While no one is ever asked to leave an Oxford House without cause, some individuals will simply outgrow living in an Oxford House. They will return to their families; they may start new families; they may simply move into another living situation. Individuals living in each of the Oxford Houses have also been responsible for starting many new groups of Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous having meetings near an Oxford House. This not only helps those individuals to become more involved in AA or NA, and thereby reap greater individual benefits, but also helps to build strong bonds between local AA and NA groups and Oxford House. Some operate for several years and then, because of expiration of a lease, dissatisfaction with the facilities, or simply the finding of a better location, the members of a particular House will move into a new location. Other Houses often help that type of move as well as the brand new House.

Rediscover Life at Valley Spring Recovery Center

• Alternatively, if they would like to send their application to all houses near them that have an opening, they can Apply Online.
• These sober living homes enforce rules such as regular drug screenings and participation in house meetings, which are fundamental to maintaining a safe and supportive recovery community.
• The dissatisfaction was in part the realization that we were shirking responsibility for our own lives and in part a resentment of authority.
• This system enables prospective members to find openings quickly and apply to houses.

Flynn, Alvarez, Jason, Olson, Ferrari, and Davis (2006) found that African Americans in Oxford House maintain ties with family members yet develop supportive relationships by attending 12-step groups and living in Oxford House. These different social networks are able to provide support for abstinence to African Americans. Within this large study, we analyzed psychiatric severity data such that we compared residents with high versus low baseline psychiatric severity (Majer, Jason, https://www.semillito.org/25-best-sober-living-in-michigan-with-pricing/ North, Davis, Olson, Ferrari et al., 2008). No significant differences were found in relation to residents’ number of days in outpatient and residential psychiatric treatment, abstinence rates, and Oxford House residence status.

All About Oxford House: Self-run, Self-supported Recovery Homes

I couldn’t wait to share the knowledge and experience with fellow members back home. During the convention, I was strongly encouraged LAST MINUTE to run for Oxford House World Council. I think the part that got me most was standing in front of almost 1800 Oxford House members from all over the country and seeking to qualify myself for a position I knew nothing about.

Joseph R Ferrari

I attend 5-7 meeting per week along with my spiritual life through church. I am at a loss for words on the structure and guidance I have gotten from Oxford house. I am forever grateful for Oxford and I am proud to say I will always be involved with this organization in one way or another.Before I decided to reach out and get help. I was so gone that I thought my parents where trying to have something bad done to me. It was so bad I wouldn’t even go outside no matter how bad I needed to go. I finally feel asleep that Friday on the 22nd of July and didn’t wake up until that Saturday night.

Oxford House, Inc. will consider favorably a Charter application whether or not a loan is received from the State. Q. Is there any financial aid available to start a new Oxford House? Yes, each state has in place a revolving loan fund that can make loans to cover the first month’s rent and security deposit (up to $4000) to rent a house in a good neighborhood. The loan must be repaid by the group within two years in 24 equal installments.

At a time when we acquired a serious desire to stop drinking or using drugs, many of us had lost our families and friends because of our alcoholism and/or drug addiction. Too often, newly recovering alcoholics and drug addicts are faced with the necessity of living alone and of relying solely on contacts with Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous to stay sober. Some are able to keep from drinking in spite of the loneliness with which they were faced. The alcoholic or drug addict alone begins to compare himself to those members of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous who still have family and friends. Loneliness and self-pity soon lead such individuals back to alcoholic drinking or drug use.

• Many people in recovery have found success with the Oxford House model.
• Alcoholism and substance abuse affects over 20 million Americans, and thus is the most prevalent mental disorder facing our nation (Jason, Ferrari, Davis, & Olson, 2006).
• In 1987, the late Bill Spillane, Ph. D., who had retired from NIDA and was teaching at Catholic University School of Social Work in Washington, D.C.

Oxford House must always have as its Primary Sober living home goal the provision of housing and rehabilitative support for the alcoholic who wants to stop drinking and stay stopped and the drug addict who wants to stop using drugs and stay stopped. Oxford House is a concept in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. In its simplest form, an Oxford House describes a democratically run, self-supporting and drug free home. Parallel to this concept lies the organizational structure of Oxford House, Inc. This publicly supported, non-profit 501(c)3 corporation is the umbrella organization which provides the network connecting all Oxford Houses and allocates resources to duplicate the Oxford House concept where needs arise. Halfway houses provide a structured transitional environment for individuals recovering from addiction or transitioning from incarceration.

Financial Self Support

Group homes like Oxford House sometimes face significant neighborhood opposition, and municipalities frequently use maximum occupancy laws to close down these homes. Towns pass laws that make it illegal for more than 5 or 6 non-related people to live in a house, and such laws are a threat to Oxford Houses which often have 7–10 house members to make it inexpensive to live in these settings. Jason, Groh, Durocher, Alvarez, Aase, and Ferrari (2008) examined how the number of residents in Oxford House recovery homes impacted residents’ outcomes.

The Oxford House Model is‍time-tested and evidence-based.

Nearly all members of Oxford House utilize the AA and/or NA program in order to obtain and keep a comfortable sobriety. However, an Oxford House relies primarily upon example for assuring a high percentage of AA and/or NA attendance from its members. As a general rule formal AA or NA meetings are not held in an Oxford House member who has maintained comfortable sobriety in an Oxford House makes it a practice to attend a lot of AA and/or NA meetings on a regular basis. The members of an Oxford House oxford house sober living assume full responsibility for the operation of the House.