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Becoming good neighbor, changing a life

Recovery houses that are run with standards and have addiction recovery at the heart of their programs are an integral part of the treatment process and can be great neighbors to the residents and businesses near them, proponents of the growing industry say.

“Ask anyone who has a loved one with an opiate addiction and they will tell you that a six-day detox does not ‘cure’ the person. It takes a commitment to changing people, places and things, to attending intensive outpatient programs and 12-step meetings and lots of work to change. Recovery housing provides people with safe, supportive living situations with support from people who have been there,” said April Caraway, executive director of the Trumbull County Mental Health and Recovery Board. “Good recovery house operators ensure that their residents go to meetings, treatment programs, remain drug free through frequent drug testing, and get jobs or job training.”

Recovery housing should offer an environment free of alcohol and drugs, offer peer support and assistance with addiction services. When someone has a stint in a good recovery house, it improves employment opportunities, increases family and social connection, improves emotional well-being, decreases substance use, reduces criminal activity and increases quality of life measures, according to Ohio Recovery Housing.

The state of Ohio doesn’t require operators of recovery houses to go through a certification process, but Ohio Recovery Housing offers a voluntary certification process that checks to see if a home meets the national standards set by the National Alliance of Recovery Residences.

Homes that receive tax dollars have to be able to demonstrate they have “protocols for quality standards,” said Danielle Gray, executive director of Ohio Recovery Housing.

“Taxpayer dollars must only be invested in providing safe, ethical and quality recovery housing services that support residents’ long-term recovery,” Gray said.

“Ohio has a responsibility to ensure that local boards are in compliance with the law and ensuring that the recovery housing providers that they fund meet quality standards.”

While mental health and recovery boards aren’t required to use the standards Ohio Recovery Housing uses to certify, the Trumbull County one does.

“Trumbull County Mental Health and Recovery Board is a leader in this area and requires certification, as well as other protocols, in order for providers to access funding through the local board. Not all local boards haven taken similar action,” Gray said.

While employees of the Trumbull County board don’t frequently make referrals themselves, the agencies they work with do, Caraway said.

“And our agencies only refer to ORH certified houses that we know do good work or those we know are good houses and are in the process of getting certified,” Caraway said.

Homes that meet those standards are ultimately good neighbors, too, because they hold residents accountable for their actions and don’t allow substance use or bad behavior.

The certification process is there not only for the residents, but to help recovery house operators, said Scott Shorts, who co-owns the Warren-based Park Place Recovery Housing.

“The certification process helps operators reach a level of quality. In the past, and the reason I got involved, is because many of the houses were just sticking as many guys into as many houses as they could buy. It wasn’t about recovery, it was just a place to crash. If that had happened to me, I don’t know if I would have got sober, or where I would be right now,” Shorts said.

A proper sober house isn’t about collecting rent; it is about developing a safe place for men and women to recover from addiction and rebuild their lives, by working a program, by finding jobs and doing the normal things a productive member of society does, absent of the triggers and temptations they are working to overcome, Shorts said.

“I think the important thing for the community to understand is that they are brothers, fathers, sons and uncles and as long as they are in a quality-run facility, this is what helps them get back to who they really are. Women too, are mothers, sisters, daughters and aunts. They are not just defined by addiction. And they will get themselves out of that if they have the right support,” Shorts said.

Good recovery housing reflects those goals with rules and guidelines for residents.

Shorts, an inspector for Ohio Recovery Housing, uses a social model and 12-step program in his facilities.

The average length of a stay is 210 days in one home and 230 days in another home Shorts operates. Some stay a few hours or nights, but others stay as long as they need to.

The people who stay longer have demonstrated a commitment to the change and help the new people along the way, along with staff and house rules, Shorts said.

“In my experience, addicts don’t believe someone that hasn’t been down the same path can help them. Being around the right people at the right time, people you can relate to and see your self in, that is a healthy way to recover. That is why we shoot for a social model for recovery. Our senior peers at the houses are the most important people. They show the others healthy experiences, how to implement the good things into life. It takes time and faith, but it can work,” Shorts said.

Something recovery houses need is more support to keep peer mentors who are on the right path in the homes as employees, Shorts said.

First Step Recovery, Warren’s first in-patient detoxification facility, has a recovery house affiliate in Warren, certified by Ohio Recovering Housing. The detox and treatment center also has extended care housing that operate at or above the ORH standards, said CEO Cindy Woodford.

One of the biggest obstacles to people in recovery is getting transportation to a job, Caraway said.

But there are people and organizations willing to help and a lot of people in the faith-based community who want to do something positive, she said.

“We’re working very closely with the (Youngstown-Warren) Regional Chamber to help people get jobs, but there’s no transportation to get them there when they are in early recovery. There are so many church vans out there sitting all week that might be able to fill this gap. I can link any interested churches with the good recovery houses. It would be a win for everyone and I know it will help people stay sober and get their lives back on track,” Caraway said.

When community organizations communicate and come together they have a bigger impact.

“We have some community partners who help and support the recovery houses and that makes a tremendous difference in people being successful,” Caraway said.

rfox@tribtoday.com

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