This not only helps those individuals to become more involved in AA or NA, and thereby reap greater individual benefits, but also helps to build strong bonds between local AA and NA groups and Oxford House. One can only be dismissed from an Oxford House because of drinking, using drugs, non-payment of rent, or disruptive behavior. Every opportunity should be given to a member who needs professional help to see that he obtains it. 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. 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.
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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. (Since 1989, many new Oxford Houses have taken advantage of state revolving loan programs. However, the members of Oxford House have found only by being active in AA and/or NA have they found comfortable, long-term sobriety — drug addiction treatment for themselves and the Oxford House in which they live.
A classic Victorian house in Oxford with a gentle approach to colour
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. Each individual recovers from alcoholism or drug addiction at a different pace.
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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. Oxford House should rely on democratically-chosen leaders, but the leaders must always be but trusted servants. To discourage an excessive dependence on leaders, it is a principle of Oxford House that no member should serve in the same office for a continuous period of longer than six months.
Chapters
Propagation, or spreading the word, of the Oxford House concept is given the highest priority by oxford house traditions the members of Oxford House. For example, the landlord and phone company may require a security deposit and, while furnishings are generally donated, members will often have to rent a truck in order to pick them up. There may also be a need to buy more «staples» such as flour, sugar, coffee, etc. when a House starts up. Failure to adhere to any of these three requirements would bring the entire Oxford House concept into question. Therefore, it is important that each Oxford House meet these minimum responsibilities in order for its charter to be continued. All Oxford Houses have been careful to avoid undo dependence on government or other outside funds.
- The Oxford House Model provides community based, supportive, and sober living environment.
- Our network of houses is only as strong as the community support we receive and the involvement of current and former members.
- Throughout its tradition, Oxford House has combined the concepts of self-support and responsibility with a fellowship having the common purpose of continued and comfortable sobriety.
- 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.
- Oxford Houses are democratically self-run by the members who elect officers to serve for terms of six months.
During our drinking and drug use years, and even before, many of us found it difficult to accept authority. Many individuals in society are able to abide by the strict letter of any rule, regulation , or law. Alcoholics and drug addicts seem to have a tendency to test and retest the validity of any real, potential, or imagined restriction on their behavior. A recovering individual can live in an Oxford House for as long as he or she does not drink alcohol, does not use drugs, and pays an equal share of the house expenses. The average stay is about a year, but many residents stay three, four, or more years.
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Oxford House, Inc. is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that employs both office and field staff to provide technical assistance to the network of houses to foster the expansion of the Oxford House Model. Each house adheres to the absolute requirement that any member who returns to using alcohol or drugs must be immediately expelled. 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.
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.
The Oxford House Model provides a community based, supportive, and sober living environment.
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. Chapters are important links in the effective democratic system of operation guiding Oxford House as a whole. They are one way to solve the problem of keeping combined groups of houses small enough to permit each house to share its experiences, strengths and hopes with other houses. This manual describes how chapters work and are organized to strengthen the world network of Oxford Houses. The primary purpose of each Chapter is to assure that each oxford House operates in a way that is consistent with the Oxford House Traditions and system of operations as described in the Oxford House Manual.
- Too often, newly recovering alcoholics and drug addicts are faced with the necessity of living alone and of relying solely on contacts with Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous to stay sober.
- Today Oxford House has more than 20,000 residents at more than 3,500 homes across 47 states and several foreign countries.
- To discourage an excessive dependence on leaders, it is a principle of Oxford House that no member should serve in the same office for a continuous period of longer than six months.
- First of all, no Oxford House may permit individuals to remain as members if those individuals are drinking or using drugs.
- Each member pays EES (Equal Expense Share) which includes the total amount of rent due for the month, utilities and basic staples for the house.
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. Oxford House grew out of the need for many of us to begin a new life without fear of backsliding because of loneliness or renewed dependency on former drinking companions. Throughout its tradition, Oxford House has combined the concepts of self-support and responsibility with a fellowship having the common purpose of continued and comfortable sobriety. Oxford House must always have as its Primary goal the provision of housing and rehabilitative support for the alcoholic who wants to stop drinking and stay stopped and the drug addict who wants to stop using drugs and stay stopped.
