RECOVERY

SUPPORT SKILLS
The skills involved in developing and operating a sober living home or a community
recovery center are unique and require the following abilities:
Recruit, train and assist residents to manage the home or center.
Assist residents and participants to create and maintain a democratic culture.
Facilitate and stimulate recovery enthusiasm within the recovery environment.
Be knowledgeable of community resources and have the ability to share resource
information.
Assure that the environment is maintained orderly, safe, clean and alcohol-drug free.
Maintain control of the residency without being in control of the residents.
Instill a sense of belonging and ownership among the home residents or center
participants.
Self-help meetings operate with a democratic culture with the group electing their
positions of service and recruiting new members to take meeting commitments. The
twelve step homes during the fifties and sixties operated homes as if they were twentyfour hour Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings.
The first Oxford House was started by residents who took over a Maryland State Halfway
House and then created a self-management and self-supporting format that is being
utilized by over 1,000 Oxford Houses in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Democratically managed sober living homes need recovery seasoned residents to set the
tone of the house and to be available to assist new residents to develop their own
recovery program. Once a democratic culture is established with recovery enthusiasm;
the homeowner or property manager can serve as a mentor for the home leaders and
residents.