Liberty House Structure Breakdown
Our structure is critical to accountability and responsibility of newly recovering alcoholics and addicts who are going about their day to day routines of living in the house while seeking employment and other sobriety related activities. Liberty House continues to produce results in the recovering community by helping the people that come through its doors get sober and stay sober.
Our
residents have taken cakes and birthdays continuously over
the last 12 years in meetings all around Los Angeles. Our facility and
its structure have fostered the creation (via graduates) of four other
sober living homes and one treatment center recently licensed in the
Palm Springs area.
Why
is it that more of our people stand up taking cakes for
sobriety anniversaries than any other sober living home? Luck? Coincidence?
We think not. We know that it is a direct result of our dedication and
our structure that teaches accountability and responsibility to each
resident. Liberty House is an atmosphere of learning about oneself and
embracing the good with the bad.
Through
its structure and directors/managers experience each resident
is provided a unique opportunity through various in house programs/structure
designed to foster, inspire and encourage change to accelerate/jumpstart
the process of recovery and changing ones life. Once residents begin
to change and see the changes in their lives they become inspired to
continue on. We have watched our young men come in and go from not wanting
to be sober, to wanting sobriety more than anything, and will do anything
to keep it. Why? What’s
going on?
Liberty
House’s structure has evolved since its beginning in December 1994, to encompass new residents and provide continual support to those who are working. The structure was somewhat in existence at a facility I got sober in and then worked at for the next four years, and you’ll read about that in a few minutes.
Liberty
House’s recovery program is one of love, commitment and strength to do the right thing no matter what. The inspiration and willingness to change and to bring about a new life is cultivated, encouraged and promoted. Residents embrace the 12-steps and their philosophy in ways that other homes and individuals do not understand. Sobriety is about change. Liberty House is about teaching its residents what to look for and then provides insight into alternative courses of action, thus bringing about change and a different perspective for its residents and their family members. No other sober living home in Los Angeles or treatment center takes the time to do this because of the level of involvement it takes to do it. Thirty days in a Residential Treatment Centers isn’t near long enough unless it’s
really structured like The Discovery Program, and therapists are even
slower.
In
order for a sober living home to be effective it must be
structured. Otherwise it is simply a hotel, and while some operators
are content with running hotels the staff at Liberty House is not and
never has been. Our commitment to each other and to our residents dictates
that we do everything we can to see our people make it using our experience
with the 12-step program as a guide. Liberty House’s structure has been implemented into sober living homes in Los Angeles in one form or another. We’ve been copied but never duplicated. There are even facilities in the Orange County area and in the State of Florida that call themselves Liberty House.
Our
structure produces results continuously over and over,
again and again, year after year. Young men sober and moving on with
their lives, sponsoring other young men in their respective 12-step
program and coming back to the house sponsoring other residents. We
create an atmosphere of recovery not only amongst our residents and
graduates, but with their family members as well. We started in house
Al Anon meetings that became so large that we had to move it offsite.
It has now split into two different meetings with over 60 people in
attendance each night.
Facilitating,
cultivating, inspiring, promoting recovery from alcoholism
and drug addiction is one of the things Liberty House does real well,
and we also teach our house members that their goals and dreams can
be fulfilled and inspire them to go back to school, start a company,
and to basically do what they’ve always wanted to. Those things are now possible because they are sober and as time goes on gain the support of family and friends, employers and doors start opening.
The
following structure was further developed by Larry Luttrell
and Perry Petaccia from 1990 to 1994 at New Life House in Torrance.
Some of this structure was in place when I got sober in 1988, but most
was developed later on with Perry when I was a manager. We tightened
and polished it up and made it a working part of the house that would
encourage, promote and inspire the residents to grow and change, to
face reality and develop strong 12-step programs. The results have been
phenomenal year after year. Perry and I started 4th Street House in
the early 90’s
(now Miracle House) and implemented the same structure.
I left New Life in 1994 to start Liberty House.
Our structure includes but is not limited to:
- 12 Step Meetings
Housemembers
attend a 12 step meeting of their choice (A.A., N.A.,
or C.A.) everyday. If they are not working, or
going to school, noon meetings are attended in addition
to night meetings.
- Peer Meetings/RapsOne
night a week we have a peer meeting to discuss individual
performance and behavior. Various issues are discussed
and plans of action are outlined using the 12 steps as a guide. Relapse
triggers are identified and alternate actions are discussed.
- In House Alanon- Held
one night a week this meeting gives family members introduction
to their own support system.
- Daily Goals- Each
morning residents are asked to share about a particular
goal or goals they are going to work toward that day. In the resident
Family Meeting after dinner a follow up is conducted to
evaluate the results of the daily goals. Residents read out of the
24 hour a day book and share on how they are going to work that days reading
into their lives that day.
- Dinner- Dinner is
provided by the house. All members
attend unless they are working or have a prior commitment. Save
plates are available for those individuals if requested. Members
can cook their own food if they choose.
- After-Care Programs- House
members can participate in their Hospital after Care
Program for as long as they wish and the program allows. Liberty
House feels any and all support toward sobriety is a common
goal.
- Professional Services- At
extra cost, provided by licensed and experienced professionals
who are associated with the house.
- Resident Family Meeting- Held
nightly at 5:30p.m. After dinner and consists of two
parts: (A) Family
Business: Common issues pertaining to the house are discussed regarding
meal planning, house purchases, etc. If there are any issues that
need to be addressed in respects to an individual, they
are dealt with in this forum, and (B) Personal
Business: Any individual issue or need is addressed such as coordinating
rides to doctor appointments, passes or trips, etc.
When appropriate an individual’s fulfilling of
commitments is discussed. The housemembers acting as counsel will
recommend the individual fulfill commitments or find another place to
live.
- One On One Rap- The
Manager will discuss problem areas and bring to light
behavior patterns, using the 12 steps as a guide. A
distinctive course of action is outlined. Housemembers
can initiate a one on one if they are concerned about
someone who appears to be having difficulty.
- Alcohol Awareness- Members
are encouraged to learn as much about alcoholism and
addiction as they can. Video and Audio tapes are
provided for viewing.
- Family Raps- We
feel that the restoration of the family is very important. One
day a week the members & their families participate
in a rap session followed by a potluck. The rap session is designed
to build and strengthen existing support, and to introduce
family members to Alanon, Naranon, etc. This discussion is facilitated
by a volunteer with a professional background in alcohol/drug
related
problems.
- Newcomer Group- This
twice weekly session is led by a graduate or senior resident. It
gives residents who are new in the house special attention
and focus on what they are feeling and general well being.
- Exit Plans- Notice
is given to the Manager 1 month in advance. At
that time an Exit Plan is completed. The plan is read by the manager
and then brought to the Peer Meeting and Family Rap. It is discussed
openly, bringing to light any relapse situations.
- Graduate Status- After
completing the exit plan and re-entry into mainstream
society, the individual is a graduate of Liberty House. He is welcome
at anytime and can participate in any house function.
The structure described above is always flexible and
able to bend. It can encompass most individuals and their work schedules. It
is highly effective and is geared toward the changes residents need to
make in order to attain long term sobriety. Larry & Perry worked
hard at making this structure encompass individuals and surround them
and their every move. It fosters surrender, open mindedness and
willingness (Steps 1, 2 & 3). It also encourages change by getting
individuals to look at themselves, (Steps 4 & 5) and then to seek
alternative courses of action which is what we learn in Steps 6 & 7.
Since individuals are living and learning how to interact
like a family and care about one another, when harm is done a resident
wants to make restitution (Step 8 & 9) to the other house member,
and finally family members, co-workers and employers. Essays help
the residents to work Step 10 by getting them to look at their individual
conduct and behavior each day. The morning goal group helps the
residents focus on Step 11 and implementing that days reading into that
days affairs. Step 12 is also worked daily by residents in supporting
one another on outings and personal business, one on one’s and commitments
at 12-step meetings. Sponsorship comes after graduation.
After a period of time, usually about a year an individual
who has been working this program day in and day out is given an Exit
Plan. Many of our residents who have completed a year in the facility
can run circles around individuals in outside 12-step meetings with 3-5
years. They know as much about themselves and have solutions that
can address any problem they may face as they exit the house. They
have worked the 12-steps and have incorporated the principles of the 12-steps
into their daily lives. They are truly inspirations to watch grow
and change. To see the restoration of the family, to experience
it to see God working in these peoples lives. Anyway, after this
period of time our residents will simply change where they are sleeping,
and continue doing what they have learned. They move out with other
sober members who they have bonded with and continue on with their lives,
goals, work, professional trades or entrepreneurship with a different
sense of confidence and a changed perception of the world around them.
Liberty House is an amazing place, and the structure
developed and implemented many years ago beginning in 1990 has helped
thousands of alcoholics and addicts. Now that our graduates from
Liberty House have opened up 4 additional sober living homes in the Los
Angeles area and a recently licensed treatment center in the Palm Springs
area, thousands more will be helped. We are honored that our graduates
followed in our footsteps.
I started working in chemical dependency treatment
in a sober living home, and not in the residential treatment center side
of things. I came into that part of the addiction treatment field
after working in and starting several sober living homes including Liberty
House 11 years later. I am very familiar with the long term structure
needed to foster growth and change in individuals, and how to inspire
residents to grasp it. Our residential treatment center, The Discovery
Program, was founded almost 6 years ago and utilizes the same structure
as Liberty House.
The result is a highly structured facility
that gets its clients “Into Action”, not “Into Their
Heads” as
do most other treatment centers. The Discovery Program is licensed
by the State of California to provide detoxification services
and chemical dependency treatment to both men and women. Every male
client since its inception who graduated the program and then graduated
Liberty House is still sober today except one. This person went
back to active addiction after 3 years of sobriety.
Our statistical database proves that The Discovery
Program makes a difference in peoples lives in as little as 30 days and
when followed up with a strong sober living home our clients remain clean
and sober.
I have seen individuals come into our sober living
homes for over 17 years from the finest treatment centers across the country
who simply did not know anything about themselves or 12-steps or how to
implement the principles into their lives and had paid fortunes for the
education, or lack thereof. The Discovery Program corrects this
trend in residential treatment centers.
Liberty House’s structure compliments that of
The Discovery Program because it grows with the resident over time and
continues to work for that person and support them in moving ahead while
providing flexible structure around them. The Liberty House sober
living program is a year long.
Our Graduate Meeting is held once a month and was designed
out of love for our clients and a sincere desire to keep the “family” together
and provide a forum for interaction each month between old and new graduates.
Our system of accountability and responsibility addresses
every step in the 12-step program and its principles. Our residents
are provided with an abundance of opportunity to turn their lives around
if they choose to do so. Sponsorship is mandatory and all
residents attend seven to nine 12-step meetings per week unless they are
working in addition to our regularly scheduled house meetings and peer
supervision meetings.
Residents who are doing well in the house and are adhering
to structure and accountability, role modeling, supportive to managers
or by doing extra chores and duties around the house are rewarded with
a credit system and by acquiring a different status that has more privileges. The
credits are utilized for an essay instead of writing. If a resident
gets a 300 word essay he can turn in 300 credits instead of the words.
We realize that Liberty House and the way its structured
is not for everyone, and I don’t think that every sober living home
should structure as we do. As I’ve said already, I’ve
worked in sober living homes for 17 years now. I’m 18 years
sober. I didn’t start a treatment center until almost 6 years
ago. The one complaint I always heard in that time from families
and recovering addicts alike was that there weren’t enough structured
sober living homes.
Liberty House has always filled that void and will
continue to set the standard for structured sober living homes. We
will continue to lead others onto the path of sobriety and help them build
the foundation for a new life filled with hope and inspiration.
That is who we are.
Sincerely,
Larry Luttrell
