Recovery

One in seven people has a substance use disorder (SUD). Drug addiction is a chronic brain disease that affects behavior. When it comes to recovery, housing can play a big role in how successful someone is in achieving sobriety. Recovery housing gives those suffering from addiction the best chance of recovering from their disease.

What leads to drug abuse?

The exact cause of substance use disorder is unknown. There are many things that factor into whether a person will become addicted to substances. However, a lack of emotional, mental, physical and spiritual support in a person’s family of origin is often the root cause of drug abuse.

What triggers relapse?

Relapse is when someone returns to drugs or alcohol after a period of sobriety. Home, work and social environments can trigger relapse. In some cases, former friends or family members may also be struggling with addiction or mental health issues. These relationships can cause stress or temptations that can lead to a potential relapse for a recovering addict.

Why choose recovery housing?

Transitional housing is very important for people working to recover from addiction. For many who enter rehabilitation programs, it is crucial to leave their original environment to get help.

Many people choose to transition into sober living homes to develop healthy habits and daily routines without drug use. Residents are usually allowed to stay in the home as long as they need to. However, the length of a typical stay is about one year.

Recovering from addiction is a long-term process. Recovery homes provide a safe, sober and supportive environment when a person’s original home cannot. These homes can serve as a critical transitional step for those leaving a rehabilitation facility. Ultimately, these homes can help people find a stronger foothold in recovery before entering independent living or returning home.

Project Goals

Recovery housing is different from homeless shelters. Both provide shelter, but there are some key differences. Homeless shelters provide emergency assistance to those who are homeless by providing a safe place for them to sleep. They also provide basic necessities. Recovery housing, on the other hand, offers a safe, substance-free environment to those suffering from substance use disorders. This allows them to develop the skills they need to transition back into the world. Transitional living requires active participation by the residents in community living, mentoring, training and rehabilitative counseling. ALL residents are expected to be substance free and abstain from any drug and/or alcohol use while in residence.

Recovery housing at Joppa House

The women who come into Joppa House should have the desire to learn how to better their situation. They must be willing to take the steps necessary to attain independent and healthy living for themselves and their families.

Each woman in residency will be asked to complete The Joppa House 6: Outlooks to Independence & Healing. This also includes our Stepping Stones Life Skills Modules. Upon completion of the curriculum, they will receive a certificate of completion. Residents will be offered access to obtain training management, GED, recovery and counseling.

The markers of success are recovery, employment, independent housing, and application of the life skills each woman has acquired during her tenure. These skills are intended to sustain independent living as well as long-term sobriety.

Stepping Stones
Joppa House Life Skills Modules

The Joppa House Life Skills curriculum emphasizes the mastery of key basic skills in life. These skills include:

  • Childcare
  • Personal boundaries
  • Cooking
  • Housekeeping
  • Employment skills
  • Scheduling
  • Submitting to authority
  • Work ethics
  • Budgeting
  • Finances

We ask that each tenant of Joppa House complete the coaching course to acquire these skills.

Stepping Stones is a curriculum that was developed by a committee consisting of two social workers, a teacher, and our director, Ginger Stevens. The committee outlined the specific needs of the targeted demographic which were consistent with the transitional home visions. Ultimately, the committee determined which life applications to develop to empower women and the knowledge and/or skills they need to become independent and productive citizens in our communities. The end goal of this program is to break the cycles of poverty, dependence on government subsidy, and drug use.

The Stepping Stones curriculum has six “modules,” each containing four units: one unit for each week of the month. Some units may take longer than others to complete. This depends on the depth of the unit and the level of life skills each client has. Stepping Stones is offered as independent study in our programming requirements. Residents will receive a certificate of completion as they accomplish their fulfillment of course objectives. This certificate recognizes their achievement and readiness to move on.

Evaluation

Each resident will be monitored and mentored, building long-term relationships with the other women and their children (if applicable). While in residency, each person will be evaluated by a case manager on a weekly basis to review the implementation of the “Case Care Plan.” This plan, developed upon admittance into the transitional home, will be adjusted as needed throughout each woman’s stay. After case management, each woman will attend a one-on-one wellness meeting with our in-house nutritionist and personal trainer. This meeting will help each woman implement healthy choices to promote healing from substance abuse from the inside out.

Each resident who has completed our program will be evaluated for success post-residency to the best of our ability. Long-term independent substance-free living is the goal of our program