This assures integrity and correct application of the Oxford House system of operations as documented in the Oxford House Manual© and Oxford House Chapter Manual©. Each has a term limit of 6 months to further support a well functioning democratic environment. The Oxford House Model is the unique, time-tested system of operations; an evidence-based practice shown to bring significant results currently unmatched in the recovery space.
An underlying principle of Oxford House is that each individual member has the ability to be responsible for himself. Living within an Oxford House provides both the opportunity and motivation for all residents to regularly attend AA and/or NA meetings. The example of Oxford House members going to AA or NA meetings on their own is contagious. A major part of the Oxford House philosophy is that dependency is best overcome through an acceptance of responsibility.
- Those democratic principles will also enable the members of a particular Oxford House to take pride in their new found responsibility.
- Each has a term limit of 6 months to further support a well functioning democratic environment.
- Oxford House, Inc. acts as the coordinating body for providing charters for the opening of new Oxford Houses.
- A major part of the Oxford House philosophy is that dependency is best overcome through an acceptance of responsibility.
- In 1975, a tight budget in Montgomery County, Maryland led to a decision to close one of the four county-run halfway houses.
Oxford Houses work because they are:
Oxford House gave me the opportunity to practice the principles and action. If you are not selected, you should try another house that has an opening. It is not unusual that an individual who gets rejected at one house applies at another house with an opening and gets accepted. If a house votes to accept you, you can tell them whether or not you accept the invitation to move in. Alternatively, if you’d like to send your application to all houses near you that have an opening, you can Apply Online.
Oxford Houses of South Carolina
Interviews are usually held in person, but can also be done over the phone. There are six house officers in each Oxford House, elected by the members to support the operations of the house. Things that I have learned through AA and Oxford House are an attitude of gratitude, acceptance, love, forgiveness, compassion, and the willingness to take that next step.
Who Starts and Manages Oxford Houses?
Often several members of an existing House will move into the new House to provide a core group of new members who already know how an Oxford House works. By running Oxford House on a democratic basis, members of Oxford House become able to accept the authority of the group because the group is a peer group. Each member has an equal voice in the group and each has an opportunity to relearn responsibility and to accept decisions once they are made. Today Oxford House has more than 20,000 residents at more than 3,500 homes across 47 states and several foreign countries. They called their experiment in group living and joint sobriety Oxford House. It was the first step in a nationwide movement, now almost 50 years old, that has been credited with helping thousands of people overcome addiction and lead productive lives.
During early recovery for alcoholism and drug addiction, some members had to leave an institution in order to make room for an alcoholic or drug addict just beginning the recovery process. Other members were asked to leave half-way houses in order to make room for a recovering alcoholic or recovering drug addict who was ready to move into a half-way house. Only the very fortunate are able to make such a transition upon demand. Each individual recovers from alcoholism or drug addiction at a different pace. All too often, an abrupt transition from a protected environment to an environment which places considerable glamour on the use of alcohol and drugs causes a return to alcoholic drinking or addictive drug use.
Here’s how to apply.
If an Oxford House follows the democratic principles and traditions of Oxford House, Inc., it should have no difficulty in running smoothly. Those democratic principles will also enable the members of a particular Oxford House to take pride in their new found responsibility. However, the members of Oxford House have found only by being active in AA and/or NA have they found comfortable, long-term sobriety — for themselves and the Oxford House in which they live.
Each Oxford House member, as an individual, considers himself a member of AA and/or NA. Find documents, templates, and everything residents need while living at an Oxford House. Once the members of the new house agree to utilize the Oxford House Model’s system of operations and Oxford House, Inc. issues a no-cost charter. The members of the new house agree to utilize the Oxford House Model’s system of operations and Oxford House, Inc. issues a no-cost charter. The applicant will call the contact person for each house they’re interested in to set up an interview.
What are the requirements for becoming a resident, and how long can someone stay in an Oxford House?
The easiest way to find an Oxford House is to use our vacancy locator at oxfordvacancies.com. Once you find a house that has a vacancy, you can call the contact person to set up an interview. Alternatively, you can apply online and your information will be sent to all of the Oxford Houses in your area that have an opening. Oxford Houses are democratically self-run by the members who elect officers to serve for terms of six months. House officers have term limits to avoid bossism or corruption of egalitarian democracy. Every member has an equal vote regardless of how long they’ve been there.
Each Oxford House follows three simple rules.
Any recovering alcoholic or drug addict can apply to get into any Oxford House by filling out an application and being interviewed by the existing members of the House. The application is then considered by the membership of the House and if 80% of the members approve, the applicant is accepted and moves in. If an applicant does not get voted into one house they should try another house in the area. 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 sober house meetings on a regular basis.
- Plus, this option may actually be cheaper than other housing environments given the fact that residents split the household costs among several residents.
- Oxford House should rely on democratically-chosen leaders, but the leaders must always be but trusted servants.
- Some houses are all veterans but primarily veterans are integrated into the normal Oxford House population.
- Vanderburgh House, a supporter of Sober House Directory, builds sober home communities where residents are supported in their recovery journeys.
The Oxford House Model provides a community based, supportive, and sober living environment.
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 https://northiowatoday.com/2025/01/27/sober-house-rules-what-you-should-know-before-moving-in/ environment of alcoholics working together for comfortable sobriety. There is no reason to believe that society as a whole had the responsibility to provide long-term housing within a protected environment for the alcoholic and drug addict.