Anderson House Review
Anderson House opened its doors in 1995 in a donated house in the beautiful and tranquil small town of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey. Today, Anderson House is a safe and supportive rehab and transitional care facility for women that helps them maintain sobriety and build up their self-esteem.
Accommodations and Amenities
Located about 50 miles west of NYC, Anderson House is an attractive home with room for 14 residents in a therapeutic environment. The women share comfortable double or triple-occupancy rooms and there are three bathrooms for the house. Food is provided, but the residents are expected to take turns cooking and doing kitchen cleaning chores as part of their life skills training. The menu is healthy and substantial, but special dietary needs can be met.
Treatment and Staff
To stay at Anderson House, clients must be female residents of New Jersey who are 18 years old or older and diagnosed with alcohol or other substance dependence. Those with co-occurring disorders are also accepted. All clients must obtain a full-time job within 35 days and contribute a portion of their pay towards treatment. They must also actively participate in group therapy, individual therapy and family therapy. Residents must also attend either AA or NA on a regular basis and find a sponsor. Clients attend life skills classes which include instruction on personal finances, parenting, communication skills, nutrition, relationship skills and conflict resolution. During their stay, residents also develop a budget for themselves and begin paying off legal and childcare obligations.
The women of Anderson house begin their weekly schedule with a 6 am morning exercise and meditation. Those who work during the day then go to work while those still looking for jobs attend an AA meeting and go to scheduled doctor appointments. Dinner is served family style at 6:30 pm by two fellow residents, followed by group counseling or a 12-step meeting. Chores and another evening group takes place from 9:30 to 11 pm with lights out directly after. Weekends follow a similar schedule, though there is more free time for recreational activities, exercise, errands, shopping, meal planning, the family program and visitation.
There are three phases to the program at Anderson House. The first is the foundation phase, wherein clients become aware of their addiction and create a basic foundation of recovery based on the 12 steps. They also begin a healthy relationship with their counselor and other residents and settle into their daily routine.
In the second phase, residents begin to identify their barriers to recovery, unhealthy habits and behavior patterns as well as what negative consequences they lead to. Clients start to rebuild and examine their personal values, morals and beliefs while learning about healthy relationship skills and coping mechanisms. The final phase is where residents apply their newly learned skills during weekends spent outside of Anderson House in the local community. They construct plans for self-sufficiency including plans for permanent housing, relapse prevention and sober networking. These phases can last for a six to 12 month period, depending on the client.
Anderson House has an all-female staff comprised of 12 full and part-time employees including administrative personnel, residential aides, CADCs, LADCs, counselor interns and LCSWs. The staff is dedicated to helping each resident through the recovery process, but most importantly getting through each day one at a time.
Extras
For women unable to pay for treatment, Anderson House helps new residents find funding through various programs like Work First New Jersey Substance Abuse Initiative, the New Jersey Driving Under the Influence Initiative and the New Jersey Court.
In Summary
Overall, Anderson House provides a picturesque environment with lots of nature with staff available around the clock for support. The facility’s freedom when it comes to length of stay provides residents a safe space to take recovery at their own pace. For women seeking supportive housing with a structured treatment component in New Jersey, Anderson House is a great choice.
Anderson House Location
Anderson House
532 County Rd.
Whitehouse Station, NJ 08889
Anderson House Cost
$4,500 (30 days). Reach Anderson House by phone at (908) 534-5818. Find Anderson House on Facebook
Do you have a review or complaint of Anderson House to add? Use the comments area below to add your Anderson House review.
Photo courtesy of Charles Smith [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons (resized and cropped)
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.
