“Since its beginning nearly 10 years ago when we began our work for alcoholic men with nothing but our spirits to begin with we are able to achieve real success with many men who otherwise would have lost but are now sober and safe . . .” 

- from a 1973 letter written by co-founder Bishop Robert Gooden at age 99

Affordable Substance Abuse Treatment

Our Mission
The mission of The Gooden Center is to help alcohol and drug addicted men achieve lasting sobriety. It fulfills this mission through a 12-step oriented treatment program that focuses on education, emotional, social and spiritual support. Our vision is to do so at the highest quality at the most affordable rates.

Vision
In our Vision every individual receives the help they need in order to achieve and maintain a foundation for lasting sobriety. Our vision is not an impossible dream. In a world that is growing increasingly dark and hopeless for the alcoholic/addict, his family and friends, The Goooden Center has been a beacon of hope for over 42 years. With ample resources and skilled leadership, our Vision is being realized. Our core values provide the foundation for the services we provide.

Core Values

Clinical Excellence: Staff members continuously review their work to see that it meets the standard of quality and caring we are committed to. Our clients and alumni also provide valuable feedback that influence program design. We make every effort to incorporate best practices in addiction treatment. While chemical dependency treatment is not an exact science with proven protocols, a client's total involvement in his own treatment does correlate with demonstrated success.

Client Centered Care: The Goooden Center is client centered. This means that the needs of our clients drive the organization's focus. Clients collaborate with their counselors, family and peers in developing an individualized treatment plan. It becomes the blueprint for their success at The Goooden Center and, hopefully, beyond. No single treatment is appropriate for all individuals.

Learning: Clients are given up-to-date information on factors causing alcoholism and drug addiction. They are also informed of the impact on ones physiological, psychological and social well-being. We incorporate adult learning practices in twenty-three different education and Recovery Lifestyle groups.

Social Support: The goal is to have the client reintegrate with society. The majority of client's have family members participating in the family education and counseling groups weekly. Clients are given assistance in finding employment, evaluating career choices or enrolling in school.

Spiritual Support: Addiction is manifested physically, emotionally and spiritually. We believe that within each person there is a vision of wholeness, even joy. This is what drugs and alcohol falsely promise to deliver. Most of our clients glimpse this vision. They touch within themselves a natural state of well-being. They find the courage to be themselves.

Community Support: The Gooden Center staff and board members often speak at churches and other community gatherings to help people understand the disease of addiction and the process of recovery. TGC is a founding board member of the Continuing Education Consortium (CEC). CEC members sponsor continuing education seminars at low cost so counselors and therapists can easily participate.

Accountability: Our licensure and accreditation helps our stakeholders know that hundreds of standards for quality are being met. We make sure our stakeholders know of our program's effectiveness. Our stakeholders are: clients and their families, alumni, board of directors, staff, donors, the community, and referring professionals.