Conduct

Our Standards
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Sober Nest Recovery Homes is a supportive group of recovering alcoholics and addicts, in a healthy, positive atmosphere with our primary objective being; recovery from the disease of alcoholism and drug addiction obtained by the completion of the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous with a sponsor who has also done the same.

Our mutual success depends upon an attitude of unity and support. Please read the following standards carefully. If you can and will honor these standards, you are welcome.

We hope that your stay here will be a time of healing, recovery, and growth. The changes you make during your first thirty days are crucial to your sobriety and serenity. You will be asked to change the way you have lived, the way you think, and the people you associate with. In fact, you will be expected to change just about everything in your life. These changes may sometimes be very difficult. Your actions will require a great deal of willingness, open-mindedness, and honesty. You will be supported every step of the way with love and support from your Sober Nest family.

So that you may quickly bond with your new family, we ask that you accept a probationary period of 14 days and honor the Sober Nest standards as well as the following probationary standards. We would like the opportunity to get to know you, how you act/react in different situations. This will help us in detecting changes with you later, in the interest of helping you avoid relapse.

Probation

  • You are not to leave Sober Nest for any reason unless a Sober Nest member accompanies you (preferably with over thirty days at a Sober Nest home unless approved by the director.) You must notify the house director or house manager when you leave and where you will be at all times.
  • You must secure a sponsor and submit a sponsor verification form to the Director and begin working the 12 steps within your first 7 days.
  • You must learn and understand the Sober Nest standards in your first two days.
  • You must complete your Sober Nest orientation and recovery outline with the Sober Nest Director, or Assistant Director, within your first two days. You must set up a time to do this.
  • You must have daily contact with the house manager or director or assistant director everyday during your probation period. Setting up this time is your responsibility.
  • You must attend daily AA,NA or Celebrate Recovery meetings. Attendance sheets must be signed and given to your house manager to be maintained in a file for your possible future needs.
  • You must begin to work on your individual treatment plan as prescribed by the house manager and the director. This will include such things as making application for food stamps or public support, securing proper identification, reporting to probation or parole officers, and whatever commitments you may have made to your counselor at a treatment center.

General

  • All Sober Nest Family members must pay Membership dues. You are responsible for $100.00 a week in membership dues. Dues are NOT refundable under any circumstance.
  • YOU MUST REMAIN CURRENT IN PAYING DUES IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN MEMBERSHIP.
  • Curfew is 10:00 pm. Any exception to this must be pre-approved by the house manager. You are expected to call and notify the house manager if you are going to be late.
  • The Sober Nest director must be notified of all medications you are taking (including prescriptions). Members are NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE NARCOTICS!!! Any changes in this must be accepted by the Director before the change. NO EXCEPTIONS. Nondisclosure of this may result in immediate expulsion.
  • If you have certain health problems, or such arise, that require special needs or assistance, please let us know so we may obtain the necessary things and people needed to assist you.
  • All members and their visitors are subject to search of themselves, their room, their belongings, and vehicles at any time for any reason by the Director, or assistant director. Anyone possessing any illegal substances or anything that breaks our standards or the laws governing our state or federal government may be asked to leave, expelled and the proper authorities may be notified. You are subject to drug screens and breathalyzer tests at any time.
  • Any member may be asked to move out at any time for lack of attention to Sober Nest standards and other traditions. This may be done by the director or house manager.
  • There will be a mandatory house meeting once a week. You are expected to attend all of these with no exceptions unless otherwise approved by the director or house manager.
  • Any member who is asked to leave will do so in the time allotted or be subject to removal by the police or sheriff’s department.
  • Any clothing or personal items you leave behind when you leave Sober Nest must be claimed within seven days. At that time anything left will be considered abandoned and will be given to charity.

Recovery

  • You must attend at least three AA ,NA, or Celebrate Recovery meetings per week and have contact with your sponsor. You must be working the AA 12 step program.
  • We use structure as a primary vehicle to experience responsibility, freedom, love, balance, growth, and positive lifestyle changes. All members must accept the structure of Sober Nest.
  • You must provide moral and spiritual support for others in your Sober Nest family and the neighborhood at Sober Nest.
  • Continue to Follow through on all treatment commitments.
  • Continue to have Active contact with a sponsor. This may be monitored.
  • Under the supervision of a sponsor, continue to work the 12 steps of A.A., NA, or CR.
  • Practice total abstinence from all mind-altering drugs, chemicals and alcohol.
  • Glorifying any negative behavior is frowned upon. We live in the SOLUTION not the problem, in recovery, not in old behavior.
  • Sober Nest members will support the recovery of other members. We WILL NOT tolerate any member contributing to addictive behavior or the relapse of another member. Failure to abide by this standard WILL result in the immediate expulsion of the violating member.

Conduct

  • We avoid power abuse. Direction comes from our Director, Assistant Director, house manager, the standards of Sober Nest, sponsors and other advisers in recovery, family and finally self.
  • We respect each other’s property. Any stealing WILL result in immediate expulsion from Sober Nest.
  • Our house members expect and deserve their privacy. Make sure that before you discuss other house members, or their business with other house members, or with anyone outside the house, that you do so with permission.
  • Practice total abstinence from all mind-altering drugs, chemicals and alcohol.
  • Members must be respectful of other members sleep times. All televisions and music must be off or the volume turned low enough not to bother other members by 10 pm.
  • Sober Nest family members are responsible for their own transportation at all times.
  • During Sober Nest house meetings there is sharing, involvement, mutual encouragement, constructive criticism, goal planning. This is not a time to gang up on or demoralize anyone.
  • There will be NO borrowing or lending. Our experience shows this leads to many problems.
  • Gambling in any form is prohibited at Sober Nest at all times.
  • Out of respect to our visitors, shirts and appropriate bottoms (something more than boxers) must be worn to house meetings and at any time there are visitors in or expected at the house. Also appropriate dress outside is very important to our neighborhood and the image we project to our neighbors. Please dress appropriately when attending outside meetings.
  • Guests must understand and honor our standards. It is your responsibility to properly inform them of our standards. Inability of your guests to follow our standards will result in them being asked to leave and will prevent their future return. Sober Nest is not liable for your guests.
  • Respect must be demonstrated with the house telephone. There will no telephone calls after 10 pm. Except for emergencies. Please make your friends and family aware of this. Should you answer a call meant for another member and agree to deliver a message, it is then your responsibility to deliver the message.
  • No overnight passes for your first 30 days. Only the Director will issue overnight passes thereafter. Overnight passes must be submitted and approved a minimum of 24 hours in advance.
  • You are not required to work while a member at Sober Nest. If you do not intend to work, you will be required to do volunteer work. If you are planning to work, the director or house manager must approve your job. You CANNOT secure employment in bars or strip clubs.
  • All members will practice acceptance of other members and tolerance of any of their shortcomings. There will be no hazing, or ganging up on any single or group of other members.
  • Disagreements between house members should be remedied quickly. The assistance of the house manager or the Director may be utilized when necessary.
  • Physical violence or the threat thereof will not be tolerated. Any member who does so will be asked to leave immediately.
  • There is to be NO sexual contact, nor conduct which might be considered sexual harassment between Sober Nest members.

Housekeeping

  • Smoking inside a house is at the discretion of the house members and manager. Members will not smoke around other members who wish to live smoke-free. Do not discard cigarette butts on the ground. Unsafe or disrespectful smoking habits may result in a member not being allowed to smoke in a house.
  • Smokeless tobacco may not be used during house meetings. You may use smokeless tobacco inside or outside as long as you provide your own spit receptor and it is clearly identified as such. No spitting in any other object or on the ground. IF you leave spit receptors around house, your smokeless tobacco privileges will be REMOVED.
  • All dishes must be washed, dried and put away in a timely manor so as not to leave messes for other members or hinder their peaceful use of the kitchen. This will provide a clean space for someone cooking right behind you.
  • No open food or leftovers are to be left in bedrooms. Dishes are to be returned to the kitchen immediately so as to allow other members to use them.
  • Don’t leave your stuff lying around and clutter up our home.
  • Bedrooms and bathrooms should be kept in a neat and tidy manor.
  • Sober Nest family members using the washer and dryer should remain on the premises until completion of the whole cycle. The dryer filters must be cleaned between each use. The washer and dryer should be used at times when the use does not bother other house members. You are expected to either supply your own laundry products, or chip in for the purchase thereof.
  • House members are expected to supply their own toiletries.
  • Each Sober Nest house has appropriate parking of your vehicle and those of your guests. Please ask your house manager about this.
  • If you cause a mess, please promptly clean it up. If you need assistance, ask! Dripping coffee, tracking in mud, etc.
  • Most Sober Nest homes have outside pets. They are cherished members of our family too. They also abide by our standards. You will be responsible for messes and/or damage caused by your pet. If you have phobias or related difficulties concerning certain types of pets, please let us know ahead of your stay. Pets must be approved by the house members and director prior to coming.

Other standards may be added at individual houses and these standards may be edited or amended at any time that such is necessary.

We are here to help and support you. Please allow us the opportunity to provide that support by opening up and sharing with us all of your pain, fears, failures, joy, and successes, all of your recovery.