TABLE OF CONTENTS

Topic / Page
Welcome / 3
Orientation and Initial Tasks / 4
Rules and Expectations / 5
Sanctions / 6
Rewards / 7
Additional Information / 7
Budgeting / 7
Correctional Clients and the “Criminal Code” / 7
Employment / 7
Mail / 8
Medical, Court, Mental Health Appointments / 8
Passes / 8
Telephone / 9
Transportation / 9
Urinalysis/Breath Analysis Testing / 10
Visiting / 10
Primary Residential Inpatient Treatment Schedule / 11
Transitional Residential Treatment (TRT) Schedule / 12
Non-AODA Schedule / 13
Emergency Procedures / 14
Client Rights/Grievance Process Brochure / 15

Welcome to Affinity House, we’re glad you’re here! Our staff is committed to helping you make the changes necessary to improve the quality of your life. Although this may be a difficult time in your life, you have the opportunity to turn things around and to grow as a woman of strength. Affinity House is owned and operated by Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan and has been in existence since 1988, helping hundreds of women to find a new path to recovery and positive change. We are here to help you build on your strengths and discover new opportunities to make your life more fulfilling.

Our program goals at Affinity are simple and straightforward: to help women achieve and maintain lasting recovery from addiction and/or to make important changes in thinking and avoid further correctional consequences. Most women come to our program for treatment of addictions and/or correctional programming. Whether you are here for “just” addictions treatment or “just” correctional programming, rest assured that while both issues are closely inter-related, the counseling staff will individualize a treatment plan that will meet your needs.

There are 3 types of programming at Affinity House. This handbook contains information about each type of programming and you’ll be directed to the sections that pertain to your individual situation and needs.

·  Primary Residential Inpatient Treatment: This 21 day program will provide you with the basis to start your journey to recovery from addiction. For clients referred by the Wisconsin Department of Community Corrections, this program will also address correctional issues.

·  Transitional Residential Treatment (Halfway House): This programming will address both continued recovery from addiction and also correctional issues for those in need while helping you build a bridge back to the community.

·  Non-AODA Correctional Programming: If you do not have substance abuse issues, this program will target just the criminogenic issues that have brought you to Affinity House.

Orientation and Initial Tasks: All New Residents

Based on your history and referral information, a counselor has been assigned to work with you throughout your stay at Affinity House. Depending on her work schedule and what time of the day you arrive at Affinity House, she will introduce herself to you today or tomorrow and will schedule an individual session with you during your first 2 - 3 days at our facility. Your first session will be spent getting to know each other a little bit and putting together your treatment plan. In order to prepare for this session, your first tasks (start working on these today!) are:

·  Read through the this Handbook thoroughly. Ask questions if you’re unsure about anything, any staff person can answer most questions.

·  Pay particular attention to the program rules, these are enforced but are relatively easy to follow if you are invested in making change.

·  Complete the Intake Questionnaire and have it ready for your meeting with your counselor

·  Complete the Problem Areas/Strengths list

Each week, your counselor will set aside time for an individual session with you. She and you will first review your treatment plan and assignments from the previous week, address any problems or successes, and then you will have time to talk about any issues that are important to you. Always come to your session with some type of agenda, an idea of what problems you need to discuss.

You will be given 2 notebooks at admission. One is for your assignments and homework. The second notebook is for journaling; attempt to write in this daily to chart your personal recovery and change journey. This journal will often be the catalyst for the discussions you’ll have during your individual sessions.

The best type of format to address both addictions and criminogenic issues is in a group setting. As you look through this handbook, you will see that the majority of our services are therefore offered in a group format. You’ll be expected to not only attend all groups on your schedule but also to participate fully. This means that you’ll have completed homework each day and be ready to present if called upon, that you’ll volunteer for role plays, you’ll give feedback to your peers, you’ll share honest information about yourself and your struggles and successes, and that you’ll be open to hearing feedback from both staff and your peers.

If you are here to find recovery from addiction, your addiction has most certainly impacted your family. If you are involved with the criminal justice system, this has also had an affect on your family. At some point during your stay at Affinity House, you and your family or significant other(s) will be involved in the Family Connection Program. Your counselor will discuss this in detail with you. Now is a good time to begin thinking about who you would like to invite. Your counselor will ask you to sign a release of information for this purpose.

Staffings are a time when you, the Affinity House staff, and your referral source will get together to review your progress in treatment, make decisions about passes, and problem solve any difficulties you are having. For DOC residents, these occur at least twice monthly or more often if needed. While in primary treatment, staffing occurs weekly and may or may not include DOC or your county referral source, depending on their availability.

Program Rules and Information

AFFINITY HOUSE EXPECTATIONS

Expectations are designed to promote positive routine and structure into your daily living and to maintain a recovery/change-orientated atmosphere.

1. Attend all scheduled activities on time, with assigned homework complete.

2. Attend a minimum of 2 Community support groups per week. Your counselor can assist you in choosing activities that will meet this requirement. Activities that are solely directed toward your recovery efforts are strongly encouraged, most easily accessed, and free: AA, NA, Rational Recovery, church-based recovery groups, etc. If you are non-AODA client, your counselor will assist you in identifying appropriate community supports.

3. Residents are to keep their rooms neat & orderly every day, including beds made. The rooms must be cleaned, dusted and vacuumed every week; you need to wash your bed linens and towels weekly.

4. Residents are allowed only the items which will fit neatly in dressers and the closet.

5. Residents must complete their assigned daily chores at the designated times and/or as directed by staff.

6. There is no smoking in the Affinity House. You are to use the outside designated smoking areas. This includes electronic cigarettes.

7. Residents are to be out of bed, showered, dressed and meds taken by designated times (see schedule). Weekend hours apply to holidays.

8. Residents may have a small radio/boom-box. No full sized stereo systems are allowed. These will be played at a low volume at all times and must be turned off when you are out of your room. Headphones can be used during free time after 8 pm weekdays or during non-program times on weekends. .

9. No food or beverages are allowed on the carpeted areas or in your bedrooms.

10. Residents may NOT have cell phones, personal computers, handheld video games, full sized gaming systems, personal TVs/DVDs etc. while living at Affinity House. If you come with a cell phone you must turn it in at the office.

11. Residents must be fully dressed, including footwear. Shoes or slippers must be worn at all times when outside one’s bedroom.

12. There is no gambling of any type while residing at Affinity House. This includes, but is not limited to, casino gambling, poker, lottery tickets, pull-tabs and betting.

13. Borrowing or lending money between residents is not allowed. Borrowing your personal items to another resident is at your own risk and is discouraged by staff. If the item is broken, damaged or not returned Affinity House is not responsible.

14. Residents will show staff all receipts for new purchases.

15. You may NOT enter or go into another resident’s room to visit.

16. Residents are expected to be in their rooms and ready for bed as noted on the program schedule.

17. Residents are expected to treat staff, peers and guests respectfully. Residents will comply with staff directives respectfully.

18. Residents will not get any new body piercings or tattoos while residing at Affinity House.

19. All personal items will be put away before you leave the house.

20. If you are too sick to go to work or attend programming, you will need to remain at the house for the day (unless you go to the doctor), and you will need to remain in bed/room for the day and no visitors will be allowed on that day.

21. Sign out properly anytime you leave the property. You’ll need to provide address of your whereabouts as well as a correct time-frame and the time you will return. Sign back in upon your return.

22. Furniture re-arranging and making nail holes or taping things on/in the walls is not allowed. You may place pictures on bulletin boards, dresser and nightstands.

AFFINITY HOUSE RULES

Breaking the following rules implies a disregard for your personal recovery/change and may interfere with the efforts of other residents. Breaking these rules also indicates a lack of motivation to invest in change.

1. Residents may not possess, use or sell alcohol or other drugs. Any resident with knowledge of another resident’s use must inform staff.

2. The purchase of any and all over the counter medications must be pre-approved by your counselor prior to the purchase. You will need a physician’s prescription in order to take OTC medications.

3. All medications (both prescription and over-the-counter) will be kept in the staff office. You must come to the staff office prepared to take your medications with a beverage. Staff will monitor and log your medication use.

4. Residents may not be in bars, eating establishments that serve alcohol or head shops for any reason.

5. Residents must comply with urinalysis or breath analysis upon staff request. Failure to comply will be viewed as a positive test result.

6. Violence or threats of violence are not allowed. This does include all forms of verbal/physical threats and verbal/physical harassment.

7. Your priority is to strengthen your recovery from addiction and criminal/negative behaviors. You are not to enter into any new or exclusive relationships (sexual, romantic or dating) while a resident of Affinity House.

8. There will be no sexual acting out in any form or with another individual on Affinity House property or during scheduled outside activities.

9. Residents may not possess weapons of any kind.

10. If a resident’s whereabouts are unknown to staff, that resident will be considered to have absconded from the program. If a resident does not return from a pass on time, that resident will be considered to have absconded from the program.

11. Residents must comply with all rules of their supervision with the DOC (correctional clients) treatment court, referral source..

12. Residents will comply with employment expectations during TRT programming and per DOC or referral source requirements.

13. You may NOT give callers any information about any other residents. You are allowed to take a message or phone number only. Residents are required to respect the confidentiality of all other residents at all times.

14. Furniture re-arranging and making nail holes or taping things on/in the walls is not allowed. You may place pictures on bulletin boards, dresser and nightstands.

15. No open flames or burning of candles or any substance is allowed.

16. Residents in Primary Residential Inpatient Treatment may not leave the property without staff.

Sanctions: As noted previously, residents with a desire to make positive changes have no problems with the house rules. When any staff person notes that you have broken an expectation or a rule, she will notify you. Sometimes, particularly when you are very new to the program, you may be given a warning which will be noted in your chart. Affinity House uses graduated sanctions, which means that breaking more serious rules, multiple expectation/rule violations, or repeatedly breaking any one rule will lead to more serious sanctions. These can range from giving you an assignment to write and present, removal of privileges, cancellation of passes, up to discharge from the program. Note that some rules may be grounds for immediate discharge from the program; examples are violence, selling/providing drugs to others, bringing drugs into the facility, new legal charges, etc.

Rewards: In the same way that staff are paying attention to negative behavior or disregard to rules, staff are also on the watch for your progress and success. As you make strides in your recovery/change process you can expect to have this noted as well, and depending on your particular situation and progress, may be given additional privileges.