history

Deep Roots and Humble Beginnings

Mike Harden was a Marine who returned from Vietnam with an addiction to drugs and alcohol. After years of struggle and chaos, he achieved sobriety and transformation through faith in Jesus Christ. In 1990, Mike heard God calling him to serve men in addiction, so he borrowed a three-bedroom house in Cumming, Georgia and canvassed the streets of Atlanta for men needing help.  

In no time, men began showing up on their own, and Mike named the house “New Freedom Lodge”. One year later, No Longer Bound became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and started moving toward a structured drug and alcohol recovery program.

Over the years, the program has gone through many changes. Today, we are a state licensed, long-term, residential, faith-based, clinical treatment program. In the past 33 years, over 1300 men have found freedom from addiction at No Longer Bound.

Brain of a Business, Heart of a Ministry

In 2014, No Longer Bound transitioned to its second generation of leadership and a time of tremendous change. We began renovating our campus, we pursued state licensing, and integrated evidence-based clinical treatment with our faith-based curriculum. Today, No Longer Bound has a 56-bed dorm we call the Hope House, a 16 bed Transition House (Grace House), a Dining Hall & Family Center (Harden Hall), a Vocational Training Center (Thompson Training Center), a computer lab, weight room, a wonderful recreation space including basketball and pickleball courts, and a full staff of ministry-minded clinicians.

Under the leadership of Executive Director Ben Tison, we look forward to our next 30 years, continuing in our efforts to be a seamless integration of Christ-center ministry and evidenced-based clinical treatment, transforming lives beyond sobriety.

Building an Effective Recovery Model

The CDC reports accidental overdose as the number on cause of death in the Unites States for people under 50. Unfortunately, for-profit treatment has become big business with insurance companies making length of stay decision. 

Research shows, unequivocally, that long term sobriety is dependent on length of treatment. In today’s world, most insurance companies allow for 14-21 days of care. This exacerbates a cycle of addiction and relapse that makes it hard for a person in addiction to heal. It also costs a tremendous amount of money for such poor outcomes.

No Longer Bound’s unique funding model affords men one full year of safety, individual counseling, group therapy, family therapy, spiritual formation, and vocational training. This video above explains the problem with traditional addiction treatment and how No Longer Bound is different.

Building an Effective Recovery Model

The CDC reports accidental overdose as the number on cause of death in the Unites States for people under 50. Unfortunately, for-profit treatment has become big business with insurance companies making length of stay decision. 

Research shows, unequivocally, that long term sobriety is dependent on length of treatment. In today’s world, most insurance companies allow for 14-21 days of care. This exacerbates a cycle of addiction and relapse that makes it hard for a person in addiction to heal. It also costs a tremendous amount of money for such poor outcomes.

No Longer Bound’s unique funding model affords men one full year of safety, individual counseling, group therapy, family therapy, spiritual formation, and vocational training. This video above explains the problem with traditional addiction treatment and how No Longer Bound is different.