TREATMENT NETWORK

TROSA was founded in 1994 with President and CEO Kevin McDonald at the helm and just $18,000 in the bank. Durham County Commissioners showed their support by voting unanimously to lease the Old North Durham Elementary School to TROSA for $1 per year and the Durham Chamber of Commerce provided a grant. In order to provide vocational training and generate additional revenue, Kevin began a potato peeling social enterprise and later a moving service. During the next two decades, TROSA grew by every measure: the number of residents, facilities, programs, staff, and social enterprise success. The facilities expanded to include dedicated spaces for commercial operations and, with the purchase of a 13-acre site (now our central campus), for administrative, medical, and intake offices. Since our founding, we’ve continued to improve our programming and remain aligned with best practices. We received our license from the state as a therapeutic community, and by collaborating with Duke University Medical Center, began accepting residents with some mental illness diagnoses in addition to their substance abuse disorder. We’ve added more specialized programs such as therapies for women and individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder as well as continuing care services for graduates including relapse prevention groups; transportation to/from work or school; and safe, sober housing at reduced rent. In 2010, we completed construction of the William Mack, Sr. Center (named in honor of the TROSA graduate and staff member who started the brick crew). This 12,500 sq. ft. facility provides additional classroom and recreation space, exercise equipment and room for all residents to gather for community events like quarterly graduations and holiday parties. In 2012, we completed construction of two 75-person dormitories on our main campus. Now the majority of TROSA residents live in one location, providing both logistical and therapeutic benefits. Our final phase of this plan calls for adding educational classrooms and a larger food storage facility. TROSA has become one of the region’s most successful drug rehabilitation centers and gained recognition as an early social enterprise. TROSA Moving was, and is, the largest independent mover in the Triangle region, routinely being recognized by citizens as the area’s “Best.” TROSA Lawn Care established itself as our second largest social enterprise - run and developed by a TROSA graduate - and also voted the "Best" in the region. TROSA Thrift and Frame Store, opened in 2013, has quickly become a great success and customer favorite. TROSA opened a new thrift store location in late 2014, with over 100,000 square feet of gently-used furniture, clothing, housewares, electronics, and more. TROSA’s other vocational training programs, including office administration, automotive, construction, property management, and food service are helping this growing community to thrive while giving residents marketable skills to help them transition into the job market once they graduate. Having a centralized campus has helped us become a model long-term therapeutic community. Throughout NC and the broader US there is an increasing need for effective, affordable treatment for substance use disorders, and TROSA is currently exploring options for scaling its success in the future.

Timothy Maurer standing outside of Reverend Daniel's Van. Reverend Daniels purchased the bus ticket for Timothy to attend TROSA.