Considering RSM for a loved one?
Start with eligibility, costs, and the steps to apply.
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RECOVERY SOLDIERSMINISTRIESGiveFOR FAMILY & LOVED ONES
A new chapter for them.
Support for you, too.
Hope, relief, uncertainty, fear—you may be feeling all of them. You are not alone. We are grateful to walk alongside your family as your loved one begins a journey of recovery and healing in Christ.
Call the office · 423-518-1450Your loved one is already here?
Find visit schedules, mailing addresses, and what to bring.
Calls and visits →Mail and personal needs →MAKING ROOM FOR A NEW BEGINNING
Staying connected
The 30-day waiting period applies only to the women’s campuses. A structured beginning gives students time to settle into the program. Extra visits and phone calls are earned privileges and may be limited at times. Please speak with the office about your loved one’s eligibility before making plans.
Time to settle in
Phone calls are not permitted during the first 30 days. Students must complete this initial period before becoming eligible for the visits described below.
Letters can begin right away. Students may send and receive letters immediately and can also receive packages.
Weekly phone calls
Women become eligible for a phone call each Sunday after the initial 30-day period.
Women with children ages 18 and under may have two calls per week.
Men’s campuses: The 30-day waiting period does not apply. Please contact the office for your loved one’s phone-call schedule and visit arrangements.
IMMEDIATE FAMILY ONLY
Time together
Eligible students may visit with immediate family during the campus-specific times below. Monthly family days take place at each student’s own campus, at its physical address. Please follow the visitation guidelines on this page and any instructions from campus staff.
- Thursday worship & visits · Elizabethton men & Watauga women
- Every Thursday at 7 PM at Redemption House Church, 1180 Bristol Highway, Elizabethton, TN 37643. Redemption House · Facebook ↗Church YouTube · Subscribe ↗ Visits follow the service for approximately 20–30 minutes. Watauga students must complete their first 30 days before visiting. Remain seated until your loved one returns to the sanctuary.
- Women’s family day · Watauga & Wise
- First Sunday of every month · 2–5 PM, after the initial 30 days. Visits are held at each campus’s physical address:
Watauga: 655 Watauga Rd, Watauga, TN 37694
Wise: 5641 Recovery Rd, Wise, VA 24293 - Men’s family day · Elizabethton & Grundy
- Fourth Sunday of every month · 2–5 PM. Visits are held at each campus’s physical address:
Elizabethton: 1180 Bristol Hwy, Elizabethton, TN 37643
Grundy: 12334 TN-108, Altamont, TN 37301
You may bring dinner for monthly visitation, but it is not required.
Safe, healthy communication
Your loved one’s safety and recovery are our priority. If a phone conversation becomes toxic, unhealthy, or harmful to their recovery, staff will end the call.
If a visitor is suspected of being intoxicated, the visit will be terminated and the visitor will be asked to leave.
These boundaries help maintain a safe, supportive environment for everyone in the program.
Communication with a partner
Before the 10-month mark, communication with a romantic partner is permitted only if the student and that partner are married to each other.
Unmarried romantic partners must wait until the student reaches the 10-month mark in the program before beginning communication.
All communication remains subject to the campus phone-call and visitation guidelines described above.
GUIDANCE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM
Love with patience.
Support lasting change.
It is natural to want to ease your loved one’s discomfort. A structured program can bring difficult days as someone adjusts to accountability, new routines, and honest conversations. Your steady love, prayer, and willingness to work together can help them keep taking the next step.
A hard day may not tell the whole story
A phone call may focus on frustration, homesickness, or a difficult interaction. Listen calmly, acknowledge their feelings, and ask what happened. There may also be progress that is harder for them to recognize in that moment.
Patterns such as avoiding responsibility, minimizing problems, or giving an incomplete account can take time to change. Still, a history of addiction does not mean someone is being dishonest now. Every concern deserves to be heard.
Bring concerns to the campus director
RSM’s team brings years of experience walking alongside people in recovery. If you are worried, contact the campus director, share the specific concern, and ask for context and a clear next step. Include your loved one in that conversation when appropriate.
When there is no immediate safety concern, pause before making a major decision about leaving the program based on one difficult conversation. Work together to understand what is happening and consider the options.
Find your campus director →GRADUATION IS A MILESTONE
Give growth room to continue
Completing a year in the program is an achievement. Rebuilding trust, learning steady habits, and growing in discipleship can continue long afterward. Celebrate progress without expecting every responsibility to return all at once.
Hold your hopes with open hands. Plan the next chapter with your loved one, the campus director, and appropriate care providers. Consider housing, work, ongoing support, and manageable responsibilities that fit the individual’s readiness.
For parents, rebuilding a relationship with their children deserves patience and consistency. Avoid pressure to resume full parenting responsibilities simply because the program has ended. Put children’s safety and stability first, honor any existing custody arrangements, and plan steps with the family and relevant professionals.
“I love you, and I hear that this is hard. Let’s talk with your director, understand what happened, and work through the next step together.”A way to begin a supportive conversation
LETTERS, PACKAGES & PERSONAL NEEDS
Send a little love their way
Students may send and receive letters immediately and are permitted to receive packages. To address an envelope or package, put your loved one’s name on the first line, followed by the mailing address for the campus where they are staying. Physical addresses are listed separately for visits. For packages sent by a carrier that cannot deliver to a PO box, call the office to confirm delivery instructions.
Men’s Campus
Elizabethton, Tennessee
Mailing address
Student NamePO Box 603
Elizabethton, TN 37644
Physical address
1180 Bristol HwyElizabethton, TN 37643
Men’s Campus · Altamont
Grundy County, Tennessee
Mailing address
Student NamePO Box 220
Altamont, TN 37301
Physical address
12334 TN-108Altamont, TN 37301
Women’s Campus
Watauga, Tennessee
Mailing address
Student NamePO Box 603
Elizabethton, TN 37644
Physical address
655 Watauga RdWatauga, TN 37694
Women’s Campus
Wise, Virginia
Mailing address
Student NamePO Box 270
Wise, VA 24293
Physical address
5641 Recovery RdWise, VA 24293
Walmart gift cards
Women’s campus students take a Walmart trip on the first Sunday of each month. Families are asked to provide a Walmart gift card for personal needs. During visits, give gift cards and all other items to the staff member on duty, never directly to a student. Contact the office about your loved one’s campus arrangements.
PLANNING TOGETHER
Intake processing fee & payment arrangements
The intake processing fee is $1,000 at all four campuses. If it was not paid in full at entry, please contact the office to arrange a payment plan as soon as possible.
Insurance is not required to enter the program. Insurance does not cover the non-refundable $1,000 intake processing fee; it is payable out of pocket only.
We are willing to work with families on monthly payments or another schedule that fits their situation.
PREPARING FOR ARRIVAL
What to bring
Choose the list for your loved one’s campus below. Please follow the listed quantities and storage guidelines.
Men’s packing list
Clothing
- 7 pairs of underwear, 7 pairs of socks, and 7 shirts.
- 4 jeans/shorts total, 2 khakis, and 2 athletic shorts.
- 2 coats and 2 hoodies.
- One thermal set, one hat, one toboggan, and one glove set.
- 5 RSM JT shirts.
Shoes
- One pair each of dress shoes, casual shoes, tennis shoes, and shower shoes. Store shoes in the locker only.
- One pair of boots. Store boots in the Boot Barn only.
Bedding & towels
- 2 towels and 2 washcloths.
- One blanket, one laundry bag, and one pillowcase.
Men should not bring pillows or stuffed animals.
Hygiene · store in a shower caddy
- One shampoo, one body wash, and one deodorant.
- One toothbrush and one toothpaste.
- One razor, one shaving cream, and one lotion.
Personal care · store on the top shelf
- One denture set and one denture cream.
- One contact set and one contact solution.
Women’s packing list
Women’s campus items are not required to enter. If your loved one does not have them, RSM can provide items through the Blessings Closet or Thrift Store. The list describes what students may have cumulatively throughout the program.
Clothing & personal items
- 15 total shirts; clothing must not feature secular movies, phrases, singers, bands, or similar references, or imagery inconsistent with a positive recovery environment.
- Light jackets or a rain jacket.
- One ankle-length plain black skirt, solid black dress pants (not tight; no leggings), and a plain white button-up dress shirt.
- 4–7 undershirts; 7 jeans, capris, or pants without holes; 2 pairs of khaki pants or capris without holes; 3–4 sleep pants.
- 14 pairs of underwear (no thongs), 10 pairs of socks, and 7 bras.
- One pair of black flats for choir (no heel), 2 pairs of sneakers, one pair of sandals with a back strap, and one pair of dorm shoes.
- 3 towels and wash rags.
- One small makeup bag, no larger than 10 × 8 inches. False eyelashes are not permitted.
No shorts or belly shirts. Clothing must not be tight; no men’s clothing or cologne. When wearing leggings, tops must cover most of the thigh and all of the backside.
RSM cannot hold suitcases, backpacks, or purses. Bring items in disposable bags, or have family take the bags home.
Bedding & personal comfort items
RSM provides one twin sheet set, one pillow, and one comforter upon arrival. Students may bring their own bedding if preferred.
- One personal pillow, if desired.
- One stuffed animal, if desired.
- One additional throw blanket.
Please keep space limitations in mind.
LETTERS & ENCOURAGEMENT
Hope for families.
Practical guidance for the people who love someone facing addiction.
How to Help a Loved One With Addiction When Nothing Seems to Work
By Marley Scalf
A letter about boundaries, supporting recovery, and keeping a path to help open—even when saying no feels hard.
Read Marley’s letter →Explore the Our Blog →WATCH · RECOVERY SOLDIERS MINISTRIES
A Mother’s Testimonial
Hear a mother’s personal testimony. For families searching for hope, another parent’s story can be a meaningful place to begin.
Watch on YouTube ↗WALKING ALONGSIDE THE JOURNEY
Ways to stay involved
Worship with us
Join us Thursdays at 7 PM at Redemption House Church, 1180 Bristol Highway, Elizabethton, TN 37643.
Search YouTube for Redemption House Church – East Tennessee to watch services live. Visits with students after worship follow the eligibility guidelines above.
Follow the ministry
Follow RSM on Facebook and Instagram for ministry updates and photos. Follow Redemption House Church for baptism photos and ministry highlights.
RSM on Facebook →Partner in the mission
If your family would like to give, monthly sponsorship and vehicle donations support RSM’s work as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Mail gifts to PO Box 603, Elizabethton, TN 37644, or call 423-518-1450.
Ways to give →Donate a vehicle →
THERE IS HOPE FOR YOUR STORY, TOO
One conversation can be a beginning.
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, our admissions team is here to listen and explain the next steps.