Stepway to Recovery Men’s House - Expectations

THIS LIST CONSISTS OF COMMON SENSE, EVERYDAY GUIDELINES THAT WILL HELP ALL OF US TO BE AWARE OF THE NEED TO RESPECT EACH OTHER. THESE EXPECTATIONS HAVE BEEN SET IN PLACE TO NOT ONLY SAFEGUARD SRH BUT TO SAFEGUARD ITS CURRENT MEMBERS AND ALL THE FUTURE MEMBERS TO COME.

AT SOME OF THESE WE BALKED…BUT!…

  1. FIRST 30 DAYS; NO OVERNIGHTS OUTSIDE OF THE HOUSE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF STREATOR RECOVERY HOME FUNCTIONS. ANY OTHER “SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES” MUST BE BROUGHT TO THE HOUSE MEETING FOR A VOTE.

  2. OVERNIGHT GUESTS: NO SIGNIFICANT OTHERS…NO SEX IN THE HOUSE.

  3. NO NARCOTICS IN THE HOUSE.

  4. IF YOU ARE PRESCRIBED MEDICINES BY YOUR DOCTOR YOU MUST STAY ON THOSE MEDS UNTIL YOUR DOCTOR TAKES YOU OFF THEM. (PROVIDE SUCH PROOF FROM YOUR DOCTOR TO THE HOUSE). WE MAY COUNT THEM AT WEEKLY MEETINGS, AND YOU WILL STILL BE SUBJECT TO RANDOM DRUG SCREENS.

  5. ALL MEDICINES ARE TO BE KEPT IN YOUR LIVING AREA AND OUT OF VIEW OF OTHER HOUSE MEMBERS (ABSOLUTELY NO SHARING OF PRESCRIBED MEDS).

  6. ATTEND OUTSIDE SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS WEEKLY.

  7. RESPECT YOUR HOUSEMATES’ PERSONAL BOUNDARIES BY TREATING THEM AS YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED.

  8. DO NOT USE ANYONE’S PERSONAL ITEMS WITHOUT PERMISSION.

  9. MARK ALL YOUR FOOD ITEMS WITH YOUR INITIALS, TAKING SOMEONE ELSE’S FOOD WITHOUT PERMISSION CONSTITUTES THEFT AND WILL BE DEALT WITH BY THE HOUSE RESIDENTS.

  10. BEDROOM AREAS ARE PRIVATE AND SHOULD BE RESPECTED. THEY SHOULD ALSO BE KEPT CLEAN AND NEAT AT ALL TIMES.

  11. IF YOU MAKE A MESS, CLEAN IT UP! INCLUDING CLEANING OUT TUB OR SHOWER AFTER USE. BATHROOM SINKS AND COUNTERS FREE OF HAIR, TOOTHPASTE SPLATTER OR MAKEUP. KITCHEN: WIPE UP ANY CRUMBS, SPILLS OR GREASE SPLATTERS ON STOVE AND WALLS , WASH YOUR DISHES.

  12. DO ASSIGNED CHORES COMPLETELY AND IN TIMELY FASHION. RESPECT OTHER’S CHORE TIME. (Do not start cooking while someone is cleaning kitchen and try to vacate rooms in which they are trying to clean, out of respect for their chore time).

  13. GOOD PERSONAL HYGIENE IS EXPECTED WHILE LIVING IN THIS HOUSE, BUT PLEASE KEEP SHOWER TIME TO A MINIMUM, WE ALL LIKE HOT WATER.

  14. REMOVE LAUNDRY AS SOON AS IT’S COMPLETED. IF YOU HAVE TO LEAVE THE HOUSE BEFORE IT IS DONE, ASK ANOTHER MEMBER TO HELP YOU OUT BY REMOVING IT WHEN IT’S DONE. LAUNDRY ROOM TIME IS 5 AM TO 11 PM.

  15. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR GUESTS. DO NOT LEAVE THEM UNATTENDED IN THE HOUSE. NO ACTIVE USERS IN THIS HOUSE AT ANY TIME.

  16. IF CONFLICT ARISES, TRY TO RESOLVE IT BY APPROPRIATE MUTUAL AGREEMENT. DO NOT ALLOW IT TO AFFECT THE ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD. IF IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO COME TO A MUTUALLY SATISFACTORY RESOLUTION, BOTH PARTIES ARE RESPONSIBLE TO GO TO THE HOUSE PRESIDENT TO DISCUSS THE SITUATION. ALL HOUSE MEMBERS MAY BE CALLED TOGETHER FOR AN EMERGENCY MEETING TO FIND A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM.

  17. NOISE IS TO BE KEPT AT AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL AT ALL TIMES. QUIET TIME IN THE HOUSE IS FROM 10 PM UNTIL 6 AM.

  18. IF ANYTHING GETS BROKEN, FIX IT, REPLACE IT, OR IF IT NEEDS THE HOUSE ATTENTION, NOTIFY THE CHORE COORDINATOR.

  19. WE HAVE NO BOSSES IN THIS HOUSE. WE SHARE EQUALLY IN THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THIS HOUSE FOR OUR BENEFIT AND PERSONAL GROWTH.

  20. HOUSEMATES SHOULD BE NOTIFIED AT THE HOUSE MEETING IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE OUT OVERNIGHT. THERE ARE 3 OVERNIGHTS ALLOWED PER WEEK MAXIMUM.. WEEKS START ON MONDAY AND END ON SUNDAY PM. PUT OVERNIGHTS ON WHITE BOARD. EXCEPTIONS TO THIS SUCH AS EMERGENCY ABSENCES SHOULD BE DISCUSSED WITH THE HOUSE PRESIDENT.

  21. HOUSEMATES SHOULD BE NOTIFIED AT LEAST A WEEK IN ADVANCE IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO BE GONE FOR SEVERAL OVERNIGHTS, VACATION, WORK, ETC. (IE - CHORE SCHEDULING, RENT PAYMENTS, ETC.).

  22. RENT PAYABLE IN MONEY ORDERS ONLY (NO CASH PLEASE). ALL RENTS ARE DUE BY 11:59 PM EVERY FRIDAY UNLESS OTHER ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE AND VOTED ON AT THE HOUSE MEETING.

  23. WEEKLY HOUSE MEETINGS ARE MANDATORY! HOUSE DECISIONS ARE MADE AT THIS TIME AND YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE TO BE THERE. EXCUSES FOR WORK, HOSPITAL OR PRE-ARRANGED ABSENCES ONLY ARE ALLOWED. IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE TARDY, CALL BEFORE THE MEETING STARTS. WE SHUT OFF PHONES DURING OUR HOUSE MEETINGS.

    1. UNEXCUSED ABSENCES OR TARDINESS……..$25.00 FINE.

    2. CHORE DUTIES…..INCOMPLETE OR UNSATISFACTORY: 1ST OFFENSE—WARNING *2ND OFFENSE - $5.00 FINE *3RD OFFENSE- WITHIN 90 DAYS - $20.00 FINE, POSSIBLE CONTRACT

  24. LIGHTS, TELEVISIONS, STEREOS, ETC. SHOULD BE TURNED OFF WHEN NOT IN USE.

  25. THERMOSTAT SHOULD BE KEPT AT 68 TO 70 DEGREES FOR BOTH HEATING AND COOLING.

  26. BE COURTEOUS WHEN OTHER HOUSEMATES HAVE ALREADY STARTED COOKING. BE PATIENT AND WAIT YOUR TURN.

  27. INTERACTION WITH EACH OTHER IS ENCOURAGED. TAKE TIME TO SHARE FEELINGS, HOBBIES, HOPES AND DREAMS WITH YOUR SRH FAMILY.

  28. DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR WILL CONSTITUTE A HOUSE DECISION TO PLACE MEMBER OR MEMBERS ON A “BEHAVIORL CONTRACT”.

  29. RELAPSE: YOU WILL HAVE 30 MINUTES TO GATHER WHAT YOU NEED AND LEAVE. (You must return within 72 hours to remove the rest of your belongings. If you do not..your things will be packed up and stored for NO LONGER than 30 days. Upon that time they will be donated to a charitable organization).

  30. PHYSICAL VIOLENCE WILL BE DEALT WITH (TIME WISE) AS A RELAPSE. THE PARTIES INVOLVED WILL BE EXPELLED FROM THIS HOUSE. AN EMERGENCY MEETING MUST BE CALLED TO VOTE ON THESE SITUATIONS.

  31. TWO WEEK NOTICE NEEDED WHEN RELOCATING, PLEASE. (If you do not give the house a 2 week notice, you may not be refunded those 2 weeks). THIS REQUIREMENT COVERS ANY EXPULSION BY VOTE.

  32. MOVE-IN FEES ARE NOT REFUNDABLE. (If for some reason you choose to move out AND you have given 2 weeks’ notice, any unused portion of your FEES will be refunded to you within 30 days).

  33. NO WEAPONS OR AMMUNITION IN THIS HOUSE AT ANY TIME!

  34. YOU ARE SUBJECT TO A URINE DRUG SCREEN AT ANY TIME THIS IS A ZERO TOLERANCE HOUSE. WHEN TWO OR MORE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OR THE SRH BOARD REQUEST A URINE SAMPLE, YOU MUST PROVIDE THE SAMPLE WITHIN 2 HOURS, YOU CAN NOT LEAVE THE RESIDENCE UNTIL THE SAMPLE IS PROVIDED. IF THE SAMPLE COMES OUT FLUSHED OR OUT OF RANGE, YOU WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE. IT WILL BE CONSIDERED A DIRTY SAMPLE. YOU MUST PROVDE A “MONITORED” SAMPLE. IF YOU REFUSE TO PROVIDE A SAMPLE YOU WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE.

I agree to the urine drug screen policy:

_______________________________________(name)

____________________(date)

I UNDERSTAND AS A MEMBER OF STEPWAY TO RECOVERY MEN’S HOUSE __________________________I AM REQUIRED TO READ AND FAMILIARIZE MYSELF WITH THESE HOUSE EXPECTATIONS AND IF I AM UNCLEAR OR DO NOT UNDERSTAND ANY OF THEM…I WILL ASK FOR ASSISTANCE………

______________(INITIALS)

Revsed 3/2020