Community and Connection are at the Core of Long-term Recovery

A 30+ Year Legacy Of Saving Lives

Awakening Recovery evolved out of a movement of recovery homes based on the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous. These homes incorporated a long-term approach of recovery through the 12-Steps and taking responsibility for their recovery through action and accountability.

Awakening Recovery is the product of over 30 years of evolution in the sector, blending a structured recovery home environment with behavior modification and the 12-Steps.

Awakening Recovery is the ONLY non-profit in the Los Angeles area that has this type of 12+ month, highly structured, 12-Step based recovery home. We have graduated a total of 31 residents total, and 4 residents so far in 2022. To date we have helped over 160 residents. We have an 80+% success rate with our graduates maintaining over a year sober and in July 2022, our first graduate celebrated 6 years sober. Over 70% of our graduates have stayed sober since graduating. 

COMMUNITY VALUES

This is what guides our decision making and daily behavior:

  • Integrity – We believe rigorous honesty and accountability are essential to all we do.
  • Learning – While our guiding principles are universal and based on the spiritual principles of the 12-Steps, we believe in evolving and adapting our methods as we learn.
  • Common Purpose – Because we have a common problem with alcoholism and drug addiction, we believe our community is connected by a common solution in recovery.
  • Action-driven – We believe successful recovery requires consistent action to change our behavior, which signals willingness to transform our lives.
  • Service – We believe in giving back to the community that saved our lives and seek to be a multiplying force for good in the world.

INTEGRATION BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY

Once a resident has completed the leadership chores of Dog Monitor, Essay Monitor and House Leader, along with completing their 4th and 5th steps in their 12 Step process they are eligible to begin integrating back into the community.

As a bridge to residents going out and getting a job, we ask our residents to secure and engage in a volunteer position in the community. This helps our residents balance their time in the house and outside the house and teaches the value of being of service without financial compensation.

After successfully balancing their volunteer position and their responsibilities in the house, residents are able to look for a paying position at a business in the community. The job is not intended to be a career job, but an entry level position to learn the value of a days work for a days pay. Additionally, working in the community gives residents an opportunity to be an example to the less senior residents in the house of what is possible for them when they have done the work to earn this privilege.

After graduating and moving out with fellow graduates, alumni as a part of the next phase of their recovery and life of service continue to give back to the house by:

  • Attending house family dinners and family meetings
  • Sponsoring residents in their 12-Step spiritual experience and acting as peer mentors to residents in the house
  • Leading weekly Newcomer (0-60 day residents), Middle of the Board (60 days – 6 month residents), Senior Members (6 months – graduating residents) peer mentoring family house meetings.
  • Participate in house-wide activities like annual outings to theme parks, Big Bear, etc.
  • Give rides to residents to their 12-Step meetings
  • Take cakes to celebrate years of sobriety at the house to demonstrate to current residents the gifts they have been given as a result of becoming a graduate of Awakening Recovery.