• Applicants must be at least 18 years of age.

  • Applicants must not have any violent or sexual abuse felony charges.

  • Applicants may have no more than 2 children (including pregnancy) and all children must be under the age of 5.

  • Applicants must not have any current chemical dependencies or addictions.

  • We are not currently equipped to help applicants who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia or other severe mental disorders.

  • Residents must not be currently married.

  • Ruth Harbor is not temporary housing and cannot take emergency admissions. The application process can take between 2-3 weeks.

  • Exceptions to some of these qualifications may be made on a case-by-case basis.

  • If you do NOT qualify, click here for other resources that may be of service.

Admissions Considerations

Admissions Process

Step 1: Fill out an Inquiry Form below.


Step 2: Phone Interview

Our intake coordinator will follow up with you via phone call and ask some questions to see if you would be a good fit for our program.

Step 3: Application Process

You will be sent our full application, handbook, background check forms, and the contact information for our mental health counselor. You must complete and return these items and schedule an assessment with our counselor. We are happy to help if you are having trouble!

Step 4: Counselor Evaluation

You will meet with our mental health counselor who will give you an assessment and send us the results.

Step 5: In-Person Interview

We will schedule a visit of our home, where you will meet with our Direct Care team. This is where you will be able to take a tour, ask questions, and where we can learn more about you.

Step 6: Decision & Move-In Prep

If it has been determined that you are a good fit for our program, our House Manager will then take over and contact you to confirm your schedule, get contact information for any case workers or parole officers, and share what items you can bring or you will need to find storage for.

Start with Step 1. Our intake coordinator will walk you through the rest of the process!

FAQs

  • Yes! You’ll have a team of caring staff, counselors, and mentors who are here to support you. You won’t be alone. We’ll pray with you, walk with you, and cheer you on every step of the way.

  • While we do not allow visitors in the house, we do allow you to have someone come in with you for your in-person interview so that they can tour the house with you. As you progress through the program, you will earn passes that will allow you to go visit healthy and supportive family and friends.

  • You will share a room with your child, but not with other adult residents.

  • While you don’t need to be a Christian to come, we are a Christian program. This means that we will read the Bible, pray, and talk about God’s love and truth every day. You’re welcome to ask questions and learn at your own pace. We believe Jesus brings true healing, and we want to share that hope with you.

  • The room you receive will be furnished, so you will not need to bring furniture with you. There is minimal storage available at our house should you need to bring an item with you. Ruth Harbor is a pet-free facility. You may bring strollers, carseats, and other baby essentials, as well as modest clothing.

Additional Resources

Primary Healthcare - PHCIowa.com

If you are looking for housing and Ruth Harbor is not a good fit, Primary Healthcare should be your first phone call. You will have to go in person, if possible, to get registered, but they will be the first step to finding housing help in Polk County.

211 - 211Iowa.org

211 is able to help with food, shelter, utility assistance, and more. They act as a single point of contact for thousands of health and human service programs, community services, disaster services, and governmental programs.

Find Help - findhelp.org

Find Help is a resource list that can help connect you with help for a variety of needs (rent assistance, food assistance, and more!) from both religious and nonreligious groups.