Navigating the Clean Cause Foundation's Support for Recovery Housing: Scholarships and Beyond

The Clean Cause Foundation (CCF), deeply rooted in the mission of supporting individuals in their journey to recovery from alcohol and drug addiction, has become a prominent name in the recovery community. Originally known for its recovery housing scholarships, the foundation has evolved to address systemic challenges within the recovery housing landscape. This article delves into the application requirements for scholarships, the foundation's broader initiatives, and its transition towards a more comprehensive approach to supporting recovery.

The Evolution of Clean Cause Foundation

Founded in 2015 with the creation of the national beverage company (CCI), CLEAN Cause dedicates 50% of its net profits to supporting recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. To date, CCI has donated $3.8M towards recovery programming and continues to serve as CCF’s primary funder. The foundation's initial focus was on providing "CLEAN Kickstart" scholarships to bridge the gap between rehab and reintegration into society through sober living environments. Recognizing the overwhelming demand for these scholarships and the limitations of direct funding, CCF has strategically shifted its focus.

Understanding the Clean Cause Foundation's Scholarship Program (Historical Perspective)

While the CLEAN Cause Foundation no longer directly provides recovery housing scholarships, understanding the historical requirements provides insight into their mission and the needs within the recovery community. Previously, the Recovery Housing Scholarship Program aimed to provide financial assistance to individuals transitioning into sober living environments.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for a Clean Cause scholarship (in the past), applicants generally needed to meet the following criteria:

Early in Recovery: Applicants should be in the early stages of their recovery journey.
No Prior Scholarship: They should not have received a Clean Cause scholarship within the previous year.
Living in or Moving to a Recovery Residence: Applicants must be currently residing in or planning to move into a recovery residence.
Completed Application: A complete application, including contact information for the recovery home, was required.

Application Process

The application process involved several key steps:

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Online Application: Applicants were required to visit the Clean Cause website and complete the online scholarship application. The application typically took around 30 minutes to complete, and applicants could save their progress and return to it later using a unique return code.
Recovery Home Information: Applicants were instructed to wait until they had selected a recovery home before applying, as this information was necessary for the application.
Application Review: Submitted applications were reviewed and ranked on a rolling basis using a scoring matrix developed with experts in the field, incorporating an evidence-based tool called the Assessment of Recovery Capital. Equity was a guiding principle in the review process, with demographics such as race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status not considered in the scoring.
Notification: Applicants were notified of the outcome of their application within 10 days of submission. Unsuccessful applicants could reapply after 30 days.
Recovery Home Questionnaire (RHQ): Approved applicants were required to have their recovery homes complete a Recovery Home Questionnaire (RHQ) and upload a W9 form dated for the current year. Failure to complete the RHQ by the specified deadline could result in the loss of the scholarship or significant delays in payment.
Payment: Scholarship payments were made directly to the recovery home on behalf of the recipient, typically processed on the first processing day after receiving the RHQ and W9.

Scholarship Details

The value of Clean Cause scholarships was a one-time payment of $500 per recipient. Payments were made directly to the recovery home. If a recipient failed to move in or left the recovery home, the foundation was to be notified within 48 hours.

The Shift to Systems-Level Change: Cause CHANGE Collaborative

Recognizing the limitations of individual scholarships in addressing the widespread need for recovery housing, the Clean Cause Foundation has strategically shifted its focus to initiatives that tackle systemic challenges within the recovery housing system of care. This transition involves the creation of the Cause CHANGE Collaborative (CCC), which will spearhead new programs aimed at:

Enhancing Recovery Housing Sustainability: Implementing strategies to improve the long-term viability of recovery homes.
Implementing Best Practices: Promoting the adoption of evidence-based practices in recovery housing.
Building Capacity: Strengthening the ability of recovery homes to effectively serve individuals in recovery.
Research and Advocacy: Supporting research, systems building, and policy changes to improve the recovery housing landscape.

The CLEAN Cause Foundation will continue to support the Cause CHANGE Collaborative in its efforts to help recovery homes enhance sustainability, implement best practices, and build capacity to serve individuals in the recovery process.

Macklemore's Involvement and Cause-Oriented Entrepreneurship

CLEAN Cause's commitment extends beyond financial contributions. The brand actively seeks to raise awareness and destigmatize addiction and recovery. A significant example of this is their partnership with Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Macklemore, who serves as CLEAN Cause’s Creative Director and celebrity investor. Macklemore's involvement highlights the importance of bringing conversations around addiction and recovery into mainstream culture.

Supporting the Cause

Even though the scholarship program has been replaced with a focus on systemic change, individuals can still support the Clean Cause Foundation's mission in several ways:

Purchasing CLEAN Cause Beverages: A portion of the proceeds from every CLEAN Cause beverage purchase goes towards supporting recovery programs.
Supporting the Cause CHANGE Collaborative: Contributing to initiatives that enhance recovery housing sustainability, implement best practices, and build capacity.

The Importance of Recovery Housing

The Clean Cause Foundation recognizes that the sober living experience is a crucial tool in pursuing recovery. Access to recovery resources can mean life or death for someone stepping into recovery. Their sober living scholarship initiative, coined “CLEAN Kickstart,” is intended to bridge the critical gap between rehab & reintegration.

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