THE

HOPE HOUSE

PROGRAM

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The program at the Hope House is flexible, but it is very comprehensive.

It consists of five (5) phases designed to provide a solid foundation in recovery to those who take advantage of the lessons.

It is divided into discreet 30, 60 & 90 day phases as well as a six ( 6 ) month formal phase & a one (1) year formal phase. Each phase builds on the previous one with new assignments adding to earlier assignments.

After a year, Guests have usually be habituated to the routine at the Hope House, and it is a safe place for them to call home.

The best thing is that regardless of which phase a guest is in when he leaves the Hope House program, he will have gotten a solid education, and some quality firsthand experience, in living clean and sober through practicing a program of recovery.

TIMELINES WITH ASSOCIATED EXPECTATIONS

FIRST 30 DAYS - THE FRESHMAN

For the first 30 days the new guest is a Freshman, and he will, in the main, be learning about the principle behind the first step of the 12 steps of recovery. He will learn about and be expected to understand the disease concept of addiction, as expressed through the allergy analogy in the Doctor's Opinion of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous.1 Guests will also read and become familiar with “More About Alcoholism”2 in the AA big book as well as Bill’s Story.3

(Many guests in our program are addicted to drugs, not necessarily alcohol, and they often point it out rather vigorously. They start out resistant to the idea that the AA fellowship has anything that is of value to them because they are “NA” - dare we say “nazis”. (the second half of the word describing such individuals . . . .)

Although these guests may attend NA and work the NA Basic Text, it does not follow that the AA Big Book has nothing to offer. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Many non-alcoholic fellowships use the AA Big Book and substitute the word “[drug name] or any other mind altering substances. . . ." everywhere the word “alcohol” is used.

These fellowships include, in part, Cocaine Anonymous, Crystal Meth Anonymous, and Heroin Anonymous.

Because of this, as well as other reasons which become clear as one advances in recovery, the AA Big Book is a very spiritual tome, and it is an integral part of the Hope House's program. Regardless of a guest’s preferred substance of abuse or use, they study the AA Big Book in addition to other material.

In our two decades of experience, working in a recovery residence environment, the inability of an addict to accept the help offered in the AA Big Book based in a perceived difference in drug of choice, tends to indicate a lack of willingness and/or open mindedness which are essential for recovery. It is mere guttersnipe snobbery, and often times such ‘terminal uniqueness’ leads those 'special' addicts to the grave - or worse.

Therefore, in order to live, we encourage guests to put aside preconceived notions of what works as success in recovery will require not only an open mind, but a mind determined to see the similarities and not the differences. )

Through pages 86 through 88 in the Big Book4 guests will learn the importance of morning meditations as well as the need for daily inventory in the evening before bed.

They will do this through guided self study and 12-step meeting attendance. They will also find a temporary sponsor with whom to work in the first 30 days.

Through duties owned to their house and housemates, the guest will also learn responsibility and discipline5 as they complete chores, cook meals, and take care their needs as a part of a larger community.

The guests will be requested to view a number of videos on subjects ranging from recovery, self-discipline, self-deception, and relapse prevention in early recovery. 6 7 8 9 10

The guest will select a home group before they move into the next phase at day 31. Phase one will also provide opportunities for the guest to learn the importance of a sponsor in working the steps, and he will learn what to look for in choosing a sponsor. They will select a temporary sponsor as soon as possible, and guests will learn to document their meeting attendance by getting meeting sheets signed.

Guests are also expected to find employment during this period if they did not enter with a job. If they entered the Hope House with the job they are expected to keep their position not job hop early in their recovery.

At some point before the end of the first 30 days guests will be given drug screens to ensure that there is been no drug use since entering the program.

Because some individuals are unable to provide a clean urine screen upon arrival a baseline screen will be taken upon entry, and when the secondary screen is taken the guest's sample should be clean and free of any drug or alcohol metabolites. If not, the guest has used since they enrolled in the program.

DAY 30 THRU 60 - THE SOPHOMORE

As a sophomore in the program from day 30 through day 60, the newcomer is given a new set of recovery related tasks to complete.

One of the most important is that they are to search for, find, and choose a sponsor. While in the freshman first 30 the newcomer learns about sponsorship and gets a temporary sponsor by the end of those 30 days, the guest should be involved in the fellowship of his choice sufficient enough to make a choice as to a long-term sponsor. This sponsor is someone who will provide serious one on one assistance in working with 12 steps.

The guest will learn the spiritual principle behind step 2 and how it can be applied in day-to-day life.

The guest will read Dr. Bob's Nightmare11 in the AA big book and if so inclined can read the first few chapters in the NA basic text.12

The guest will learn what it means to ". . .come to believe. . ." as it is used in the second step.

The guest will learn the principle behind the second step as well as what it means when it refers to a "power greater than. . . "

Guest will take time to identify the various ". . . powers greater than . . . ." in their own lives, and how they came believe that those powers were ". . .greater than . . ." themselves.

Guests will continue to attend 12 step meetings daily and they will do regular service work for their home group.

By this time guests should be working full time and taking steps to meet the responsibilities that come with being a responsible productive member of society.13

Guests will continue in morning meditations and taking inventory of their day before bed as set out in page 86 through 88 and the Big book of alcoholics anonymous.

Guests will continue to view the videos from the freshman curriculum and will add the Andy Stanley "Starting Over" series14 in their sophomore phase. (All of the videos that are part of the Hope House educational curriculum are on YouTube for free.)

Guests in the sophomore phase and above will be expected to assist any newcomers with less than 30 days to acclimate to the Hope House.

Guests will continue to do their chores, fix an evening meal, and attend house meetings.

Benefits which will come to the guest beginning their sophomore phase on day 31, assuming they have not had any difficulties during the first 30 days, include being able to leave the campus without another guest being with them, being able to request and take one weekend pass between day 31 & day 60.

Guests with cars can see the use of their vehicle unrestricted, so long as they have not been into any trouble and continue to abide by the Hope House schedule and program rules.

DAY 61 THRU 90 - THE JUNIOR

From day 60 today 90 the guest is in the Junior phase of the program.

This phase consists of doing all of the continuing activities from the freshman and sophomore phases which include: working with a sponsor; attending 12-step meetings; helping the newcomer; fulfilling a service obligation to a home group; completing his assigned chores; cooking an evening meal for his house; working a full-time job; and staying clean.

All of this in addition to daily morning meditations and nightly inventories in the evening before bed. Those serious about their recovery will also continue to view, and discuss, the YouTube videos suggested by the Hope House in those first 60 days.

From day 60 today 90 the guest is tasked with learning the spiritual principle behind step 3. In addition the guest is to read "we agnostics" in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous and discuss with it with either a sponsor or another Hope House guest.

Guests should also be ready to lead a house meeting on what it means to "make a decision" the and the spiritual principles behind steps 1, 2, & 3.

Guests will continue to do those things which they began in their first 30 days and continued on through next 30 days to day 60, as well as those things that they began on day 30 and continued with through day 60.

90 DAYS THRU SIX MONTHS - THE SENIOR

From 90 days to 6 months the guest is seen as a senior in the basic Hope House program.

During this period they are to continue going to meetings continue to have their meeting sheets signed, and they should be able to chair meetings at this point so they will as a part of their service obligation whenever the opportunity arises.

The guest will learn the spiritual principle behind the fourth step and what it means in light of the principal behind the fifth step.

They should also be working closely with a sponsor on a fourth step. If available, the guest should attend a fourth step workshop and obtain a copy of the fourth step worksheet that is available online.

The guest should complete his fourth step and do a fifth step with his sponsor or someone before the completion of 180 days in the program.

The guest continues to read pages 86 through 88 daily: he also continues to take inventory in the evenings.

All the other activities and responsibilities from the previous phases are to be continued for the remainder of the stay in the Hope House or until those activities come to their natural close.

Guests working a program of recovery will discover that their program becomes natural and routine. Soon, if continued on a daily basis, this routine becomes a way of life.

To do that, the guest is to continue daily 12-step meetings with the home group. The guest chairs outside meetings for his home group.

The guest continues to do service work in his home group as well as other groups he may attend.

The guest is also to continue fulfilling his obligations and responsibilities to the Hope House and his roommates.

A privilege that guests who have been working diligently on the educational program and doing their step work, while staying clean through it all, is an extra weekend pass during the month. This means that the successful guest can get two passes a month instead of just one during days 90 through 180.

SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR - GRADUATE PROGRAM

Guests who have completed 6-month successfully at the Hope House will enter into the graduate phase.

During this phase guests will have an opportunity to be leaders in the Hope House community and provide examples to the newcomers and the other guests in the community.

Unless required by community supervision officers, guests with more than 6 months no longer have to have meeting sheets signed.

Also from 6 months to 1 year guests involved in The graduate phase will provide peer supervision and mentoring to newcomers as they seek to begin their step work.

It is the guests in the graduate phase of the program that will assist the newcomers by educating them on the principles behind the steps15 as well as pages 86 through 88 in the big book the doctor's opinion, as well as "We Agnostics" - also in the Big Book.

Guests in the graduate phase are expected to chair at least one house meeting on the topic of fourth step and what it means to conduct a moral inventory.

At the end of The graduate phase the guest will have been involved with the Hope House for one year.

During this time, the guest should have begun to learn the importance of discipline, awareness, and service, as those are the spiritual principles behind the 10th 11th and 12th steps. Upon inquiry, such a guest should be able to give examples of how those principles are in their daily life.

Before the 9th month, or halfway through the graduate phase, the guest should be working with a sponsor on beginning the 8th and 9th step, wherein the spiritual principles are forgiveness and atonement.

By the end of the 7th month the guest should be familiar with the principal behind the sixth step and by the end of the 8th month the guest should have worked the seventh step.

This is so that beginning on the 9th month as a guest in the Hope House program, the man is ready to begin working on his eight step with plans to begin the ninth step before the end of the 11th month.

however, as the literature states, some amends can not be made right away; this is where the recovering addict will have the most room to grow. Learning patience and what the literature means by 'in God's time" can be both frustrating and fulfilling at the same time.

This is been a quick overview of what is expected of guests that are accepted into the Hope House program and provides a brief description of the educational curriculum that the guest will be exposed to while enrolled.

Interested parties are recommended to check back from time to time to the program tab of our website to look for a link which leads to our curriculum page that will give specific milestones and assignments for months one through six as well as freshman through senior phases.

The material at the end of that link will change from time to time as our curriculum becomes more fleshed out and we determine what is successful and what is mere busy work.

Unlike many programs that believe in settling the participants with busy work just to give them something to do or those programs that try to break down an addicts will by belittling, denigrating, or putting the program participants down, the Hope House doesn't believe in that. It is seen as mean and nothing more than legitimated bullying by people who were often the target of bullies not long before their own rise to power.

We believe that every person involved in our program, and every person who encounters those in our program, have the right to expect to be treated with dignity and respect as human beings. If recovery is not fun, and we are not happy pursuing it, why did we quit doing drugs?

We don't come to recovery to be miserable; we could be miserable getting high.

We don't come to recovery to be mocked; we can be mocked on the street - getting high.

We did not come into recovery to lose out self respect; we could lose our self respect because of what we do in order to get high because of the Jones.

We did not come into recovery to be the cash cow for sidewise hustlers selling surface recovery on the snake oil mandate train; we came into recovery to learn to be a responsible productive member of society.

We did not get clean to suffer the horrors of addiction while clean; we came into recovery to get clean and stop horror of active addiction.

At no time will anyone employed by the Hope House, or acting in the Hope House's name, cause injury to another person through deliberate indifference or the abuse of position or power.

To the extent that such an unfortunate thing happens, those holding an interest in the successful operation of the Hope House as well as those with a stake in its legacy will do their best to help karma be as instant as possible to the one so abusing their power and trust in the Hope House name.

However at no time does anyone employed by the Hope House, or residing in the Hope House as a guest, have an obligation to be the object of deliberate overt, or insidious covert, abuse or harassment by other guests or their families.

Anyone not making progress in completing the specific curriculum applicable to them while a guess can be discharged in the program director's sound discretion, and to that end, a lack of progress in the curriculum alone shall be a sufficient reason to sustain the dismissal.

The Hope House is not a Flop House