The Basics
Founded in 2007, Mentor and Recovery is a sober living house for men in Austin, Texas. This house is all about establishing community and fellowship while staying clean and sober, and their motto is “more than a bed and a Big Book.”
Accommodations and Amenities
The yellow bungalow-style house includes three bedrooms, and three bathrooms. Clients are paired in furnished rooms. The house accommodates no more than six men, in keeping with the concept of creating a family-style environment. There is a small cottage on the property which is used for meditation. Television, cell phones and computers are not allowed in this meditation structure. Clients are responsible for their own groceries and prepare their meals inside a fully equipped kitchen.
Rules and Regulations
Mentor and Recovery prefers clients who have completed a minimum of 30 days of primary care at a drug rehab. A six-month minimum commitment is required. Additionally, clients must have suitable references in order to be accepted into the house. Upon arrival, clients undergo a 30-day probation period and pay a $250 security deposit, along with $400 in membership fees. This does not include rent. They must pass a drug screening to be permitted inside the property.
During the first 30 days, the house has strict requirements for residents. These include having no visitors, acquiring and actively working with a sponsor, selecting a home group, working the steps, and attending daily 12-step meetings. The client must show proof of meeting attendance to the house manager by having the meeting’s secretary sign an attendance slip. The men must also get a job, perform regularly-scheduled community service or attend school within 30 days of residency.
At the end of this probationary period, the client and house manager meet for a progress review and evaluation. During this time, the curfew is 10 pm seven days a week. After the probationary period, the curfew is 11 pm Sundays through Thursdays and 1 am on Fridays and Saturdays. Clients who work past those hours are granted exceptions, on a case-by-case basis, but they must show proof. During the first 90 days, the client must continue working the steps and attend a minimum of five 12-step weekly meetings.
Random drug and alcohol testing is conducted. At Mentor and Recovery, there is a zero tolerance policy for clients testing positive, or those suspected to be under the influence. They are immediately dismissed from the house. Other causes for termination include rudeness, violence, inappropriate sexual conduct among house members or among those in the local recovery community, gambling, possession of weapons, verbal abuse of neighbors and obnoxious music, loud television or blasting the radio. Clients are assigned weekly household chores. Rooms are subject to search and scrutiny by the house manager.
Extras
Mentor and Recovery is 200 yards away from public transportation. The garage is converted into an AA meeting hall, which hosts six weekly AA/NA meetings, as well as a bi-weekly Hospitals and Institutions (H&I) meeting.
In Summary
Mentor and Recovery is a highly-structured house that enjoys a solid reputation in the recovery community in Austin. While it might not be appropriate for those who have problems with authority or clients seeking alternatives to AA/NA, men looking for a 12-step approach and a tight fellowship will find themselves at home here.
Mentor and Recovery
5704 Adams Ave
Austin, TX 78756
Mentor and Recovery Cost: $800 (30 days). Reach Mentor and Recovery by phone at (512) 658-9500 or by email at rsdavis@mentorandrecovery.com. Find Mentor and Recovery at Facebook and Google+
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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.
