The Salvation Army Central Chicago Adult Rehabilitation Center is a faith-based, long-term residential recovery program for adults in Chicago, Illinois. Located on North DesPlaines Street, the facility serves as both a rehabilitation center and the administrative offices for the Chicago ARC network. The program provides a free, 180-day residential work-therapy environment for individuals struggling with alcohol and substance abuse, offering spiritual, emotional, and social assistance at no cost to participants.
Program Structure and Approach
The Adult Rehabilitation Center operates a six-month, substance-free residential program combining work therapy with counseling and spiritual development. Participants take part in individual and group counseling sessions, spiritual direction, life skills training, and recreational activities. Work therapy is a central component, with residents contributing up to forty hours per week in assignments designed to build strong work habits and restore self-esteem. As the program nears completion, staff assist participants with job applications, resume writing, interviewing skills, workplace behavior, and conflict resolution to prepare them for independent living and employment after graduation.
Residential Support and Services
The center provides housing, meals, counseling, and community support throughout the program at no charge, and insurance is not required for admission. Participants are generally aged eighteen and older and must be capable of performing work therapy assignments. The Salvation Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Centers have operated for over one hundred years nationally, and the organization runs more no-fee residential treatment facilities than any rehabilitation program in the country. The Chicago ARC is supported in part through donations sold at Salvation Army thrift store locations throughout the greater Chicago area.
