A YouTube interview (Amber Hollingsworth with David McNeese) about resolving money-related enabling in early recovery by using a TrueLink (Trulink) debit-style card. The video explains how Greenville Transitions issues and monitors cards: families can load monthly funds (recommended ~$250–$300, ~ $10/day), staff set daily limits and merchant blocks (alcohol, smoke shops, cash withdrawals), receive alerts on attempted or blocked purchases, and can temporarily raise limits for approved expenses. Startup and recurring costs are discussed (startup fee ~ $50, ongoing ~$10/month noted conversationally). The piece recommends TrueLink as a practical tech solution to balance independence and oversight for recovering individuals.
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One of the biggest issues that we run across in early recovery is this conflict that happens between the person in early recovery and their family about money. And that's what this video is all about. A couple of months ago, I was talking to David McNeese. You've probably seen him in some of my other videos. And David starts telling me about what they do at Greenville transitions to manage and provide some financial accountability and oversight for all of their residents. And I had never even heard of this thing before. It's super cool. I know that's my recovery nerd coming out. So anyway, David starts telling me they use this thing at GT called Trulink. Basically, it's a debit card that you can set all of these parameters and accountability on. And even though you're going to hear David talk about how they use it in a recovery or sober living environment, anyone can get one of these things. So if you're in early recovery and you know that money is a big trigger for you, even you, if either to use or a big trigger between you and your family, for a big argument, you may want to consider Trulink. This is a super good solution that will allow a person to have some financial independence so they don't have to run to their family and ask for money every time they need something. But also gives the family a little peace of mind.
We are an all inclusive program. And the point of that is to make the program where we, we have all the necessities covered, their, their food, their transportation. I mean, they do need two weeks worth of clothes and their toiletries, shampoo and stuff. But other than that, they have what they need. But then what do they want? A lot of them want their cigarettes, they want dip, vape juice, energy drinks.
Purple Doritos.
Purple Doritos, yes. That has definitely come up before. We're not gonna provide that stuff.
How about regular Doritos?
We'll provide Doritos every once in a while. And we've even gotten the purple Doritos a couple of times. But how do places deal with that? Do you have to send in cash? And do they get a certain amount of cash each day? Something we've added into our program, and I absolutely love it. It's called a Trulink card and it gives us the ability to monitor how they spend their money.
Is it like a debit card? It is.
It is a debit card. It's like a MasterCard. But these guys, we load a certain amount of money on it per month, whatever the family wants to do.
So Is the family allowed to give them however much money they want, or do you. Is there like a recommended amount? How does that work?
There's a limit. We recommend $300 a month or 250 to 300. About $10 a day. Because on our end, with this card, we can set daily limits. So I set a limit of $10 a day or $15 a day for these guys.
That's good because I was just thinking. I was thinking, well, if they gave them their whole 300, they could be gone. Okay.
I was just thinking in two hours.
Okay.
So we put the 300 just to keep it easier for the families, too. So they don't have to send $10 a day to put on their car. They can do it in a chunk. And then we set the limits of 10 or $15 a day. But also with this card, this is what I love about it, is even if they tried to purchase alcohol with this card, it declines it. If they tried to purchase drugs or go in a smoke shop, it won't work in a smoke shop. It declines it. If they tried to withdraw cash to go buy drugs or paraphernalia, it declines.
Like, how does it know not to, like, you buy alcohol?
This is just all stuff that's set up online through their portal, which. The True Link company.
This so cool. I didn't know this, like. So if you're a parent and your kid was at home and you didn't give them the money, could you as a parent get your kid a True Link card? Or it just like, has to be through something else?
No, you could definitely get your kid a True Link card.
Man, that's genius.
It's exp. It's not a cheap card, but it's. It's worth it.
It's less expensive than all your money going to drugs, I bet.
Definitely.
How much is it? So how much is it?
I think It's. It's around $10 a month to have it.
Oh, that's not expensive.
Yeah, well, I mean, of course, most cards are free.
And some credit cards for this kind of situation, though.
Yeah, it's perfect.
Feeling solid. Like, if you. Because that's an issue is like, the money is like, you know, they need money. If they're living at home or whatever, you've got to let them have money. But it's like, how can you build a trust? And this is one of the ways. And can you see what they spend it on? Or.
We can. And I think it's a $50 startup fee at $50 to get the car, then it's $10 a month once you have the card.
Oh, my gosh. So worth it.
And I haven't looked at it in a minute, so I don't. I don't know if that's accurate. Don't hold me to the $50.
But it's something like that.
Yeah, but it's worth it to have.
Oh, my gosh.
Yes.
I didn't even know about this. This is so cool.
Yeah. So it basically when I pull up online the Trulink portal, it shows me all of the guys who have a card in my house and it's basically like a bank statement on my screen. It tells me what they're spending money on and it even alerts me before they or when they're spending that money. Every time they swipe their card, we get an alert in our email. Anytime they try to buy something they shouldn't be buying. Like in cases where they have a $15 a day limit and they try to buy something that's $35, it blocks it and sends me that alert. Wow, this purchase has been blocked. And you're going to have cases come up where someone needs a new pair of gym shoes that are $80, and for that they just tell me what they need. I go into the portal, up their limit for the day to whatever they need, and as soon as they make that purchase, I change it back to the $15 a day.
Man, we don't know about this. I bet Campbell doesn't know about this. I'm telling Campbell. This is cool.
Yeah, that's perfect.
You know, I love technology. I'm all about some recovery technology.
Well, there you.
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