The Basics
The Women’s Recovery Center, formerly known as Spiritual Gardens before it became a nonprofit, provides sober living accommodations in New Haven, Connecticut. The facility is situated in the historic Babcock Mansion, built in 1863 and formerly owned by newspaper mogul James Babcock.
Accommodations and Amenities
Babcock Mansion is a three-story Victorian house situated on a hill above the Quinnipiac River, with elaborate woodwork, high gables, a large porch, greenhouse, garden and dark-wood trim throughout its interior.
There are seven bedrooms altogether on the second and third floors that accommodate two women in each, three full bathrooms with tubs and showers and also a half-bath on the first floor. There’s also ample storage space, hardwood floors and lots of windows. Each floor of the house has its own communal living space, but the main living room has a fireplace and plenty of seating as well as a TV with cable. The dining room serves as the space for house meetings. The kitchen has lots of counter space and an island for food preparation. A washer/dryer unit is situated near the kitchen, which residents can use on assigned days.
Rules and Regulations
The Women’s Recovery Center program consists of three phases: Phase One (Extra Care) is a four-week highly structured program that focuses on 12-step meetings, group therapy, coping skills, meditation, yoga and exercise. Phase Two (Sober Living Plus), which runs for five months, incorporates family, employment and social activities into a resident’s schedule. Phase Three (A New Freedom) goes for as long as needed and transitions residents into a four-person apartment. In this phase, residents continue to attend weekly house meetings and 12-step meetings in addition to working at their jobs. Each resident must have a sponsor within the first month of living in the house.
The daily schedule varies according to the phase a resident is in, though wake-up is early and beds have to be made by 9 am Monday through Friday. The schedule in Phase One is: breakfast, hygiene and room chores at 8 am, meditation at 9:30 am, exercise at 10:30 am, a 12-step meeting at noon, lunch at 1:30 pm, personal errands at 2 pm, chores at 4 pm (Monday, Wednesday and Friday), dinner at 6 pm, a 12-step meeting at 7:30 pm and free time at 9:30 pm. Curfew is at 10 pm. Group therapy is on Tuesday and yoga is on Fridays. Weekends are less scheduled. Off-site visitation is not allowed until a resident has completed 30 days in the house. Phases Two and Three allow for more freedom.
Chores assigned to residents are posted on Wednesdays and Sundays and must be completed as specified, unless another arrangement is made. Quiet time in the house is from 10 pm to 9 am, during which the living room and hall doors are closed to prevent sound from traveling upstairs. The second- and third-floor common areas are off limits during these hours.
Common areas must be neat and free of personal belongings and residents are not permitted to store personal toiletries in the bathrooms. In the kitchen, items must be returned to their assigned place and appliances, counters and prep islands must be cleaned immediately after use.
Non-residents are not allowed in bedrooms at any time. Neither is food of any kind. Failure to adhere to rules and disruptive behavior are causes for eviction.
When a resident chooses to leave, two weeks’ notice is required. However, there are no refunds if a resident is expelled due to relapse, theft or aggressive behavior toward another person.
Extras
A range of helpful services are available to residents, including money management and applying for food stamps and Medicaid. On-site individual therapy by an LCSW can also be arranged.
In Summary
The Women’s Recovery Center’s highly-structured three-phase program is designed to move residents from one stage of sober living to a more advanced stage by building on a solid foundation of 12-steps, therapy and holistic practices and progressing toward more independent living. By Phase Three, women are moving into their own apartments and flying (sort of) solo. And they can stay on at Women’s Recovery for as long as they need to, which, given the beauty of the historic Babcock manse, is in itself a perk.
The Women’s Recovery Center
89 Sherland Ave
New Haven, CT 06513
The Women’s Recovery Center Cost: $1,400 (30 days, Phase One); $760 (30 days, Phases Two and Three). Rent does not include food and phone costs. Reach The Women’s Recovery Center by phone at (855) 922-2202 or by email at info@spiritualgardens.org or jocelion@aol.com. Find The Women’s Recovery Center on Facebook
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