The Basics
Pico House is an upscale coed sober living owned by TLC Sober Living Homes, a company founded in 1988 that operates 40 sober livings in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Located in the chic Ingleside Terraces neighborhood of San Francisco, Pico House accommodates clients in a safe community while also giving them access to the amenities of the city.
Pico House requires personal accountability and clients must follow strict rules and a structured schedule. The facility also encourages camaraderie and peer support. 12-step involvement is optional.
Accommodations and Amenities
Pico House is one of TLC’s most luxurious houses, accommodating up to 16 people. It has hardwood floors, recessed lighting, a fireplace and central heating and air conditioning. Bedrooms are spacious and furnished with twin beds and individual nightstands, along with a dresser and closet space that is shared between roommates. Rooms are double- or triple-occupancy.
The residence has six bedrooms, four baths, a living room, a family room, a kitchen with high-end appliances and a formal dining room. In addition, it provides two flat screen plasma TVs, a computer with high-speed Internet, local and long distance phone service, cleaning products and paper goods, kitchenware and coffee. Residents are responsible for purchasing their own food and preparing their meals.
Rules and Regulations
Clients have an 11 pm curfew Sunday through Thursday and a midnight curfew on Friday and Saturday. Clients are also expected to be out of their rooms by 9 am every day of the week.
The only staff member at the facility is a house manager, who conducts alcohol screenings with Breathalyzers and drug screenings through urine samples three times per week. There is a zero tolerance policy for drinking and using. Clients testing positive for substance use will be discharged immediately. Fighting and stealing are also grounds for dismissal.
Clients are assigned various household chores, which rotate weekly, and all chores must be completed in the time frame set by the house manager.
Though the principles of the 12-steps are implemented in the overall philosophy of the house, participation in 12-step meetings is not required. However, clients are required to participate in some form of outside support, which can include an outpatient program, SMART Recovery meetings or a 12-step program. Clients are also expected to have a personal counselor or sponsor.
Pico House encourages clients to work or attend academic or vocational courses. Those who do not have jobs or are not enrolled in classes must attend three support meetings per day or a daily outpatient program.
Mandatory house meetings are held on Sunday and Thursday evenings at 9 pm. Facilitated by the house manager, these meetings address conflicts or concerns going on in the house and end with either a process group or 12-step study.
In Summary
Those interested in an upscale and spacious sober living home in San Francisco may find Pico House a good fit. Its prime location, many amenities and strong sober support system offers residents a comfortable living environment to focus on sobriety and commit to a new way of life.
Pico House
Pico Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94127
Pico House cost: $1,800 (30 days); $250 (readmission fee for returning clients). Reach Pico House by phone at (800) 862-7374 or by email. Find TLC Sober Living on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, YouTube and Flickr
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Photo courtesy of Flickr
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