The Magdalen House

The Magdalen House is a non-profit organization committed to helping alcoholic women and their families establish long-term, sustainable recovery by providing effective and accessible programming based on 12-Step principles. Founded in Dallas, Texas, in 1987, The Magdalen House remains the only agency in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to offer recovery services at no cost and without government assistance for programming or payment from insurance. While the value of saving a woman's life and rebuilding families cannot be quantified, providing these services at no cost demonstrates a commitment to improving lives and restoring dignity by serving the disempowered and marginalized female population struggling with alcoholism.

The agency presents a practical application of the solution to alcoholism through the following programs:

First Step Program – 14-day in-house stay which provides acute care and physically separates a woman from alcohol. She is provided with education and resources to establish sobriety and build a foundation of recovery in a safe and supportive environment at no cost.

Next Step Program – Three-phase, nonresidential recovery program for alcoholic women that lasts approximately three months and consists of recovery education, group meetings, mentorship with meeting chairs, and more. It is open to any alcoholic woman, at any stage of her recovery, who is seeking education and tools to grow and sustain her recovery in a structured program.

Community Program – Solution-focused classes, meetings, and workshops are provided seven days a week, 365 days a year. These are open to any alcoholic woman, at any stage of recovery. Additionally, the agency has dedicated volunteers who provide Family Support to families and loved ones of alcoholics and addicts.

Outreach Program - Provide education about the disease of alcoholism, bring awareness to The Magdalen House services, and establish partnerships to meet the needs of alcoholic women and their families that lie beyond the scope of our services.

The First Step program provides acute care through a 14-day in-house stay that physically separates a woman from alcohol while simultaneously immersing her in support and education at no cost. Experienced staff and passionate volunteers support and guide those seeking to establish a solid foundation of recovery grounded in 12-Step principles. It operates continuously at a 20-bed capacity with rolling admissions filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. The First Step program ultimately provides each woman with the gift of time, healing, and structure, while simultaneously providing the tools to learn how to live content, sober, and productive lives.

The Next Step program serves as a structured alternative to traditional clinical outpatient treatment, or IOP. It can be utilized as an aftercare program for First Step alumna and women who have received inpatient alcoholism treatment services elsewhere or may serve as a stand-alone program for women who did not seek inpatient treatment or detox services at all. The program currently operates continuously at a 40-client capacity with room for growth. Groups are entirely voluntary and can be completed after three consecutive, one-month phases of study.

The Community program includes the agency’s classes, meeting, and workshops available seven days a week, 365 days a year. The agency's programs are uniquely successful because the women served are offered the opportunity to participate in The Magdalen House's comprehensive approach to recovery for life. Women who participate in the agency's programs gain access to more than 1,400 support meetings each year, and their families are invited to participate in specific support groups as well. Through other recovered alcoholic women, clients learn that recovery is simple and attainable through education, an open mind, and willingness to live a new life.

The Magdalen House’s Outreach program cultivates partnerships to provide extended resources to meet the various and unique needs of clients and their families which lie beyond the scope of the agency’s services. Additionally, this program serves to provide education on the disease of alcoholism and raise awareness for The Magdalen House’s mission and services. By remaining mission-specific, the agency can focus on its programs while engaging others in the community to connect women and their families to the resources they need. This also unifies and educates partners, building stronger communities together. The agency has around 200 partners and is dedicated to engaging all possible resources to enhance the efficacy of treatment and the service of clients' needs. The Magdalen House also provides monthly education seminars to local corporate programs, new community partners, and the public.

The Magdalen House measures success through a twofold approach, internally and externally. External success is measured by the number of phone screens received. This metric is a quantitative measurement of the agency’s outward facing activities including awareness, advocacy, and communication. Internal success is gaged through five quality of life metrics: sobriety, education goals, employment status, holistic health, and personal relationships. Data on these metrics are gathered through surveys and are a direct result of the quality of care provided through The Magdalen House’s programs.

Program results tracked by the agency include monthly and annual screenings and admissions, annual completion rates, monthly capacities, and both participation and satisfaction levels following completion. The agency's partnership with the Center for Non-Profit Management (CNM) maintains its reporting and data management capabilities through the CNM-Pact portal, allowing for a streamlined process of gathering and analyzing program data. The ongoing analysis and results of these metrics help determine long-term effectiveness and will be stored in the agency's CNM-Pact program database for year-over-year analysis, allowing the agency to make improvements in programming and services if needed and in real-time.

The First Step program has been the cornerstone service offered by the agency since it was founded in 1987. Meetings open to any women in the recovery community were available to support the First Step program, additionally offering ways for women to stay involved, volunteer, and connect with newly sober women. The Outreach program has grown over the last several years, initially existing as an informal way to help women beyond the scope of the agency’s services. It has since grown to include a comprehensive list of resources, educational opportunities, and strategies to spread awareness. The Next Step program was created to fill a gap in The Magdalen House programs and address an under-serviced need in the DFW area- a free, structured alternative to traditional clinical outpatient treatment. Since its inception in 2019, the program has grown and continues to adapt to the needs of the community. The longevity of agency-wide program success has allowed The Magdalen House to streamline all processes and procedures to deliver the best quality of care to the women it serves while remaining mission-focused.

One of the greatest challenges facing the agency is the stigma of alcoholism among the general public. Women hoping to establish their sobriety often encounter difficult reactions from family, friends, and employers, preventing them from seeking help. Education, advocacy, and a woman’s ability to sustain long-term recovery are key to reversing this stigma. Additionally, transparency and community outreach assist in helping to overcome these challenges by normalizing the way in which alcoholism is viewed. Specifically, forming strategic partnerships with local non-profits, businesses, and other community groups has provided additional educational outlets through which the disease of alcoholism can be better understood and awareness of the agency’s services are promoted.

Through the First Step, Next Step, Community, and Outreach Programs, The Magdalen House continues to play a vital role in changing the lives of thousands of alcoholic women and their families and has infused life into countless women who felt as though hope was lost. The agency has also provided many more with an opportunity to recalibrate their commitment to themselves, their families, and their communities. Michelle found new hope in being a mother when she was able to show up for her kids again. After finding The Magdalen House and being equipped with the tools necessary to sustain her recovery through the agency’s programs, she was reunited with her daughters. One of her daughters said to her, “Mom, I’m glad you’re an alcoholic. We have the best life.” Moments like these serve as a foundation for recovered alcoholic women to not only find a life within themselves but to create a cornerstone of hope for her children by breaking the chains of addiction. Because, as Michelle explained, “Alcoholism is infectious. I was the source of the problem and it spread to my family.” But the same goes for recovery. Once Michelle found hope in a recovered life, that hope spread to her family as well. At The Magdalen House, she was equipped with the tools to establish and sustain her recovery, and her life has been transformed ever since.