Austin Recovery

About Austin Recovery

Austin Recovery is a compassionate, community-based treatment provider for substance use disorders, that helps individuals and families rebuild their lives free from alcohol and drugs. Founded as the Austin Rehabilitation Center in 1967, the original mission was to provide housing and assistance with counseling and vocational training for clients being discharged from chemical dependency treatment received at the Austin State Hospital. The hospital’s psychiatrist, Dr. Larry Wharton, was a prime mover in the Organization’s development along with Jim and Hazel Lavender who truly pioneered residential treatment in Texas through their efforts with the Organization’s first program at Stratford House. Through hard work and foresight the Organization grew steadily to become the largest provider of alcohol and drug treatment services in Central Texas, having served tens of thousands of clients in its forty-plus year history. In the late 1980’s major funding initiatives began at the federal, state, and local levels. These were aimed at providing extensive expansion of services to the medically indigent and to the criminal justice population affected by chemical dependency. Austin Recovery participated in this growth of services and saw dramatic program changes and expansion of services. In 1995, the name was changed to the Austin Recovery Center signifying its commitment to change while honoring its long history in the community. In mid-1999, the name was shortened to Austin Recovery.