Why Choose Us?
How to Choose a Sober Living Home.
Making The Right Decision: Values, Uniqueness, and OUTCOMES!
Time spent living in community is not out only focus. It’s also what comes next- long-term outcome. How an individual grows after living with us is just as important as the time spent within these walls. We are only as strong as our outcomes, and depend on strong communication with alumni and families to guide how we make choices going forward. That also includes what didn’t work, and those who didn’t complete the program. If those were not factors in our quality improvement, we wouldn’t know what to improve upon!
Patterns to Avoid: Ask the Right Questions, of Clients, Parents, and Staff!
Addiction Science Focused: Honoring the traditions, but getting it right this time by keeping pace with the latest best practices in Addiction Science. We maintain both active academic and professional associations with the organizations which are on the vanguard of transforming the field of psychology, trauma, and most importantly- community level supports!
Alumni Programs: Not just “keeping tabs” on graduates, but maintaining strong relationships and offering opportunities to share and reconnect regularly.
College Application Fees Paid: We now pay application fees to area colleges and continuing education programs. We want to help our members plan for and achieve their goals for the future. Whatever we can do to make this easier, we do.
Consistent Routine: Having a regular daily schedule of personal and house-wide activities- some opt-in, others required- provides stability and builds trust in the environment.
Continuum of Care Services: Both formal and informal- offered after program completion.
Creative Environment: Our homes- and Asheville itself- thrive with a vital spirit promoting uninhibited self expression. This is essential to getting it right!
Daily Recovery Community Integration: It’s a pivotal part of the Program- gaining daily and substantial out-of-home connections with the larger community- providing support, context, and broader knowledge of resources.
Empowering Diversity: Our Program’s mission advocates for Unity, transcending mere ‘tolerance.’ Our Staff is gender, race, and viewpoint mixed, and we support full LGBTQI+ legal and cultural freedom.
Full Time Monitoring: We have Staff 24/7 at Kingfisher House, with other Staff on duty and on call 24/7. Families and Members are provided with a 24 hour on-call number upon entry. Redtail utilities an advanced peer support regulation & supervision system with live-in support staff.
Health & Wellness Centered: Why stop using drugs, but keep doing everything else?! The entire person is examined- from dietary and medical history, medication, activity level, whole biopsychosocial history, each from the appropriate discipline.
Individualized Planning: Each person is different- we don’t see people as walking diagnoses. While we do have consistent structures and routines, specific goal setting and preferences are essential to an effective way forward.
Life Skills First: While we do offer recreation and many outlets for creative expression, Life Skills Training is paramount. Helping the Member safely learn- or re-learn- how to live safely out in what is essentially a new world greatly increases the effectiveness of all the work undertaken to prevent relapse and transform relationship to the self and… life!
Linkage to Outpatient Programs: We have great relationships with area professional supports, from nutritionists, MDs, Intensive Outpatient, therapists, and psychiatrists. We’re happy to assist in networking for follow up care.
Mindfulness Focused: Meditation and other Mindfulness Practices (yoga, for example) have been scientifically validated as clinically effective tools in Relapse Prevention and abatement of co-occurring/other neurological conditions.
Multidisciplinary Clinical Team: Our consultants are present nearly every day of the week, offering both elective and required programming, from Music Therapy to Sobriety-Immersed Yoga & Qi Gong!
No Rush To Completion: We are NEVER going to be driven by turnaround. There have been problems in the past that patients, referrants, and families have experienced where some programs are focused on accelerating completion in order to gain new entry fees or “fill beds” for new, higher rate-paying clientele. That will never be us.
Nutritional Guidance: We have a nutrition-guided lifestyle. Why re-stimulate the same reward centers we’re trying to rewire? We live in a nationally recognized healthy food destination- this is the right choice for healthy sober living.
Operated in Transparency: We run like a non-profit, because our long-term goal is not only to establish one for scholarship and broader population support, but also because it’s right. Anyone can see “the books” when requested. We have a voluntary Advisory Board. Except for certain personnel matters and proper boundary maintenance, everything is in plain sight.
Positive Reinforcement & Team Motivation: It’s a fact- long-term change is most effective with positively reinforced behavioral cues. Motivational Interviewing is a strong interactional basis, among other techniques. The Brotherhood- our collective Membership- is an entity unto itself in supporting change with “carrots” first, “sticks” only if necessary.
Proportionate Home Size to Group: Kingfisher House is 4600 square feet, six bedroom, four bathroom. Most bedrooms are 2 person, with Kingfisher’s (huge) master at 3 (the adjoining bathroom has its own sauna- just saying!). The point is- we’re not “stacking” people. We could house many more than eight at Kingfisher, but we won’t. Redtail House (step-down) is 2200 square feet, with a four person capacity.
Re-Learning Fun: We don’t just spend time in groups- sober living isn’t somber living! We teach new ways of understanding and defining “good times,” and even go to concerts at approved venues on a regular basis (with the appropriate screening, of course).
Serene Location: Our homes are nestled within historic mountain ranges, by water, or in mature communities.
Standard & Atypical Testing: We use urine and swab testing for the broad range of the most abusable drugs, and have specific kits for the more uncommon. These are used both at cause and randomly. Our breathalyzer rules out naturally occurring acetone for those who may have endocrine issues. Our kits are medical diagnostic grade and are included in our fees – WE DO NOT NOR WILL WE EVER BILL INSURANCE FOR THIS OR ANY OTHER SERVICE. Be wary of programs that bill insurance for drug screens! If we do need to lab-confirm a drug screen, we will discuss fee for service options available.
Step-Down Residence: The Redtail House is for those who have completed 6 months or more of our main program, and have met several other key pieces of criteria. It also offers savings- with the idea that the Member is paying for some or all of the cost- giving you a break! Random on-site monitoring and testing still occurs, and certain activities are still required.
Thorough Screening Process: All applicants have to meet certain diagnostic, behavioral, and historical criteria in order to be considered for Membership. Histories of violence, abuse, harm to others or animals, and property destruction are among the screening criteria. Area referrants are aware of our vetting process- and will only recommend those they think will be a good fit.
Value for Services: We are frequently told that we should charge a lot more. And we could- but we won’t. We charge what’s fair, while still trying to operate with a goal for solvency and growth. Our monthly actual cost per Member versus the fee often usually evens out. As they say- “we’re not in this to get rich!”
Vocational & Educational Guidance: After the Member has gotten themselves adjusted, we focus on a primary life track that fulfills more than just some time in the day- but perhaps lifelong dreams. We want to reframe the concept of success from the idea of completion to process. Many struggle just to begin- one they find they can do it, they thrive on small, daily achievements.
Walking Distance: Kingfisher, our “HQ,” is walking distance to 10 support group venues, two groceries, several quality restaurants, many great exercise opportunities, and bus stop routes.
Wilderness Activities: Because of our great location, we can access the best our mountains have to offer: Rivers, trails. camping, skiing, you name it. There is no season- no reason- for us to skimp on savoring the nature to which we belong.
