The Basics
With two locations about 50 miles north of San Francisco in Santa Rosa, California, Shaniah House offers 12-step-based sober living homes for men and women. Shaniah House has been providing clean and sober living homes since 1995 and has earned the respect, trust and recognition of the community and substance abuse treatment programs of Sonoma and other Bay Area Counties.
Accommodations and Amenities
The Hoen Avenue location includes four quaint Mediterranean-style houses in two duplexes accommodating a total of 23 men. The women’s fourplex building on Yulupa Avenue occupies four women in each unit, and has a total of ten beds. At Hoen, the rooms are large and comfortably furnished. Men share double-occupancy rooms, which include twin beds, bulletin boards, storage cubby units and desks. An ornate canvas depicting the serenity prayer hangs from the wall of one room. The women’s rooms are also spacious, and tastefully decorated. Clients are paired in carpeted rooms with furnishings that include a nightstand, twin beds, several lamps, bulleting boards, framed artwork, and an armchair.
Since both locations are close to each other, residents share in the amenities, which include coin-op laundry facilities, horseshoe pits, garden areas, patios, phones, Cable TV and Wi-Fi. Residents are required to bring their own bedding, toiletries (must be sans alcohol), laundry soap and an optional alarm clock. Other suggested items include grocery cards, phone calling cards, cell phones and bus passes. Liquid detergent is preferred. The cost for a laundry wash is $1.50 and $.50 for drying.
Clients prepare meals in fully equipped kitchens, and are asked to bring a two-week supply of food, for the initial part of their stay. Each location has a live-in house manager.
Rules and Regulations
Shaniah House is immersed in the 12 steps, and this is apparent in their highly structured environment. Prior to moving in, clients must have a minimum of 72 hours of abstinence from any chemical substances. Narcotic prescriptions are not allowed on the premises. Commitment to a 90-day minimum length of stay is required, but there is no limit on the duration.
Clients must attend 90 12-step meetings in 90 days. Other requirements include performing household chores, attending two weekly house meetings, obtaining a sponsor, working the steps, having a meeting commitment and respecting housemates. As with most sober livings, clients are subject to random drug and alcohol screenings. Those who test positive are immediately dismissed from the premises, to ensure the safety of the entire household. Additionally, residents must secure employment, attend school or implement community service. The curfew is 11 pm Sundays through Thursdays, and 1 am on the weekends. Exceptions are allowed, depending on the situation.
The 30-day cost is $700, not including a $100 deposit and a $10 monthly house fee, which is used towards the purchase of paper products, cleaning supplies and fun items, including sobriety birthday cakes.
Extras
General house manager Bob Flanary has worked for Shaniah House for over a decade. His sobriety date is July 22, 1998.
In Summary
Shaniah House has a long history and an excellent reputation in Bennett Valley. Clients learn to live as a family, as they work their way through the steps. Those seeking alternatives to AA might look elsewhere, but for those wanting to delve into the Big Book and apply those principles into their lives, this is the way to go.
Shaniah House
4415 Hoen Ave
Santa Rosa, CA 95405
Mailing address:
122 Calistoga Rd #172
Santa Rosa, CA 95409
Shaniah House Cost: $700 (30 days). Reach Shaniah House by phone at (707) 328-6827 (men’s), (707) 393-1430 (women’s) or by email at info@shaniahhouse.com.
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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.
