Fresh Start is a year-long, residential, faith-based substance abuse program for men.

Located in Orlando, Fresh Start Ministries of Central Florida provides affordable residential treatment for men recovering from life controlling problems, most typically substance abuse, through transitional housing and comprehensive educational and support services.

The program is designed to help men struggling with alcoholism or drug addiction, have an organized opportunity to get the help he needs while still continuing to work his job and support his family.

Fresh Start Ministries began helping men in the Central Florida area in June of 1986. Fresh Start enables men to recover from their addiction through a safe and secure environment, classes, support groups, and biblical counseling.

The program begins with intervention by confronting individuals with their dysfunctions and their impact on their life. From their, using principles of accountability and spirituality, the men are introduced to positive role models who help to redirect their life physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Fresh Start provides an atmosphere of discipline, using Christ-centered principles, support and a sensible knowledge of addiction recovery.

By providing a strong biblical foundation and support in a family-like environment, the men are taught communication and relational skills, strong individual and family values, and the foundation of the Christian life, thereby strengthening their moral and social values. As a faith-based nonprofit organization, Fresh Start Ministries’ guiding philosophy is “Recovery and Restoration through Jesus”.

The Fresh Start program allows men to work during the day and attend their 12-Step classes every evening. Each man must be back on property by 6pm, have dinner, and after dinner he’ll have classes, counseling and bible study. The program is broken into phases that walk through the various steps toward total healing.

Initially, Phase 1 focuses all on drug and alcohol information, signs & symptoms to look for when you’re on a build up to use, triggers, relapse prevention techniques, and more.

The next phases are more “tailored” to the individual. The client & his counselor establish a treatment plan that deals specifically with issues that are important to him. Issues like anger management, self-esteem, communication, relationships, and unforgiveness.

Phase 2 is very introspective and gets to the core of inner healing within the individual helping them to understand how they are personally wired and why they continually engage in behavior that has negative consequences.

Phase 3 is about building a deeper spiritual base and turning their current relationship with Christ into something more personal and resilient.

Phase 4, the final phase, is geared toward aftercare and teaching the men how to operate outside of and after treatment and what the necessary continued steps they will need to follow to maintain their sobriety and have continued success in recovery, family, work, and life.