Catholic Charities of Steuben County

The Basics

Catholic Charities of Steuben County was founded in 1997 in Bath, New York, a small village in Steuben County. The organization provides both an 18-bed sober living community residence as well as supportive living apartments for adult males. Catholic Charities also aims to provide services that are free of charge and covered through public assistance.

Accommodations and Amenities

Catholic Charities’ sober living residence is located in an upscale Bath neighborhood centered on a golf course. The residence is a large house and, as previously mentioned, has a total of 18 beds. The house consists of a variety of single and double rooms, with the single rooms assigned to clients who have been in the program the longest.

Catholic Charities also operates individual and group therapy out of the house and has designated rooms for the session. Residents are assigned chores and help with the upkeep of the house.

Catholic Charities provides food for three meals a day and prepares lunch and dinner for clients. Although the menu is reviewed by a dietician, clients can be involved in the meal planning and submit recipes, too. Catholic Charities aims to have well-balanced and nutritious meals and a regular dinner may include roasts, potatoes and vegetables.

Rules and Regulations

Catholic Charities requires clients to be sober upon admission and most clients are referred to Catholic Charities after completing an outside residential program. Additionally, clients are required to also be in an outpatient program while living in the house and must obtain an outside chemical dependency evaluation prior to being admitted to Catholic Charities’ sober living program. Catholic Charities requires clients to apply for and receive public assistance before entering the program as this is how they are expected to pay. Also, the sober living house occasionally has a waiting list that can be as long as six weeks.

The sober living program lasts for three to six months. When clients enter the program they are assigned a specific counselor who meets with them regularly throughout their stay.

Although smoking is technically allowed in certain designated areas at the sober living houses, Catholic Charities strongly encourages active smokers to quit.

The house operates soft curfews for clients that are based on the clients’ work schedules. Clients work with the staff to find the best schedule for their curfews and work responsibilities. Clients are allowed to have cell phones.

Catholic Charities does not require clients to have a job or be enrolled in school when entering the program. However, as part of the treatment program in the sober living house, clients and staff look into the client’s work and educational history to help determine the next step forward in their careers. The staff also helps assist with placing residents into educational programs or with finding them a job.

Catholic Charities also hosts AA meetings Wednesday evenings and NA meetings Sunday afternoons. Attendance is strongly encouraged but not required.

Catholic Charities services clients with co-occurring disorders and helps refer them to an outside mental health outpatient program or therapist.

The size of the staff varies throughout the year but Catholic Charities has between three to six counselors employed at any given time and everyone has experience in human services. And although Catholic Charities does not offer actual drug and alcohol treatment, the supervisors and 25% to 50% of the staff are CADCs.

Extras

Family members can meet with counselors on a regular basis and discuss their loved one’s progress. The frequency of these meetings is based whether or the client and family members desire to meet, and can occur anywhere from once a week to once a month.

Catholic Charities also operates a number of supportive living apartments where clients may step down after completing the sober living program. The apartment complex is a couple blocks away from the sober living house in Bath. The supportive living apartment program lasts six to 18 months. Clients in this program are given a higher level of independence and freedom in their schedule and are required to have a job or attend school full time. The apartments are two-bedroom units with two clients per residence. Clients have their own bedroom but share a living room and kitchen space. During this program clients are required to provide their own food and cook their own meals, although sometimes clients will cook together with their roommates.

In Summary

Catholic Charities of Steuben County is an affordable and dynamic sober living option for adult male clients in the Bath area. The step-down to supportive living apartments allows clients to transition out of the sober living program into an environment that is both highly independent as well as structured. The large percentage of the staff being licensed counselors creates an environment where clients can receive highly specialized advice based, not a common asset at a sober living facility. Also, Catholic Charities requirement for clients to be enrolled in an outpatient program before entering the sober living program allows a smoother transition from residential treatment to sober living.

Catholic Charities of Steuben County
23 Liberty St
Bath, NY 14810

Catholic Charities of Steuben County Cost: Public Assistance. Reach Catholic Charities of Steuben County by phone at (607) 324-0909 or by email at KSmith@dor.org. Find Catholic Charities of Steuben County on Facebook and Twitter

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