The Basics
St. Paul Sober Living is a sober living organization founded in 2001 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Originally providing just one home in St. Paul for men seeking sobriety support, the organization has since grown into a network of two houses in Colorado and eight in St. Paul.
Accommodations and Amenities
St. Paul Sober Living has five homes for men and three for women that are all within a few blocks of each other in residential St. Paul. All the houses are single-family homes in quiet upscale neighborhoods and have pleasant curb appeal and tasteful interior design with comfortable furnishings and thoughtful décor.
The houses accommodate up to 10 residents. When residents initially move in, they are housed in the finished attic bedrooms, all of which are spacious and cozy with natural light. Attic bedrooms have up to four single beds and four closets, allowing each client ample personal space. Residents transition into one of the six single bedrooms over time, based on seniority. Bedding is provided.
Common areas include living rooms with leather couches and TVs, and an office space with a computer. Wi-Fi is available throughout the house and there is ample street and driveway parking for residents.
Clients are responsible for providing their own food and preparing their own meals. Each of the kitchens comes fully stocked with appliances and cooking supplies and have ample storage space for each resident’s personal food items.
Rules and Regulations
St. Paul requires residents to complete a phone interview with the house manager before being admitted. The organization only admits residents who have been sober for 30 days—most come directly from a residential program.
St. Paul operates a two-phase recovery program. Residents can either start out in phase one (an outpatient track) or in the traditional sober living program (the more relaxed option). The first phase of the program lasts for 90 days, during which residents have a weekly individual counseling session with an LADC as well as a weekly group process meeting that discusses relapse and recovery issues. The counselor calls the resident’s parents once a week to give them an update on their progress.
Clients have a weekly meeting with a staff member to develop their schedule with the goal of helping residents create a balance between work, 12-step meetings and outside recreation. If they are unemployed, residents are required to complete weekly job hunts and be actively searching for work.
St. Paul provides transportation to and from outside meetings and professional appointments for the first 30 days of phase one, after which transportation is limited to meetings or appointments and residents must find their own way back.
During the first phase, residents are required to attend a minimum of five outside 12-step meetings in addition to the in-house group and family meetings. Phase one has a 10 pm curfew during the week and 12 am on the weekends.
Residents are also taught money management during phase one. St. Paul requires residents to set aside an additional $500 every month for their money management program. They are given $100 on Mondays and learn how to spend it on groceries and necessary supplies. St. Paul provides another $20 on Fridays for additional weekend spending.
St. Paul also has a medication management program that helps residents learn proper administration. The program dispenses resident’s medication to them every seven days and refills are arranged by the staff. St. Paul has a nurse on staff who is available by request.
Phase two—a “customized” phase—is a step down from the more structured phase one and lasts for 90 days. A combination of phase one and the traditional sober living program, the second phase includes bi-weekly meetings with the case manager and bi-weekly case manager updates for parents. This phase also includes both the money management and medication management programs as well as assistance with scheduling.
Once residents have completed the first two phases, they can step down to the traditional sober living program, which requires clients to attend at least three AA/NA meetings a week. Residents are also required to complete a minimum of 32 hours a week of employment or volunteer work in the community.
There is no maximum length of stay and residents are permitted to stay in a house for as long as they want to; the average stay is between eight to nine months. Overnights must be approved by staff and are allowed after the first two weeks.
The organization regularly performs drug and Breathalyzer tests, and the house manager will search a client’s room if they are suspected of any unusual behavior. St. Paul also mandates that residents abstain from any new romantic relationships for their initial 90 days in a house.
The house managers are a mix of alumni of St. Paul as well as members of local AA and NA groups.
Extras
St. Paul focuses on creating a strong community between their sober living houses and residents regularly participate in extracurricular activities together, including bowling, softball in the summer and flag football in the fall.
In Summary
St. Paul Sober Living is ideal for newly sober individuals looking for a strong sober community in the St. Paul area. The treatment program offers residents needing structure and life skills instruction an opportunity to grow and learn in a safe environment and is a good choice for men or women at risk of relapse. The more relaxed traditional sober living option allows clients to continue to build autonomy and independence.
St. Paul Sober Living
569 Selby Ave
St. Paul, MN 55102
St. Paul Sober Living Cost: $3,500 per month, $1000 deposit & $300 admin fee (Minnesota PLUS program for Men & Women); $850 per month, $850 deposit & $100 admin fee (Minnesota Traditional for Men & Women). Reach St. Paul Sober Living by phone at (651) 636-7775 or by email. Find St. Paul Sober Living on Facebook and LinkedIn
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