Fall, 2001
DEPAUL UNIVERSITY STUDIES OXFORD
HOUSE
Recovering people are fortunate that a group
of committed
academicians at DePaul University are studying
recovery outcomes
for those in recovery from addiction. The
results of this research
will provide new food for thought to many within
the medical/scientific
communities who have an interest in addiction and
recovery.
Oxford Houses are especially fortunate that these
dedicated
researchers have focused in on our program
and have recently
been granted funding by the National Institute
of Alcohol and
Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA) and the National Institute
of Drug Abuse
(NIDA) to research the role of Oxford Houses in
the recovery
process. We asked DePaul to send us information
about their
research and they kindly provided us with the following:
In May 2001, DePaul University established the
Center for Community
Research, led by community psychologist and professor,
Dr. Leonard Jason. Among other projects,
the Center will administer
two federal government grants to study Oxford Houses.
The NIAAA grant awarded to Dr. Jason and Associate
Professor
of Psychology, Dr. Joseph Ferrari, began its second
year of research
on July 1 of this year. Later this year,
the Center will begin research
under another grant through the National Institute
of Drug
Abuse (NIDA). Both grants explore the links
between communal
living in Oxford Houses and abstinence. Project
Director Brad Olson
oversees the day-to-day activities of the NIAAA
grant entitled
“An Evaluation of the Oxford House Model."
The grant is part of
the research that NIAAA is conducting on how communal
living affects
sobriety while promoting long-term abstinence.
The study is being
conducted using Illinois Oxford House residents,
and their outcomes
will be compared to participants who do not live
in Oxford
Houses after treatment.
Oxford House Alumni Kathy Erickson and Bertel
Williams will
assist in the study by recruiting participants
and conducting interviews.
Leon Venable, Oxford House Coordinator for Northern
Illinois, will
help place individuals from inpatient treatment
centers into Oxford
Houses. Participants in the study will complete
an initial survey to be
followed by interviews every six months for a two-year
period for
which they will receive monetary compensation.
The NIAAA study
will run until July 2006.
The NIDA Study entitled "Abstinent Social Support
in Oxford House”
will extend beyond the Illinois area. This
study will be supervised
by Project Director Margaret Davis and will examine
how Oxford
House impacts residents' social support, self-confidence,
and
sobriety. More information will be forthcoming
in later issues of
Pathways concerning this study and how residents
can become
participants.
The Center for Community Research staff would
like to thank
the residents and administrative staff of Oxford
House for helping
in this research. We look forward to establishing
and continuing
our relationships, and to the knowledge it will
bring.
A Summary of DePaul University's Research with Oxford Houses
Introduction
Over the past ten years, a DePaul University-based research
team has been involved in studying Oxford Houses in order to better understand
the role they play in substance abuse recovery. Descriptions of our
past and current research can be found in this packet. This information
was distributed at the 2002 Oxford House World Conference.
What are the characteristics of people living in Oxford Houses?
The early studies we conducted helped introduce Oxford
House to substance abuse professionals by describing some of the characteristics
of the houses and residents. An important goal of our first study was
to examine whether Oxford House residents differed from people in other drug
and alcohol recovery programs. The information for this study was collected
by Oxford House, Inc. between 1988 and 1993. We found that:
- 53% of the residents were never married
- 58% of the residents were Caucasian
- 70% of the residents were male
- 71% of the residents had at least completed high school
- 69% were employed with an adequate income to live independently
- 53% used other drugs along with alcohol
- 64% had experienced homelessness.
These characteristics are similar to what has been found among individuals
in other substance abuse treatment programs.
Jason L.A., Ferrari J.R., , and Dvorchak P.A., Groessl E.J., Malloy, P.J.
(1997). The characteristics of
Alcoholics in self-help residential treatment settings: A multi-site
study of Oxford House. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 15, 53-63.
What are the reasons for living in Oxford Houses?
When the first Illinois Oxford Houses opened in 1992, our research group
began assessing the characteristics of male Oxford House residents as they
entered one of eleven newly formed houses. During the course of eighteen
months, we conducted face-to-face interviews with 134 men who had lived in
Oxford Houses. Most men were employed (65.3%) and had an average monthly
income of $805.88. In addition, most indicated that they used more than
one substance (74.2%), such as alcohol and at least one other drug.
Residents reported that their primary reason for choosing to reside in an
Oxford House was the fellowship provided and the existence of a structured
setting where avoidance of substance use was enforced. Moreover, they
reported that the most important benefits of living in an Oxford House was
the sense of community with similar others in a stable environment.
They also believed that Oxford House was unique in that it provided them with
a self-paced recovery option and gave them sufficient time for personal psychological
growth while avoiding the use of alcohol and other substances. In addition,
they believed Oxford House differed from other recovery programs they had
experienced because it allowed fellowship with similar others, stability in
their lives, and sufficient time for change and personal growth.
Jason L.A., Ferrari J.R., Smith B., Marsh P., Dvorchak P.A., Groessl E.K.,
Pechota M.E.,
Curtin M., Bishop P.D., Knot E., & Bowden B.S. (1997). An exploratory
study of male recovering substance abusers living in a self-help, self-governed
setting. Journal of Mental Health Administration, 24, 332-339.
What do we know about self-help group attendance
and spirituality among Oxford House members?
We conducted interviews with the male Oxford House participants
In Illinois in order to further explore self-help group attendance and issues
of spirituality.
In these Oxford House residents. We found:
- 76% reported current involvement with an Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step
recovery program
- 53% claimed fellowship with other AA members was important
- 11% indicated their spirituality increased from the
AA experience
- 24% prayed regularly
- 16% read the Bible regularly
- 8% attended formal religious ceremonies
These findings indicate that during recovery, many people in Oxford Houses
shift from being dependent on alcohol and drugs to finding peer support that
may be helpful in maintaining sobriety. Furthermore, this study suggests
that AA spirituality is important for many people in recovery who live in
self-help communal settings. Therefore, the spirituality components
of AA and the fellowship provided by such programs are important for helping
many Oxford House recovering substance abusers remain sober.
Nealon-Woods, M.A., Ferrari, J.R., & Jason, L.A. (1995).
Twelve-step program use among Oxford House
residents: Spirituality or social support in sobriety? Journal
of Substance Abuse, 7, 311-318.
What influences how long people stay in Oxford
Houses?
In this study, we were interested in finding out what factors are related
to the length of time people stay in an Oxford House. From the information
collected from the 134 men in the earlier studies, we found that older men
were more likely to remain in an Oxford House for a longer period of time
than younger men. Older men had a length of stay approximately 196 days,
while younger residents stayed approximately 156 days. In addition,
we discovered that those who were pessimistic about the future stayed in Oxford
Houses for a shorter period of time. Most importantly, we found that
over a two year period, 69% of those interviewed either remained in the house
or left on good terms, thus indicating that Oxford House residency was a
positive experience for most residents.
In addition, we were interested in finding out how members of Oxford Houses
felt about their community of peers in their home. In this study, we
created a scale to measure the psychological sense of community. This
scale measures whether a person feels they have a readily available support
group of relationships upon which they can depend. Our scale, which
we call the Perceived Sense of Community Scale, was given to Oxford House
residents. We found that residents who stayed in Oxford Houses for longer
periods of time experienced increases in their sense of community. This
finding indicates that Oxford Houses provide residents with a strong sense
of fellowship with similar others in a supportive, abstinent setting, and
the sense of fellowship becomes even stronger time.
Bishop, P.D., Jason, L.A., Ferrari, J.R., Huang, C.F. (1998).
A survival analysis of communal-living self-
help, addiction recovery participants. American Journal of Community
Psychology, 26, 803-821.
Bishop, P.D., Chertok, F., Jason, L.A. (1997). Measuring sense
of community: Beyond local boundaries.
Journal of Primary Prevention, 18 (2), 193-212.
Are there gender differences within Oxford Houses?
Our research team studied African-American women and
men residing in Illinois and Missouri Oxford houses for an average of four
months. We found that women were more likely than men to:
-report sexual abuse as an adult (24.6% of women, 10.7%
of men)
-be diagnosed with an eating disorder (10.7% of women,
1.5% of men)
-engage in writing bad checks prior to recovery (32.3%
of women, 16.9% of men)
We found that men, on the other hand, were more likely to:
-have engaged in drug sales (44.6% of men, 23.1% of women)
-have engaged in residential theft prior to recovery (15.4% of men, 3.1%
of women)
In another study, we compared men and women with and without children in
Oxford Houses in the Illinois and Missouri. We found that:
- All groups reported they felt Oxford House would provide them a
safe and sober setting in which to rebuild their lives.
- Men had been hospitalized for their recovery more often than women with
and without children.
- Women without children were generally younger than
other residents.
Ferrari, J.R., Curtin, M., Dvorchak P., Jason, L.A. (1997).
Recovering from alcoholism in communal
living settings: Exploring the characteristics of African-American men and
women. Journal of Substance Abuse, 9, 77-87.
Ferrari, J.R., Jason, L.A., Nelson, R., Curtin-Davis, M., Marsh, P., &
Smith, B. (1999). An exploratory
analysis of women and men within a self-help, communal-living recovery setting:
A new beginning in a new house. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol
Abuse, 25, 305-317.
What percent of Oxford House residents have psychological
problems?
We interviewed 52 recovering substance abusers who lived
in Oxford Houses in Missouri to find out if these Oxford House residents face
issues other than substance addictions. Twenty-one percent of the residents
did not report any psychiatric disorder other than substance abuse.
However, we found that that many Oxford House residents deal with other psychological
problems as well as substance abuse. Specifically, antisocial, mood,
and anxiety disorders were most common in people whose drugs of choice were
cocaine, alcohol, and cannabis. Antisocial Personality Disorder was
diagnosed in 57.7% of residents; Mood Disorders were diagnosed in 38.5% of
residents; Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in 34.5% of residents; and Major
Depression in 26.9% of residents. Women were diagnosed more frequently
than men with panic disorder (26.1% of women, 6.9% of men). Forty-two
percent of residents reported two or more psychiatric disorders.
Another important finding was at a 6 month follow-up, we found that 42%
of participants were still residing in an Oxford House while 27% had left
on good terms, demonstrating at 69% overall success rate among participants
in the study. This suggests that most individuals entering Oxford Houses
have a successful experience.
Majer, J., Jason, L.A, Ferrari J.R., & North, C. (2002). Comorbidity
among Oxford House residents: A
preliminary outcome study. Addictive Behaviors, 27, 837-845.
Are traumatic events related to substance abuse
and psychological symptoms?
Fifty-eight women in Oxford Houses across the country were interviewed,
and 93% stated that they used alcohol, while 86% stated that they used more
than one substance. A majority of the women had experienced depression
(67%), anxiety (65%), and suicidal thoughts (53%). Many women had attempted
suicide (46%) and had eating disorders (26 %). Overall, 95% of the women
reported some type of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse during their lives.
In addition, we found that the incidence of adult physical abuse was significantly
related to many psychiatric symptoms, including depression, anxiety, hallucinations,
suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, and the use of psychiatric medication.
These findings are similar to what has been found among residents of domestic
abuse shelters.
Finally, the women in the study indicated that they had a higher sense of
community than every other group that data as been collected on with our scale.
This indicates that Oxford House is a supportive environment for women who
have experienced trauma and psychological problems. We conclude from
this data that Oxford Houses are good settings for women who have been in
abusive relationships.
Curtis, C.E., Olson, B.D., Jason, L.A., Ferrari, J.R., & Olabode-Dada,
O. (2002). Examining substance abuse, disordered eating, and trauma
in Oxford House. A poster presented at the annual meeting of the American
Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.
Olson, B. D., Curtis, C. E., Jason, L. A., Ferrari J. R., Horin, E.
V., Davis, M. I., Flynn, A. M., & Alvarez,
J. (in press). Physical and Sexual Trauma, Psychiatric Symptoms, and Sense
of Community among Women in Recovery: Toward a New Model of Shelter Aftercare.
Journal of Intervention and Prevention in the Community.
Horin, E.V., Curtis, C.E., Flynn, A.M., Davis, M.I., Olson, B.D., Alvarez,
J., Ferrari, J.R., & Jason, L.A.
(2002). An assessment of the relationship between trauma, substance
abuse, and psychiatric comorbidity among females in a communal-living setting.
A poster presented at the annual meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association,
Chicago, Il.
How does Oxford House relate to the criminal
justice system?
Laws, such as California's Proposition 36, that direct non-violent substance-abusing
offenders toward community-based treatment programs, have become the justice
system’s preferred response over prison confinement. Therefore, there is a
continuing need for more cost-effective, community-based substance abuse programs.
Oxford Houses could be one alternative option to incarceration. We
were interested in examining whether the legal, employment, drug use, and
criminal justice histories of Oxford House residents were similar to a national
sample in inpatient facilities.
Forty-six Oxford House residents were compared to a sample of 46 clients
from traditional inpatient programs. Few significant differences were
found between Oxford House residents and the traditional inpatient sample.
Many individuals are in inpatient facilities or are incarcerated because of
drug offenses. Because individuals within Oxford Houses seem to be
similar to those within inpatient programs, we believe that Oxford House could
be a justifiable alternative to inpatient treatment and incarceration.
Oleniczak, J.T., Olabode-Dada, O., Viola. J.J, Davis, M.I., Olson B.D.,
Ferrari, J.R., & Jason, L.A. (2002).
A Comparison of Past Criminal Activity in a Community-Based vs. a Traditional
Approach to Substance Abuse Recovery. A poster presented at the annual
meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.
What do we know about optimism and beliefs about
remaining abstinent among Oxford House residents?
In a recent dissertation by John Majer, he examined 42 Oxford House members
versus 42 members of AA self-help groups. For those individuals with
less than 180 days abstinent, Oxford House residents had higher levels of
optimism and were more likely to believe that they could remain abstinent
than those in the self help groups.
Eighty-three percent of Oxford House members reported a history of serving
time in jail whereas the rate was only 55% for the twelve-step members. Twelve-step
members who had one or more convictions reported lower optimism and were less
confident that they could remain abstinent than those without one or more
convictions; however, for the Oxford House members, those with and without
convictions had similar levels of optimism and beliefs they could remain abstinent.
These findings suggest that the Oxford House model, in comparison to those
who solely attend twelve-step programs, might be more effective in empowering
residents in their ongoing abstinence in a way that enhances the perception
of control in their lives.
Do Women and Men use Support Differently in Oxford
Houses?
In a recent dissertation, Margaret Davis explored similarities and differences
between women and men, particularly looking at their social support networks
and their beliefs that they could remain abstinent from alcohol and drugs.
Participants were 120 residents of Oxford Houses from several states. Findings
revealed that both men and women were similar in terms of the size and strength
of their social support networks and their strong beliefs about remaining
abstinent. Also for both women and men, living in OH was significantly related
to increased social networks that emphasize abstinence. Interestingly,
for women, their social support networks were directly related to their confidence
with being able to stay abstinent. Whereas with men, social support seemed
to play a smaller role in determining their beliefs that they can remain abstinent.
It appears that social support plays a different role in women's recovery
than it does in men's. These results draw attention to the different benefits
women can reap from positive support networks and that Oxford House may provide
an environment that specifically meets a number of special needs for women
in recovery.
Are there many Latinos involved in Oxford Houses?
For the past few months, Josefina Alvarez has been interviewing Oxford House
members in several states to learn more about the reasons why there are few
Hispanics/Latinos in Oxford Houses. So far, she has interviewed 11 Hispanic/Latino
Oxford House members, three women and eight men.
The Hispanic/Latino Oxford House members she has interviewed have mentioned
that living in an Oxford House has been a key part of their recovery.
They have provided us several reasons why there are only a few Latinos in
Oxford House. The reasons they have given us include not knowing that
Oxford Houses exist, inability to speak English, and not having the money
to pay for rent after leaving treatment.
If you identify yourself as a Hispanic or Latino, please call Dr. Alvarez
toll free at 1-877-TOSTUDY (1-877-867-8839) if you would like to participate
in this study which involves a confidential conversation for about an hour.
Unlike some of our other studies, participants do not need to live in an Oxford
House at the time of the interview.
What other Oxford House research projects are
going on at DePaul University?
There are several research projects ongoing at our center. In one
NIAAA grant supported study, we are recruiting 150 people who are finishing
substance abuse treatment at an alcohol and drug abuse facility in Illinois.
Half are assigned to live in an Oxford House, while the other half receives
regular after-care services after leaving this facility. Each of these
individuals will be interviewed every six months for a two-year period of
time. This study will look at the effects of Oxford House on recovering
alcoholics' sobriety and their belief that they have the ability to maintain
abstinence.
Another study, which is funded by a grant from NIDA, involves researching
Oxford House residents across the country. We have approximately 900
participants who will be interviewed four times. In this large national
study, we will be examining how members of Oxford Houses change during the
course of a year. We will examine how their friendship networks change,
how their sense of confidence in staying abstinent changes, and what occurs
when they leave Oxford Houses. These studies will give us a unique perspective
for better understanding the many benefits of living in Oxford Houses.
In addition to the two large studies being conducted currently, there are
several other studies ongoing. These include:
- investigating the relationships between social support, the belief that
one has the ability to maintain abstinence, and ethnic identity among African
American Oxford House residents;
- exploring how different types of social relationships affect substance
use and recovery;
- evaluating the physical settings (neighborhood, characteristics, etc.)
of East Coast , Midwest, and West coast houses to find how they are similar
and dissimilar;
- examining the role of Oxford Houses in different populations, specifically
women who have experienced trauma and/or homelessness;
-looking at how having children in the home affect women's recovery and
women's interactions with one another. Our preliminary results show
that all house members enjoy having the children in the home, and Oxford
House residents report that the children help with their recovery and interactions,
even if it is stressful at times to have children around;
- studying the way Oxford Houses effect children who live in them;
- investigating how individuals in Oxford Houses cope with their problems;
- examining how residents self-regulate their abilities toward abstinence;
- studying the growth and development of the national links of Oxford House
across the United States;
- measuring the effect of sense of community and neighborhood characteristics
among residents.
- learning how Oxford House members help each other over time and how this
is beneficial toward recovery.
If there are areas that you feel we should be investigating, please let
us know.
Copyright 1994 The Seattle Times Company
The Seattle Times
April 17, 1994, Sunday, Final Edition
SECTION: SCENE; Pg. M1
HEADLINE: OXFORD HOUSE
BYLINE: BY CAREY QUAN GELERNTER
Who wants to read about substance abuse?
Won't it be the same old story - taxpayer money spent on social services
to turn drug addicts and alcoholics around - only the problem seems to get
worse?
But wait, says clinical and community psychologist Leonard Jason. After two
years of checking it out, the DePaul University researcher says he's found
something that really works, "an amazing grassroots phenomenon," he says,
that's been accomplished almost entirely with volunteers at almost no cost
to taxpayers.
It's called Oxford House, and it has grown from one self-run, self-supporting
recovery house in the Washington, D.C., area in 1975, to more than 500 in
35 states in 1994. In Washington state, the first house opened in August
1990; today, there are 28.
Oxford House's concept is deceptively simple. Self-run means no professionals,
such as counselors or house managers, and a pure democracy. Every resident
has one vote, all participate in running the house, with officers rotating
every six months. That eliminates "us against them" sentiments and the addict's
traditional resentment of authority, fosters responsibility and, as residents'
leadership and self-management skills grow, self-confidence.
Every resident must pay his own way; established houses help new houses get
started. Unlike traditional half-way houses, with often-short time limits,
residents can stay as long as they like, as long as they pay their rent and
follow the number one rule: sobriety.
Relapse means automatic expulsion. (They can reapply, but only after 30 days
of sobriety.)
"An incredible system of health care delivery," Jason calls it.
"A mission and a movement" is the description by founder J. Paul Molloy -
a former drunk, former wife-beater, and former Republican counsel to the
Senate Commerce Committee. (It was by dint of his Capitol Hill political
connections that, in 1988, a bill was passed corralling states into setting
up $ 100,000 revolving loan funds to start up new houses along the Oxford
House model. After that, expansion took off.)
The big puzzle, says Jason, is why he is the only one researching the "why
and how" of oxford House's apparent success - given a field where traditional
treatment is expensive yet recidivism is high.
Not only that, he says, it's a potential model for solving other social problems,
from homelessness to gangs. "No one thinks in these types of innovative ways
because sometimes our preciousness as 'professionals' has been threatened.
We need to look at grassroots efforts of people to solve their own problems,"
Jason says.
"We professionals are very good at changing behavior, but not very good at
what community psychologists say we should be doing: create 'ecological systems'
within the community that are supportive, protective, instill values."
Oxford House, he concludes, is just such an ecological system.
Business meetings
4 p.m. on a Sunday. All seven members of Oxford House, Oak Tree, are present
for the weekly "business meeting," seated around their dining-table at the
spotlessly clean, comfortable four-bedroom North End home.
Their ages range from 24 to 42. They are a maintenance supervisor, a mechanic,
a warehouseman, a concrete carpenter, a dry wall helper, a dump truck driver,
and an industrial salesman. Four are white, two are black, one is Latino.
All are former alcoholics and/or drug users whose number one goal is to stay
clean and sober. Living at Oxford House is key to their plan.
As usual, much of the meeting is routine, conducted in dry parliamentary
fashion. The men vote to buy two new fry pans, two laundry baskets, light
bulbs and a can opener. The treasurer reports on their bank account ($ 1,087),
bills, and fines levied ($ 50 to one resident for being late in rent, $ 20
for missing a business meeting; $ 5 for not doing an assigned chore).
But today emotions run higher than usual. Two members have just been kicked
out. Dave was way late in his rent; he has shown up to explain. Mark was
booted for relapsing to heroin use.
Dave, 29, a computer programmer analyst, seated in a corner, pleads his case.
He disappeared without letting them know where he was, or when they could
expect rent, because he was in the Snohomish County jail. Stopped for jaywalking,
the police officer discovered his outstanding warrants for car theft and
forgery - things he did before he went into treatment last June.
Every time he called Oxford House collect from jail, he got the answering
machine. He finally got through, he said - to Mark, and he didn't know Mark
had relapsed.
The guys consider the situation. They give Dave points for still staying
clean and sober, still attending NA. "I don't want to see anybody on the
street who is serious about not relapsing," says Guy Walker, 31, the mechanic,
who has been here since June, when he left treatment.
Because Mark was paid up through the month, they have a little cushion. But
Dave must come up with the $ 250 month's rent.
Walker tells him about a temporary-work agency around the corner, says he
can make $ 35-$ 40 a day, mostly construction jobs. Walker knows, because
in his own bad old days held do a temp job, then blow the money that night
on booze. Dave promises he'll jump on the idea.
Oid Mattox, 38, the dump truck driver and mechanic, suggests another condition:
Dave must get his legal problems settled, and report to everyone at the next
meeting. Dave promises to do that. "My normal state is to run, go to another
state. But I can't afford to do that. I'm making major changes, to clean
up this wreckage I've made of my life.”
"Welcome back," a couple of the guys say, and everyone murmurs assent.
"Stay clean," adds president Mike winsberry, the maintenance supervisor,
at 42 their "elder statesman."
There is discussion of the condition of the house (the garage is a mess;
three of the guys just rebuilt Winsberry's engine inside); getting new dead-bolts
because Mark has the house key. Mattox talks about the presentations he has
made at treatment centers, to recruit new members to Oxford Houses. He is
supposed to be leaving to start a new Oxford House in Tacoma - experienced
members are tapped to "seed" and lead new houses - but now that's in doubt;
the, Tacoma landlord is asking too much money.
Plans are made for an upcoming workshop in Vancouver, where they can learn
better ways to run the houses and fulfill the different officer roles, and
for a potluck at the Mercer Island house with founder Molloy, who will be
in town.
They close with "reflections. 11 Each man shares how his week has gone:
A tiff with a boss, news that a younger brother is into drugs . . . excitement
over joining a gym . . . anticipation of the Vancouver workshop. Several
say they have been so busy with Oxford House-related work, they haven't had
time to think about "using."
Dave talks about his great sense of relief of being accepted "home" again.
Out on the streets, "I was noticing homeless people more than I ever have.
The misery. The drug abuse. I'm a guy with a college education, upper middle
class family, it scared me. I'm grateful to you guys."
There is disappointment all around about Mark's relapse. Winsberry sums it
up. "At least we salvaged one," he says, referring to Dave. "We can't save
the world. You have to save yourself. It's bad out there."
He feels bad about Mark, he says, but Oak Tree is a strong house and will
stay strong.
(In the almost-year long history of the house, Mark makes the third failure.
one guy was kicked out after being picked up for a DWI, another for trying
to start a fight - ironically, with Mark).
But the highlight is Walker's week. His dad was in town, for the first time
in a year. When held last seen his dad, Walker had been homeless, and bummed
$ 10 off him; he heard that his dad commented to others that "I was sucking
off welfare and I'd never amount to anything."
But this time, he took his Dad out to dinner, drove him in his newly financed
car, took him to the garage where he's now assistant manager and showed him
his new tool box (held pawned his tools in his drunk days) and showed him
oxford House - a place nicer than his family had ever lived in. His dad saw
him give his little brother a dirt bike held just bought, and watched the
boy's eyes light up. "Giving truly is the funniest thing on earth," Walker
says.
Postscript: In the weeks following that business meeting, the industrial
salesman is kicked out after it's discovered that he cashed some of the Oxford
House checks at a tavern. And Winsberry decides that, after almost a year
of residency, he's going to get a place of his own. He says he's learned
as much as he can, and he's feeling ready to move on.
How it started
The guys are looking forward to meeting Molloy almost the way adherents of
a religion look to a spiritual leader.
Molloy, 55, says he has steadfastly resisted any guru-type trappings: "I
fight this personal cult thing. The worst thing was Synanon (the California-based
drug-rehabilitation center that became embroiled in allegations of violence
and harassment in the 1970s). Oxford House has gone out of its way to make
sure that doesn't happen."
He says he doesn't collect his salary - his wife supports him. In town for
a visit, he stays at the Bellevue Oxford House. Insurance against power hunger
also prompts the democratic structure.
Still, it is clear that there would be no Oxford House without the vision
and political savvy of Molloy. And, although he intended to step down as
CEO in 1992, he quickly changed his mind, saying there was too much infighting
and no one ready to take over.
It was hardly a career he envisioned back in 1975, when he and several others
complained at their AA meeting that the county was closing the Maryland halfway
house where they were living.
Molloy had just gone through treatment, his world having finally collapsed
as his alcoholism worsened; he had been drinking two fifths of Canadian Club
a day. His wife committed him briefly to a mental institution, and filed
for divorce. His high-powered career as a congressional staff lawyer crashed.
One AA member told the complaining men to stop pitying themselves and rent
their own house. Another AA member loaned them $ 750 to do it; six took up
the plan.
They flourished. Their new house soon had a surplus of $ 1,200, and members
voted to rent another house - to take care of all the applicants asking to
move in.
After 2 1/2 years, Molloy moved out, but remained involved as a volunteer.
The network of Oxford Houses continued to grow, but really took off when
Congress established the revolving loan fund. In his Republican soul, Molloy
didn't like the government involvement, but says he realized there was no
way to achieve major expansion without it. He still prefers to get funding
from foundations.
He takes comfort that the only cost to taxpayers is the occasional house
that fails without paying back its loan, and even then, fellow houses in
the chapter .have been known to take it upon themselves to repay the money.
Plus, there are the salaries of organizers that some counties or states hire
to set up a new house.
All houses are located in "good neighborhoods," according to Molloy. The
idea is to bolster self-esteem and a sense of starting over, reduce temptation
of easy access to drugs, and ensure that residents don't take up old habits
and acquaintances in former haunts.
Each house is independent, with residents admitted by vote of the others.
Clusters of houses are organized into chapters, which provide quality control
and mutual support. Money collected from chapter dues can bail out houses
in temporary trouble.
Since 1975, 6,000 men and women have lived in Oxford Houses, on average staying
15 months, although some stay for years. Today, there are 4,536 men and women
living in an Oxford House.
Staying clean - the numbers
The tricky part is the statistics on recidivism. Professor Jason wants to
do long-term tracking.
The organization cites about an 80 percent success rate, meaning that 20
percent relapse while in an Oxford House (21 percent in Washington state).
But there is no tracking after they leave. The most comprehensive study done
to date has found a 90 percent relapse rate within 18 months following treatment
programs in general, although 2-3 percent get clean and sober every year
after that, says Molloy. The main problem is that there is no support for
the treated substance abuser after treatment, and they usually go back into
the environment where their addiction took hold - a recipe for falling back
into old habits and friends.
Not in my neighborhood
While it doesn't cost taxpayers a lot of money, Oxford House sometimes does
exact a more difficult price: community acceptance.
While many neighbors have grown to accept the Oxford House presence in their
midst, others have not. It's not that the houses stand out as being residences
of "undesirables." Actually, residents go out of their way to be good neighbors,
knowing the scrutiny they're under: rent is paid on time, houses are kept
up, even rehabbed in some cases. But neighbors often fear that their own
property values will slip.
Oxford House has fought lawsuits all over the country, including a city of
Edmonds case that recently was decided by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals,
over where they can locate. At issue is the interpretation of the federal
law governing the rights of the disabled to live where they choose.
Edmonds contends its zoning law - which prohibits more than five unrelated
persons from living together in a single-family neighborhood - is exempt
from the fair housing law. The American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of
Oxford House, along with the U.S. Justice Department, took the opposite view,
and the Ninth Circuit agreed. It then sent back the question of whether Edmonds'
zoning law violates rights of the disabled to the lower court.
That is one of two circuit decisions now standing in the country - the other
is in Georgia, and reaches the opposite conclusion. Some believe the matter
will have to be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.
For now, though, the 9th Circuit prevails here, and the decision already
has prompted other communities in the state, including Bellevue, to rethink
restrictions on Oxford Houses.
Washington - a strong state
The Washington victory was fitting so far as Oxford House is concerned, given
that this state has been a strong supporter. Three of the nine board members
are Washingtonians, and many of the state's houses and volunteers are considered
particularly effective.
Molloy attributes this to at least some state support for services for recovering
addicts and alcoholics ("here maybe they're not on the front burner, but
they're an item on the stove"). In some states, he says, the support is lacking
because of the perception that substance abuse is "a black problem."
Here, state officials have lauded Oxford House. Some of the state managers
say there are some who Oxford House isn't right for: those too young and
immature, or a mentally ill addict who needs more intervention, may not be
ready.
But, says Steve Freng, systems chief for the Division of Alcoholism and Substance
Abuse Services in King County: "Oxford House. . . is the most thoughtful,
decentralized yet structured approach that I have seen in my career."
It hasn't all been a wild success story here, however.
Since 1990, three houses have failed: two in Everett and one in Bothell.
State outreach coordinator Myrna Brown, the grandmotherly "den mother of
Oxford House," says several problems were at work: the Bothell house was
too far from transportation; in one of the Everett houses, the landlord kept
upping the rent (they’ve, since learned to insist on leases); and she suspects
Everett may have been too far from the rest of the houses in the chapter
for proper support.
These days Brown - a recovering alcoholic, former executive director of the
Republican Party in Multnomah County, former program director for the Oregon
state Republican Party - has trained her focus on Thurston and Mason counties
and may extend that to Grays Harbor. Her goal: to fill in the I-5 corridor.
Eventually, the organization sees the need for 100 houses in the state. Freng
says King County probably could use 20-30 (there are 10 now, and a total
of 14 in King, Snohomish and Island counties).
The future:
Oxford House still is operating on a shoestring, though no longer all-volunteer.
Nowadays there are 26 paid employees, 10 of those outreach workers who help
open new houses.
Molloy says his goal is 10,000 houses open in the country by the year 2,000.
That would seem to require a miracle, but with the enthusiasm of its believer
residents, who knows?
Hear Oid Mattox, a decorated Vietnam veteran brought to the brink of suicide
by his cocaine habit before he joined Oxford House:
"Because of Oxford House I've seen people who have gotten good jobs, gotten
back relationships with a child, given their parents hope. I've seen people
jump up and hug you after you tell them their application has been accepted
to an Oxford House. I've seen a lot of success stories. A lot of miracles."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A SURVEY OF WASHINGTON STATE MEN AND WOMEN IN OXFORD HOUSES SHOWS:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- The majority have been in treatment before: 18 percent enter having just
completed their first treatment, 19 percent have been in treatment more than
10 times. The average resident has been through detoxication without further
treatment an average of 2.5 times, and in addition have been through treatment
an average of twice.
-- Some 62 percent have been homeless during their addiction, an average
of three-plus times; 13 percent were homeless at the time they entered Oxford
House.
-- 75 percent have served jail time, the average length a little over nine
months, the average number of prior arrests almost 6. No different in relapse
rate was found between those who served jail time and those who didn't.
-- Educational level ranges from less than 8th grade to graduate college
degrees, but the median is a little above high-school graduation.
-- They are 85 percent white, 9 percent black, I percent Hispanic, and 5
percent other.
-- Their median age is 36.
-- They attend an average of almost four meetings of AA or NA weekly.
-- They are divided roughly half and half between former drug addicts (49
percent) and recovering alcoholics (51 percent).
LOAD-DATE-MDC: Apr 1 18, 1994
DAILY SOUTHTOWN
A Pulitzer Community Newspaper
January 2, 1995
Struggling down road to recovery
DePaul helps moms stay straight
By Meg McSherry
Staff Writer
Brett Jones has a new home now, on a quiet street and it’s filled with love
and promise.
But the 10-year-old still nearly bursts with emotion at the mean thought
of the old days, when he lived in a t dark apartment on
the West Side, wore dirty and wrinkled shirts to school, and watched his
mother fall deeper and deeper into the grip of drugs.
"Is it better now?" he is asked.
Brett fidgets, fumbles for words and stares at the ceiling with his big brown
eyes. Then he just lets go. Tears stream from his face.
"I'm just remembering," he says.
Brett's mother, now clean for several weeks but still struggling to hang
on, is apologetic.
"I didn't realize through my addiction how much I took away from him," rays
Geraldine Sullivan, wiping tears from her cheeks.
Recovering from drug and alcohol abuse is a painful, emotional process. But
Sullivan and her son have more hope now because of their recent move to an
Oxford House for recovering addicts and their children in Marquette Park.
The Mozart Oxford House, 7314 S. Mozart St., Chicago, was opened by DePaul
University professor who believes it can be the key to a better life for
mother looking to start anew.
Rather than strict disciplinary approach of many long-term drug recovery
programs, Oxford Houses rely on residents to set up their house rules and
a support network for keeping each other drug-free.
Residents usually move in after they’ve completed drug treatment programs
and are searching for permanent homes.
More than 500 Oxford House group homes have opened across the country since
1975, when the first one opened in Maryland for recovering alcoholic men.
There are 14 homes in Illinois, 12 for men and two for women. The Mozart
Oxford House is the state's first to accept children.
“This is a really important house," said Leonard Jason a psychology professor
at DePaul who helped win grant money to open the Mozart home. "We think there's
a need for hundreds of these houses"
Residents of the Mozart house - five women and three children under age 10
- believe it May be their best chance yet for permanent recovery. But they're
not naive about it. Many have been in and out of treatment programs for years.
Several became addicts in their teens and have been struggling to break five
from drug dependency for decades. They realize it may be a long, hard road
before they’ll feel confident that life without drugs is doable.
Cheryl Dutton, 39, was homeless and near death before she agreed to enter
a drug treatment program several months ago in Chicago. She has cirrhosis,
a chronic liver disease brought on by alcohol abuse, and pancreatitis., When
she was initially admitted to the hospital doctors didn't believe she would
pull through, she says.
She's been sober for about two months, and is living day by day. The Oxford
House is the perfect place for her, Dutton says, because of the constant
support and concern from other women and the stability and peace that the
home provides. Without it, she may have ended up on the streets because family
members had grown frustrated with her.
“This place allows you the time to work on inner issues. Now I can do some
real digging and soul- searching. You've got to learn to love yourself to
get better," she said. "And the women in this house tell me I don't need
to punish myself anymore."
Still Dutton faces some huge challenges. Her education stopped at fourth
grade. She's been on her own and addicted to alcohol since she was 13. She's
still struggling with severe emotional problems.
"It is work ... but I have people I love here," she said.
Brett's mom has a better education than Dutton and a clothing design business,
but faces her own struggles. She was evicted from her West Side apartment
before she decided to give a treatment program a try.
Now that she's sober, Sullivan must face the guilt she feels, particularly
over the way she treated her son when she was using drugs. Her neglect us
hurt her son deeply, she said.
This Christmas, Brett was with relatives out-of-state. Family members bought
the plane ticket months ago when they weren't any if his mother would be
sober enough to care for him. Days before the trip, Brett couldn't stop crying
because he didn't want to go. Neither could his mother, after seeing
the pain in her son’s eyes.
"We have real issues we have to deal with. This is real stuff," she said.
Another recovering addict, Barbara Everett, 48, watched the mother and son
scene with recognition. She had been through the same emotions with
her own sons.
"I am standing here but my heart is on my knees," she said.
As DePaul's Jason sees it, the Mozart house's success depends on the women
themselves - as it should.
“We've got to start providing people with resources so they can help themselves,”
he said.
Oxford House is a promising alternative to traditional group homes for addicts,
which are run under strict rules and with the supervision of a professional
director, said Sandra Herron, a recruiter hired by DePaul to get the Mozart
House off the ground.
Oxford Houses were founded on the belief that recovering addicts need to
rebuild their lives by taking on an increasing level of responsibility in
a supportive environment. Residents set their own rules, interview
potential new members as a "family” and make democratic decisions about the
operation of the house.
DePaul matched a $16,000 grant from the Chicago Community Trust to pay for
Herron. The Illinois Department of Alcohol and Substance Abuse provided a
$4,000 stipend for the first month’s rent and security deposit.
Herron interviewed applicants and will live with residents for three months
to help get them on their feet. After that, she’ll move out and try to open
another Oxford House. While Herron will check on the women periodically,
they’ll be responsible for their own lives after February.
Oxford House members elect officers, pay their own share of the rent, and
are expected to go back to school or hold jobs. Different homes can set up
their own rules, but all live under the most important regulation - that
residents stay drug and alcohol-free.
If other residents suspect someone has relapsed, that person is evicted.
While universities are not normally in the business of launching social service
programs, Jason says DePaul leaders felt Oxford House was too promising of
a concept to be left untouched.
In many cases, women coming out of residential drug treatment programs have
trouble finding a suitable place to live, Jason says. Few can afford
to live on their own, especially if they've lost their jobs or been evicted
from their apartments, and many group homes offer only short-term residency.
"We (society) haven't been very good at developing long-term places allowing
people to form a community, get connected and get hope and the ability to
stay sober," Jason said.
He says he's amazed that government leaders don't open more Oxford Houses.
"The lack of vision among key people everywhere has been absolutely astounding
to me," Jason said. "I can't understand why people don't see that there really
is such a need for this and that it solves so many problems ... It's such
a powerful model"
For Everett, 48, Oxford House has taught her a lesson she didn't learn in
other recovery programs.
"When I first went into recovery, I thought it was about not using. I was
wrong. It's about change," she said. "And I'm grateful to be here."