In an effort to help bridge the gap between our clients beginning their recovery journey and the clients who “know the ropes” here at Crossroads for Women, the women at our halfway house (aka, Back Cove) invited the women at our residential rehabilitation (aka, Res) program to their weekly “All House” meeting.
The All House meeting includes all of the halfway house clients, a Crossroads clinician and a personal care coordinator (PCC). Typically, the group discusses house issues, new policies or procedures, any new staff, as well as changes in phases that the clients are making. The second half of the All House meeting is more of a celebration, recognizing the women who have moved to the next phase of their recovery. It’s a time for everyone to see how far they’ve come on their journey to recovery. This is where the women from Res came in.
The level of freedom available to the clients at the halfway house may be difficult for Res women to identify with, especially for those in very early recovery. Instead of concentrating on the differences, the “newcomers” were invited to be involved in some of their sober fun activities. Both Back Cove and Res clients were in touch with their creative selves in a simple game of charades and used this to their advantage. Some of these women have come from backgrounds not conducive to playing a simple game of charades, and were even a bit fearful at first. In the end, though, all clients smashed through their fears and did a great job acting out words like calendar, water, basketball, and tack (easier said than done!).
All in all, it was a very positive experience for both residential programs. The clients living in the halfway house got an up close and personal reminder of their past. The clients out at Res had an opportunity to see what could happen next. And everyone had the chance to experience some good, sober fun with other supportive women. We’re planning on doing these get togethers once a month now.
After all, recovery isn’t over after a 28 day or 6 month program.
~ Nikki Oliver, program manager
Crossroads Back Cove halfway house
Find out more about our residential programs:
Crossroads Back Cove Halfway House
Residential Rehabilitation | Children And Mothers Program (CAMP)
