering the program will be assigned an individualized Bible reading program along with scripture memory.  The goal is not to complete the Bible while they are in the program but to help each student to develop a daily habit of time spent with God in His Word.
• Corporate Praise and Worship
• Discipleship Classes:  Staff led, Guest Led, DVD Training always with a follow up question and answer time and times of prayer.
• Chores
• Lunch (Shared Responsibility)
• Individual Counseling
• Fitness
• Chores
• Dinner (Shared Responsibility)
• Group Counseling
• Free Time
• Bedtime

Students are expected to participate in all activities. Because our program is based in a home, every resident participates in daily chores such as cleaning, yard work, laundry, and kitchen duties. Even those employed off campus must participate in all part of the program upon returning to the CARS campus.