ABOUT DOWNTOWN RESCUE MISSION
The Downtown Rescue Mission is a faith-based nonprofit organization that serves the homeless in northern Alabama and southern Tennessee. The organization provides emergency services, community outreach, transitional services, and long-term, residential addiction recovery treatment for men and women at its campus in Huntsville, Ala. Downtown Rescue Mission is one of only 19 long-term residential programs across the state.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
Downtown Rescue Mission provides emergency services on a daily basis to homeless and at-risk individuals, providing them with food, shelter, hygienic services, and more. Mothers are permitted to bring their children with them.
Individuals who utilize the facility’s emergency services are offered a spot in the 12-month residential program, which provides shelter, meals, and clothing, and aims to help residents break the cycle of self-destruction through its Bible-based recovery courses. The center treats alcoholism, drug addiction, and offers services to those who have endured emotional, mental and physical abuse. Clients’ spiritual well-being is tended through chapel services, spiritual counseling and encouragement, weekly group devotionals, and Christian concerts.
Residents are expected to work in the organization’s thrift stores, to learn responsibility. The program also provides opportunities to pursue a GED or college degree.
Upon completion of the residential program, Downtown Rescue Mission transitional assistance services as a sort of aftercare program, in order to help their alumni adjust to life in the community. The facility helps individuals find low-rent housing, uses their thrift stores to provide the housing with cookware, furniture and other necessities, and helps alumni find employment. The facility boasts over 200 program graduates in 2017.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
Staff includes men’s and women’s chaplains and a director of social work, though their credentials are not provided by the center’s website. The center itself is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, one of 81 (60 percent) of facilities in Alabama that are currently operating as non-profits. The sole client polled by Best-rehabs.com to date on the staff’s level of training and experience gave it five out of five stars.
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
There is currently no information provided by the facility regarding its living arrangements and related offerings; however, a local news report from November 2016 noted that ground had been broken on a new 200-bed women’s and children’s facility, which allows children to stay with their mothers. Overall, the facility offers computer training and recreational sessions such as arts and crafts and sports – primarily basketball and softball. In addition, the client polled by Best-rehabs.com gave the center four stars for its accommodations, meals, and cleanliness, and three stars for its exercise and leisure offerings.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
Best-rehabs.com has not yet received any reviews directly from alumni of this facility. Secondary review sites yielded mostly positive commentary.
On its Facebook page, which the center can manage, the facility has an average rating of 4.5 out of five stars from 50 reviewers. Reviewers cited the staff, facility, and treatment effectiveness as strengths. “As a graduate of the program at DRM I had the opportunity to experience the love and commitment shown to the residents… I thank God for DRM and the dedicated staff, without them I probably wouldn’t be here today!” alum K.H. wrote.
Despite the high rating, a small number of reviewers complained about poor conditions at the facility, with one reviewer even comparing the facility to a prison. “My family and I had to stay here in the past, worst experience of my life,” alum A.H. wrote.
On Google, Downtown Rescue Mission received an average of 4.2 out of five stars from 70 reviews. Despite the large number of reviewers, most gave polarized feedback, consisting of either a glowing, five out of five-star rating, or a low one-star rating. Many reviewers praised the staff and the facility’s overall mission. Representative reviewer D.J. wrote: “Friendly staff, really trying to make a difference in people’s lives.” Another reviewer, R.B., wrote, “Everyone is very nice and extremely helpful…Love everything this place stands for. If you are down and out on your luck and need help, this is the first place i would start.”
Dissenting reviewers repeated the complaint that the facility’s policies resemble those of a “prison.” In particular, reviewers seemed aggravated with the facility’s restrictive curfews and visitation policies. “The place…seemed to be ran like a prison constantly threatening to put people out in the cold for the simpliest things,” one anonymous, reviewer wrote, echoing these concerns of negative reviewers, “Showers were full of mold and mildew. You slept on bare mats on the floor less then a foot from someone on each side. Just about every person in there was sick.”
WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY
The single loved one polled by Best-rehabs.com to date said they would recommend this facility, and gave it four stars for its treatment effectiveness and its faith basis, and three stars for its holistic offerings and family participation. The center’s treatment for co-occurring disorders fared poorly, however, receiving just two stars.
FINANCING
The program is funded by donations and proceeds from the organization’s thrift stores, enabling treatment to be offered at no cost to residents. This places Downtown Rescue Mission amongst the 68 (50 percent) of facilities in Alabama that offer services free of charge for individuals who can’t pay.