FIRST at Blue Ridge Inc

FIRST at Blue Ridge, Inc. is a North Carolina-licensed, peer-led therapeutic community located in Ridgecrest, North Carolina, east of Asheville along Interstate 40. The organization operates a Modified Therapeutic Community providing comprehensive residential addiction treatment for individuals with chronic substance use disorders. The program utilizes 12-Step principles combined with intensive clinical oversight and serves individuals struggling with addiction, homelessness, unemployment, and criminal justice involvement. The campus features an 85-bed facility for men and a 65-bed facility for women, along with transitional housing. FIRST provides group counseling, case management, vocational training and job-placement assistance, life skills groups including Anger Management, Relationships, 12-Step Study Groups, Moral Reconation Therapy, and Seeking Safety. Residents participate in daily on-campus 12-Step meetings and community-based self-help groups. The organization is funded through partnerships with vocational training partners, local employers, grants, foundations, and contracts with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections.