Each has a term limit of 6 months to further support a well functioning democratic environment. There are six house officers in each Oxford House, elected by the members to support the operations of the house. An Oxford house provides recovering addicts a safe, substance-free place to live. 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.
- 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.
- Rent and the various utilities paid by residents vary by location, but the cost of living in an Oxford House is usually no more than what it would cost to live elsewhere.
- The reason that each Oxford House is independent arises from the very practical consideration that those who are closest to a situation are best able to manage it.
- This is understandable since as many as 80% of the current jail/prison population are alcoholics and drug addicts.
Let’s take a closer look at how the Oxford House Model works.
- As soon as Oxford House Inc., hears of such problems, it takes corrective action because the good name of Oxford House is an important factor in the recovery of thousands of individuals.
- Alternatively, you can apply online and your information will be sent to all of the Oxford Houses in your area that have an opening.
- When they find such a house they will bring it up with the other existing Houses and if there is a consensus they will attempt to find the start up money and members to fill the new house.
- The Chapter is also the place where individuals expand their network of sober friends as Chapters host all kinds of social events that bring their community together.
In its simplest form, an Oxford House is a shared residence where people in recovery from substance use disorder can live together and support each other in a drug and alcohol-free environment. An Oxford House member can stay as long as they like, provided they stay drug and alcoholism symptoms alcohol free and pay their share of house expenses. Oxford Houses are democratically self-run by the residents who elect officers to serve for terms of six months.
Support our Cause
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. 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. The OHI field staff travel to Oxford Houses, Chapters, and Associations to provide technical assistance and training, assist with expansion, and network in the community.
Learn about 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 House, Inc. provides technical assistance to foster the expansion of the Oxford House Model. While no one is ever asked to leave an Oxford House without cause, some individuals will simply outgrow living in an Oxford House.
Manuals & Forms
We should spread the word about Oxford House, but be wary of individuals who place their own personalities before the principles that made Oxford House work. Oxford Houses are dedicated to recovery and group support; not individual gain. Some operate for several years and then, because of expiration of a lease, dissatisfaction with the facilities, or simply the finding of a better location, the members of a particular House will move into a new location. Other Houses often help that type of move as well as the brand new House. In both cases, financial assistance is in the form of a loan having a pay back schedule, not to exceed one year, defined up front.
All they need to do is to find a house to rent in the name of the Group, and apply to Oxford House, Inc., for a charter. Our network of houses is only as strong as the community support we receive and the involvement of current and former members. The Oxford House Model provides a unique and successful system of operations that differs from traditional sober living homes and halfway houses. The Oxford House Model provides community based, supportive, and sober living environment. Oxford House, Inc. is a separate nonprofit organization that provides technical assistance and training to the network of houses to help expand the Oxford House Model.
Applicants must complete this membership application and be interviewed by the house they are looking to live at. Find documents, templates, and everything residents need while living at an Oxford House. While research on AA has been limited by the role of anonymity in recovery, the willingness of the Oxford Houses to open their doors to academic research gives us an opportunity to see recovery from addiction in action. A long-running study by Chicago’s DePaul University shows that people completing one year of residency maintain a sobriety rate as high as 80 percent.
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. 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. But together we have learned to manage and maintain the house and interact as a family. Generally an individual comes into an Oxford House following a 28-day rehabilitation program oxford house or at least a 5 to 10 day detoxification program.
- Once that application is completed and received by Oxford House, Inc., a “Conditional Charter” will be granted to the house at no cost.
- 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.
- Calls to any general helpline will be answered or returned by one of the treatment providers listed, each of which is a paid advertiser.
- Use our Vacancy Locator to find houses near you that have an opening.
- He moved to a county-run halfway house in Silver Spring, MD, to recover but soon learned that the facility was about to close.
At any given time there are about 2,000 Oxford House residents who have served in the military. During the course of a year more than 4,000 veterans will live in an Oxford House. Some houses are all veterans but primarily veterans are integrated into the normal Oxford House population. Oxford House will not charter a house with fewer than six individuals because experience has shown that it takes at least six individuals to form an effective group. Today Oxford House has more than 20,000 residents at more than 3,500 homes across 47 states and several foreign countries.