Substance Use & Recovery

Recovery Dharma is a free, peer-led recovery community that uses Buddhist practices like meditation, self-inquiry, and group sharing to help people recover from addiction of any kind. Meetings are run by volunteers and are open to anyone; you can join a local in-person group or an online meeting from anywhere. Use their website's 'Find a Meeting' tool to look up meeting times near you or online.

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The Buddhist Recovery Network is a national, mostly online group that uses Buddhist teachings, meditation, and mindfulness to help people recover from addiction. They run about 250 free recovery meetings — including beginner-friendly, family, and online meetings you can join from anywhere — plus workshops and teachings through their BRN Academy. Most meetings are virtual, so you do not need to live near a physical office to take part.

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Atlanta Recovery Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1969, that provides transitional housing for homeless men 18 and older in metro Atlanta. For a small fee of $12 a day or $74 a week, men get a dormitory bed, clean linens, hot showers, daily meals, and a safe, drug-free place to stay. The center also helps with clothing, job searching, and referrals to free medical clinics and treatment programs.

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Unity Recovery is a peer-run recovery organization that offers free online recovery meetings every day for people dealing with drug or alcohol use and mental health struggles. The meetings are led by trained peers who are in recovery themselves, and anyone can join by video, phone, or chat from anywhere — including Atlanta. There are no fees and no sign-up requirements.

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Recovery Dharma Online is a free, peer-led recovery community that uses Buddhist practices — meditation, self-inquiry, and group support — to help people recover from addiction and find peace. They run hundreds of online meetings every week that anyone can join from a phone or computer, including groups for specific communities like LGBTQIA+, women, men, and BIPOC members. In the Atlanta area there are also affiliated in-person Recovery Dharma meetings (in Decatur and Marietta) for those who prefer to meet face to face.

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Medication-Assisted Recovery Anonymous (MARA) is a peer support fellowship for people in recovery from drug or alcohol use who are using medications like methadone, buprenorphine (Suboxone), or naltrexone. They run free, judgment-free support group meetings — mostly online by Zoom every day, plus some in-person groups — where your treatment choices are respected. There is no Atlanta-area in-person meeting, but anyone in Georgia can join the daily virtual meetings.

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The Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center is the main VA hospital for Atlanta-area veterans, located in Decatur. It provides free or low-cost health care to enrolled veterans, including primary care, mental health, substance use treatment, a 24/7 emergency room, women's health, dental, surgery, and specialty care. Staff also help veterans sign up for VA health benefits.

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New Horizon Recovery Center is a Christian, faith-based addiction recovery program and a ministry of Teen Challenge Georgia International. They run a year-long live-in (residential) program that helps men struggling with drug and alcohol addiction get sober, rebuild their lives, and learn job skills. Graduates can get transitional housing and help finding work.

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This is the Fulton County government department that runs outpatient mental health, substance use, and developmental disability services for adults, teens, and children — including people without insurance. They provide counseling, psychiatric care, medication-assisted treatment for opioid use, day programs for people with developmental disabilities, school-based services, and court-related mental health programs across several service centers in the county. Call the main number to find the right program and set up an appointment; walk-ins are also accepted at the centers.

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Recovery Consultants of Atlanta is a nonprofit, peer-led community health center (an FQHC) with locations in Decatur and Tucker. They provide low-cost primary care, mental health and psychiatric care, substance use treatment, and HIV/Hepatitis C testing and prevention. They also help people living with HIV through support groups and housing assistance.

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Rising Sun Recovery is a recovery residence in Hiram, Georgia (west of Atlanta) for people working to recover from drug and alcohol addiction. Residents get a safe, sober place to live with housing and utilities, a recovery coach, a case manager to help find a job, and support through a 12-step recovery community. It is part of the GARR network of certified recovery residences in Georgia.

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Circle of Recovery is a counseling and training organization led by Dr. Karen Kelly that helps adults and teens dealing with substance use and mental health challenges. They offer counseling, relapse prevention, anger management, and life coaching, and also train and certify addiction counselors across Georgia. Call to ask about joining a class or starting services.

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The Shepherd's Inn is Atlanta Mission's shelter for single men over 18 who are experiencing homelessness. It serves up to 450 men a day with a bed, hot meals, laundry, counseling, recovery and life-skills classes, job training, and spiritual support. The goal is to help each man, step by step, move toward independent living.

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NAMI Georgia is the state chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, a nonprofit that helps people living with mental illness and their families. They run a non-crisis HelpLine that points you to resources, free support groups, and free education classes, and they advocate to reduce stigma. Trained peers and family members lead most of their groups and classes.

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DBHDD is Georgia's state agency that oversees public services for mental health, substance use and addiction, and developmental disabilities. It runs the state's crisis system (call or text 988, or the Georgia Crisis and Access Line at 1-800-715-4225) and funds local providers, five state psychiatric hospitals, and support programs across Georgia. Anyone in a mental health, substance use, or developmental disability crisis can call 24/7 to be connected to help.

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Veterans Empowerment Organization (VEO) is an Atlanta nonprofit, founded in 2008, that helps veterans rebuild their lives and become self-sufficient. They provide transitional and permanent housing, job training and workforce support, and behavioral health care for mental health and substance use. Veterans in need can call them or stop by their West Lake Avenue campus to get connected to services.

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