Our Mission · A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit

No one should lose their recovery because they couldn't afford it

Sober Living Companion is a charitable program of Empower Next Project, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN 39-3580172). Our mission is to keep people in early recovery housed, supported, and connected to help — and to strengthen the sober living homes that make that possible.

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What We Do

Our programs & activities

Recovery is fragile in its earliest days. Empower Next Project runs four connected programs that meet people — and the homes that serve them — where they are.

1 · A free recovery app for every resident

Every person in a participating sober living home gets our app free, forever — to count their sober days, find and check in to meetings, stay on top of house responsibilities, sign agreements, and reach help in a crisis. Cost is never a barrier to a resident's own recovery tools.

2 · Rent assistance for people in early recovery

A single missed rent payment can put someone back on the street and end their recovery. A portion of everything we raise goes directly toward helping residents in early recovery cover rent and essentials while they find their footing — so they can focus on staying sober, not on survival.

3 · Free transitional counseling

Moving into a sober living, stepping down from treatment, or starting over is one of the most vulnerable moments in recovery. Through Empower Next Project we provide free professional counseling to bridge those transitions — licensed, clinically-grounded care at no cost to the person receiving it.

4 · Affordable tools for the homes that house them

Sober living operators — often small, mission-driven organizations themselves — need to track residents, payments, drug tests, beds, curfews, and agreements without expensive software. Our sober living management software provides those tools at a low, flat cost so homes can stay open and focus on their residents.

Who We Serve

The people at the center of our work

People in early recovery

✓ Free recovery tools, always
✓ Rent & essentials assistance when they're most at risk
✓ Free counseling through vulnerable transitions
✓ A steady connection to meetings and support

Sober living homes

✓ Affordable, all-in-one management tools
✓ Help keeping residents housed and accountable
✓ Support so homes can stay open and serve more people
✓ No costly, enterprise software required

Why this works

Recovery lasts when care continues

Treatment is where recovery begins — but decades of federally funded research are clear that what happens after treatment decides whether it holds. Long-term aftercare, stable sober housing, and a recovering community are the bridge from leaving a program to building a life. It is the reason we put a free recovery app in every resident's hand and help keep sober living homes open.

19% → 42%

Sober-living residents reporting complete abstinence, from entry to 18 months, in a 245-person NIH-funded study

40–60%

Relapse rate for substance use disorders — on par with hypertension & asthma, so recovery is managed over time, not cured at discharge (NIDA)

90+ days

Minimum time in care tied to reduced use — “the best outcomes occur with longer durations” (NIDA)

16% → 4%

Drop in homelessness among residents over 18 months; stable housing more than doubled (13% → 27%)

Community is part of the medicine. In the same research, residents involved in 12-step and peer support used less alcohol and fewer drugs — and their gains held even after they moved out, with an average stay of more than five months. People recover in connection, not in isolation.

Sources: NIDA — The Science of Addiction: Treatment & Recovery · NIDA — Principles of Effective Treatment · Polcin et al., Sober Living Houses: 18-Month Outcomes (NIH / NCBI) · related housing outcomes (NIH / NCBI)

Our Non-Profit Status

A registered 501(c)(3) — accountable to a mission, not investors

Sober Living Companion is operated by Empower Next Project, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN 39-3580172). We have no investors and no ad networks — we answer only to the people we serve. Donations and home memberships are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law, and every dollar supports the programs above: free tools for residents, rent assistance, counseling, and keeping sober living homes open.

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Leadership

Built by people who live this work

Sober Living Companion was created by leaders in addiction recovery who saw, first-hand, what residents and homes need to succeed.

Joseph Casaceli

Founder, Sober Living Companion

Joseph is the founder of Sober Living Companion. He co-founded Roseville Recovery Center, a detox and residential treatment program, and has worked across treatment centers in Los Angeles and Detroit. He now volunteers full-time with Empower Next Project, the non-profit behind Sober Living Companion, connecting people to the right level of care and sober living throughout Northern California.

Alexandra Hicks

Founder, Empower Next Project

Alexandra is the founder of Empower Next Project, the non-profit behind Sober Living Companion, where she volunteers full-time. She previously served as a Program Director at a treatment center and brings a background in clinical programming and bookkeeping.