Clem-Mar House Review
Clem-Mar House is a long-term residential treatment facility that operates separate substance abuse programs for men and women in eastern Pennsylvania. The men’s program was founded in 1994 in Edwardsville, and the women’s program was established in 2004 in Dallas. The mission is to give newly sober men and women a safe space to discard unhealthy lifestyles, regroup, maintain recovery and transition back into society by incorporating the 12 steps into their lives.
Accommodations and Food
The 36-bed men’s facility occupies a two-story stark white building with red trim, while the women live in a 24-bed residential house, adorned with pink rose trees and manicured grounds. Rooms are dorm-style for both genders. Men share bunk beds while women are accommodated three to a bedroom, which includes twin beds, dressers and lamps. While residents are allowed to have radios in their room, they must be turned off from midnight to 7 am. TV watching privileges are limited to viewing the news and approved entertainment.
Meals are served family-style, with breakfast from 7 to 8 am, lunch from noon to 1 pm and dinner from 5 to 6 pm. Fresh coffee is brewed at breakfast and dinner and during the in-house 12-step meetings. Besides being assigned kitchen chores, which include cooking and serving meals, residents are allocated house-cleaning duties each week. Both facilities have designated outside smoking areas, and female residents have to notify staff if they want to go out to smoke between midnight and 7 am.
Treatment and Staff
Treatment typically lasts from three to six months. Clem-Mar House uses the 12-steps, as well as CBT, in their protocol. Residents progress through four phases of recovery during their stay. The first two to four weeks is the orientation phase. Treatment during this phase includes daily work therapy and meditation in addition to group therapy and individual therapy (once a week) and mandatory attendance at three in-house AA/NA meetings a week. With a focus on the first of the 12 steps, residents begin the process of inner reflection required to live a sober life.
After orientation, residents enter a two- to six-week educational/vocational phase. While they work on Step Two, their weekly treatment routine continues with no changes. Residents must decide whether to get a job or further their education and, if all else fails, obtain a community service position. In addition, they must get a sponsor, a bank account, attend daily AA/NA meetings and find a home group. The staff drives residents to four off-site 12-step meetings each week. Additionally, primary counselors give the residents therapy assignments during this phase that must be completed.
Level three is called “Life on Life’s Terms” and residents work on Step Three. Weekly treatment continues in the same manner except that individual therapy sessions drop to a bi-weekly frequency. Residents are expected to begin a relapse prevention plan, be a buddy to a newcomer at Clem-Mar House, and obtain an AA/NA service commitment at their home group such as making coffee, greeting people or other 12-step volunteer work.
Finally, in the “Life after Clem-Mar” phase, which lasts from one to four months, residents continue their weekly treatment and daily 12-step meeting protocol. They complete steps four through 12, chair an AA/NA meeting, continue home group service, work on their relapse prevention plan, make plans for aftercare treatment and attend a peer evaluation group.
Visitation hours are from 1 to 5 pm, on the weekends. Sponsors can visit residents on a flexible basis. Staff includes a clinical director, licensed counselors and a residential management team. Residents are subject to random urine toxicology screenings.
In Summary
For those seeking a structured, residential, 12-step approach, this is an excellent choice. While they do offer individual and group sessions, the emphasis is on life skills and therapy sessions are kept to a minimum.
Clem-Mar Locations
Clem-Mar Women’s House
2860 SR 309 Hwy
Dallas, PA 18612
Clem-Mar Men’s House
540-542 Main St
Edwardsville, PA 18704
Clem-Mar House Cost
Call for cost. Reach Clem-Mar House by phone at 570-674-1575 (women), 570-288-0403 (men) or by email.
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Sponsored DISCLAIMER: This is a paid advertisement for California Behavioral Health, LLC, a CA licensed substance abuse treatment provider and not a service provided by The Fix. Calls to this number are answered by CBH, free and without obligation to the consumer. No one who answers the call receives a fee based upon the consumer’s choice to enter treatment. For additional info on other treatment providers and options visit www.samhsa.gov.
