Moving into Solutions of North Texas (SONTX) is a big step. You’re finally making a real commitment to your sobriety, and you’re probably feeling pretty good about it—and pretty nervous.
However, even if you’ve been to other sober houses in the past, what you’ll find at Solutions is a lot different from, say, your average Oxford House.
You’re going to experience a much higher level of care, but that also means you’ll have a lot more to do—in a good way.
Here’s what to expect when you move into sober living at Solutions of North Texas.
Get Acclimated to All the Requirements
Solutions isn’t like an Oxford House, where you’re mostly just required to go to a handful of meetings each week and pay your rent (and maybe have a house meeting a few times a month).
At Solutions, you’ll be assigned a case manager to help you understand everything you need to do to complete the program successfully.
They’ll be your primary point of contact for any questions you have, but they’ll also be the person to give you your assignments and talk about any issues that can keep you from being successful, like legal issues, health problems, family issues, and more.
They’ll also give you your level work and requirements to move up. Everyone starts at Level 1, which has a curfew of 8 PM. You’ll have to complete numerous assignments to move up to Level 2 and onward, including getting a sponsor.
On top of that, everyone is barred from talking to friends and family during Level 1. This separates you from anyone who might be enabling your behavior and keeping you from having to take responsibility for your life and focus on your sobriety.
It’s a lot to take in, but your case manager will help you, and you’ll also be assigned a mentor—a client who has been in the program for a while and can help you navigate everything you need to do.
You can learn more about the structure of the program here.
Get a 12-Step Sponsor Fast
Getting a 12-Step sponsor within 48 hours of getting to Solutions is a major, non-negotiable requirement. Everyone who comes through Solutions is required to get a sponsor and work the 12 Steps with them.
You also can’t just get any sponsor, and you may not be able to keep your old sponsor. We have a list of approved sponsors—you’ll need to pick someone from that list.
To level up and get a later curfew, you’ll need to make significant progress through the 12 Steps.
Attend Every Meeting (12-Step and Otherwise)
You’re required to attend a certain number of 12-Step meetings every week. You’re also required to meet with your case manager regularly.
You might also need to attend other meetings with other specialists in the office to help with various issues you might have. Skipping meetings is not allowed except under unique circumstances.
You may be used to getting out of requirements in other places, but that won’t work here—missing required meetings is grounds for removal.
Do Your Chores (Including Required Deep Cleans Each Month)
Every resident is given required chores the day they come to Solutions. You’ll be required to keep your room and personal space clean as well, and you’ll also be required to help with monthly deep cleanings, where the entire house is cleaned top to bottom.
You may have lived in sober houses where cleanliness was not prioritized—that’s not the case here. Just as with required meetings, chores are non-negotiable.
Complete Your Stepwork and Solutions Work
Your 12-Step work with your sponsor is the key to your long-term sobriety and success, and we take it very seriously. While we do not pry into the sponsor-sponsee relationship, we will ask you about your work with your sponsor to make sure you’re prioritizing it.
Many people have trouble getting through the 12-Steps, focusing instead on work, family, and other distractions. While these things are all important in your life, we’ve learned through painful experience that the clients who do best are those who focus on their step work above all else.
You’ll also be given supplemental work from your case manager that will help you learn more about the 12 Steps. This also needs to be completed to level up.
Find Approved Work that Supports Your New Sober Way of Life
We’ve been helping people achieve and maintain sobriety for almost 20 years, and we’ve seen it all.
One of the most common stumbling blocks is work. Once you get sober, you may feel deeply compelled to do everything you can to make up for all the financial harm you’ve caused yourself and your family.
While this is understandable, it’s often a trap. We’ve seen over and over that people who take on too much work, work too many hours, work unreliable jobs, or work night jobs tend to have a much harder time staying sober than others.
We have a simple list of the types of jobs that are and aren’t approved, and if your current job or even profession is at odds with your sobriety, you’ll be required to change that job or profession while you’re at Solutions.
This is not meant to derail your career, and once you leave, you can certainly choose to do whatever you want for work. Rather, it’s meant to ensure you can focus solely on your sobriety with nothing standing in your way.
Helping You Achieve Long-term Success
At Solutions, we are deeply familiar with just how deadly the disease of addiction is.
You have to think and act very differently if you want to succeed here, but that’s only because you need to think and act very differently to stay sober permanently.
Learn more about why so many people choose sober living at SONTX—and why they succeed here when they’ve failed so many other times elsewhere.