Creating a Values-Aligned Website to Convey Hope and Warmth Through the Screen

Ten16 Recovery Network provides compassionate addiction recovery services across multiple locations, meeting people wherever they are in their journey toward healing.

For individuals and families facing the crisis of addiction, finding help requires tremendous courage — and they need to immediately feel safe, understood, and welcomed.

For a website often serving as the first point of contact during someone’s most vulnerable moment, it wasn’t reaching through the screen to provide the comfort and connection their visitors needed most.

THE CHALLENGE

A Website That Put Up Barriers to Action

Ten16’s existing website created barriers when people needed support most.

The outdated, sterile presentation felt intimidating rather than welcoming to individuals already struggling with shame and fear around seeking help. Visitors couldn’t easily understand what services were available at which locations, creating confusion during moments when clarity matters most.

The site’s institutional feel didn’t accurately reflect Ten16’s core values of warmth and inclusion. People in recovery and their loved ones need to feel seen and valued, and the website wasn’t conveying the genuine compassion that defined their incredible staff and their in-person services.

Meanwhile, staff struggled with a content management system that made simple updates nearly impossible, leaving information outdated when accuracy could be life-changing.

Key challenges included:

Multiple locations with different services weren’t clearly differentiated for visitors
Clinical “recovery speak” that alienated people seeking help during vulnerable moments
Outdated design that didn’t reflect the organization’s welcoming values
Difficult-to-update CMS that left critical information stagnant
Lack of warmth and inclusion that failed to make visitors feel safe or comfortable
No system to route inquiries to appropriate staff based on location and services

CORE QUESTIONS

What We Set Out to Solve

The core questions we tackled for this project included:

How do you convey genuine warmth through a screen and make visitors feel safe and seen enough to take action during their most vulnerable moments?

From a technical perspective, how do you leverage a website as an effective tool for a multi-location nonprofit offering varied services across different communities?

Our Process

Building Bridges to Hope

Our Nonprofit Beacon assessment revealed the disconnect between Ten16’s compassionate in-person approach and their digital presence.

Strategy and alignment workshops with their team focused on translating their warmth and non-judgmental values into web experiences. We explored how language, imagery, and user flows could either welcome or alienate people in crisis.

UX research helped us understand the mindset of someone seeking recovery resources — often scared, overwhelmed, and carrying shame about their situation. We developed two design directions that prioritized emotional safety alongside clear information architecture.

This collaborative process ensured the final approach would genuinely serve both visitors in crisis and staff managing multiple locations.

Outcomes

From Intimidating to Inviting

The new website immediately communicates hope and belonging through warmer language, authentic imagery, and intuitive navigation. We also included a floating button that invites visitors to get help now.

Visitors can quickly find location-specific services without confusion, and inquiry forms automatically route to the right team members. The approachable tone speaks to real people facing real struggles, not clinical cases requiring treatment.

Behind the scenes, staff now have a content management system they can actually use to keep information current across all locations. The streamlined backend means critical updates happen quickly, ensuring accuracy when someone’s next step toward recovery might depend on current program availability.

Ten16’s team feels proud to share their website, knowing it truly reflects their values and effectively serves their mission of meeting people with compassion.

Testimonial

What Our Client Had to Say

“The website launched just over a week ago…we have seen a five-fold increase in people who are reaching out to us.”

— Sam Price, CEO of Ten16 Recovery Network

CONCLUSION

Hope Through the Screen

Over the course of a few months, we helped Ten16 Recovery Network transform from an intimidating, outdated website into a warm digital space that makes seeking help feel safer and more accessible.

Ready to ensure your nonprofit’s website truly welcomes the people you serve? Book a call with us to explore how the right digital strategy can amplify your mission.

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