The Magdalen House

Education, outreach, and providing an environment of inclusion are critical to reversing the community stigma regarding alcoholism. Facilitating authentic and transparent experiences will help overcome these challenges and normalize the way in which the disease of alcoholism is viewed.

The mission of The Magdalen House is to help individuals with alcoholism achieve sobriety and sustain recovery at no cost and based on 12-Step spiritual principles. We currently do this through the following programs:

First Step Program: A two-week, residential program for an alcoholic who wants to stop
drinking but cannot. The house can accommodate up to 20 women and 12 men with rolling admissions.


Next Step Program: A three-phase, non-residential program that provides support and structure for an individual with alcoholism at any stage of recovery.

Community: Solution-focused meetings and workshops, community groups, and events open to all alcoholic women and men at every stage of recovery. Services are currently offered for women 365 days a year and the men's schedule is increasing monthly. Additionally, Family Support meetings are available to families and loved ones of alcoholics and addicts.

Resources and Education: Education about the disease of alcoholism and community partnerships that help connect alcoholic women, men, and their families to resources such as sober living, womens and men's health, and counseling.

The Magdalen House, also known as Maggies, was founded in Dallas in 1987 and remains the only agency in the DFW area to offer comprehensive recovery services, 100% free of charge. The Magdalen House is wholly privately funded, accepting no government monies or insurance funds. We offer immediate support through our two-week, in-house First Step program, and ongoing recovery support through our three-month, non-residential Next Step Program. Both programs are peer-implemented which help to create a recovery community grounded in the idea that together, we can accomplish what we cannot do alone- recover from alcoholism.

In April 2021, The Magdalen House conducted a $3.4M capital campaign and opened the doors to its new home on Gaston Avenue. The Magdalen Houses new facility has been thoughtfully designed to accommodate its services while providing a beautiful and dignified space for alcoholic women to recover.

In 2023, the agency focused on many efficiencies that have led to an improved quality of care for alcoholic individuals, making staff more available to clients and streamlining the curriculum of the Next Step program to make graduation from the program more attainable for participants. The agencys First Step program also introduced new risk management initiatives, including refining admission criteria and phone screen procedures to improve the experience of clients from the very beginning of their recovery journey at The Magdalen House.

Many of these efficiencies have been in preparation of January 2024, when The Magdalen House opened its programming to men. With its own facilities off Caddo Street, only minutes from the Womens House, The Magdalen House Mens Program provides the same quality, dignity, and dedication to break the cycle of alcoholism. Both the women and mens programs provide individuals with the tools and resources required to begin a life free from the stronghold of addiction so that their newly found freedom translates to their families, their communities, and other alcoholics.

The Magdalen House lives out its mission statement through its vision to build a thriving community of recovered individuals and their families one person at a time. Through removing virtual participation options for education in our programming, our community engagement and fellowship increased in 2023 as well, facilitating a supportive environment for every individual in recovery. The Magdalen Houses mission begins and ends with the volunteers and clients, and The Magdalen House is committed to continually improving its services for alcoholic individuals.