Instead of being left to their own fates, Mr. Molloy and other residents decided to take over the house themselves, paying the expenses and utilities, cooking the meals and keeping watch over one another’s path to recovery. I just had to follow the rules, get along with everyone, and work on my recovery. It took me awhile to get used to being with a group of guys like myself.
Self-run, Self-supporting Addiction Recovery Homes
- Propagation, or spreading the word, of the Oxford House concept is given the highest priority by the members of Oxford House.
- The only members who will ever be asked to leave an Oxford House are those who return to drinking, using drugs, or have disruptive behavior, including the nonpayment of rent.
- It took me awhile to get used to being with a group of guys like myself.
- Oxford House, Inc. is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that employs both office and field staff to provide technical assistance to the network of houses to foster the expansion of the Oxford House Model.
By the time many of us had stopped drinking, we had lost jobs; we had lost families, and some of us either had no place to live or no place to live which was not an invitation to start drinking again. Oxford House was founded not only to put a roof over our head, but also to create a home where the disease of alcoholism was understood and the need for the alcoholic to stay away from the first drink was emphasized. The bond that holds the group together is the desire to stop drinking and stay stopped. Modest rooms and living facilities can become luxurious suites when viewed from an environment of alcoholics working together for comfortable sobriety. Oxford Houses of Texas, established in 1990, is a state-wide network of addiction recovery homes chartered by Oxford House, Inc., the 501c3 umbrella corporation. Each Oxford House operates democratically, pays its own bills, and expels any member who returns to drinking alcohol or using drugs.
The Oxford House Model istime-tested and evidence-based.
Yes, because alcoholism, drug addiction and mental illness are handicapping conditions. Oxford House, Inc. litigated the issue and in 1995 the United States Supreme Court considered the issue in City of Edmonds, WA v. Oxford House, Inc. et. Since then courts have found that the same protection applies with respect to fire safety standards and rates charged property owners for property insurance coverage.
Oxford Houses of Texas – Directory
- Only the very fortunate are able to make such a transition upon demand.
- As our recovery progressed, the supervision and dependency on a half-way house created dissatisfaction.
- Alcoholism and drug addiction are international problems and Oxford Houses can provide recovering individuals the opportunity to become comfortable enough in sobriety to avoid relapse.
- List member’s assignments and rotate jobs so that everyone equally shares work to be done.
Alcoholism and drug addiction are international problems and Oxford Houses can provide recovering individuals the opportunity to become comfortable enough in sobriety to avoid relapse. A recovering individual can live in an Oxford House for as long as he or she does not drink alcohol, does not use drugs, and pays an equal share of the house expenses. The average stay is about a year, but many residents stay three, four, or more years. The average length of jail time is about one year, with a range of few days to more than ten years.
When we stopped drinking, we began to realize that in order to stay stopped, our lives would need to change. Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous provided a framework for us to change physically, mentally, and spiritually. The degree to which we were able to successfully change our lives had a direct relationship to Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. Many of us soon learned, however, that living alone or living among our old drinking companions made it more difficult to practice the principles necessary for continued sobriety.
sober
One of the greatest threats to the sobriety of a recovering alcoholic or drug addict is loneliness. 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.
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. 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 charter of each Oxford House requires that an Oxford House meet certain minimum requirements of Oxford House, Inc.
- Be honest and straight-forward when sharing the Oxford House concept with others.
- Those democratic principles will also enable the members of a particular Oxford House to take pride in their new found responsibility.
- An underlying principle of Oxford House is that each individual member has the ability to be responsible for himself.
- There may also be a need to buy more “staples” such as flour, sugar, coffee, etc. when a House starts up.
- Living within an Oxford House provides both the opportunity and motivation for all residents to regularly attend AA and/or NA meetings.
Those democratic principles will also enable the members of a particular Oxford House to take pride in their new found responsibility. The number of residents in a House may range from six to fifteen; there are houses for men, houses for women, and houses which accept either men or women with children. Oxford Houses flourish in metropolitan areas such as New York City and Washington D.C. And thrive in such diverse communities as Kansas, Hawaii, Washington State, Canada and Australia; but they all abide by the basic criteria. Paul Molloy was a young lawyer on Capitol Hill who had a key role in drafting legislation that created Amtrak and other federal programs. He was also an alcoholic whose drinking would eventually cost him his job, his family and his home.
Oxford Houses of Tennessee – Directory
Ideally several of the bedrooms are large enough for two twin beds so that newcomers, in particular, are able to have a roommate. This discourages isolation and helps the newcomer to learn or relearn socialization to get the full benefit of recovering individuals helping each other to become comfortable enough in sobriety to avoid relapse. In its simplest form, an Oxford House describes a democratically run, self-supporting and drug free home.
This is understandable since as many as 80% of the current jail/prison population are alcoholics and drug addicts. Oxford Houses seem to stop the recycling oxford house in and out of jail or treatment facilities. Those who have benefited from an Oxford House have acquired enthusiasm for the Oxford House concept. In their enthusiasm, they have been anxious to share Oxford House with any recovering alcoholics and drug addicts who want to establish an Oxford House in their community. Some of us had lived for a time in alcoholic and drug rehabilitation facilities. Those facilities provided us with shelter, food, and therapy for understanding alcoholism.
