Butterfly House

The Basics

Butterfly House provides sober living for a small group of women in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. Located about an hour northeast of Minneapolis, St. Croix Falls is surrounded by beautiful countryside and right on the Minnesota state line. The mission of the home is to provide a family-style environment where women can bond , work their steps and rebuild new and healthy lives.

Accommodations and Amenities

The white Colonial has a large front porch and a huge fenced yard, which includes a vintage wooden patio swing, trees and a pristine lawn. Potted flowers provide bursts of color. Butterfly House accommodates eight women who are paired in comfy furnished rooms with twin beds with headboards, dressers and large windows, which allow sunlight to bathe the rooms.

The rest of the house includes a quaint kitchen with blue and white cabinets, blue and yellow floor tiles, and a country-style table with chairs. The women are responsible for their own groceries, and meal preparation. Most clients qualify for food stamp benefits, which helps towards the purchase of groceries. Additionally, there is a pantry that is stocked with canned goods, and other food items.

Amenities include a landline, Wi-Fi, bicycles, cable, a washer, dryer, and an outdoor clothesline. Laundry days are Wednesdays and Saturdays. During the winter, clients are allowed to use the dryer, but during the summer and on warm days, they must hang their laundry on the clothesline to dry. A Laundromat is next door to the house, and is available for clients who need to wash their clothing on other days, and who don’t like the idea of hanging their clothing outside. Deadheads are out of luck here. Tye dying clothing is strictly forbidden. Smoking is permitted in outside designated areas only. A house manager lives on the premises to provide guidance and support.

Rules and Regulations

Potential clients are typically referred to Butterfly House from the Department of Corrections, a residential treatment facility, word of mouth or a homeless shelter. Usually, they have a minimum of 30 days of sobriety, but all must have undergone detox. Prior to acceptance, they must complete an application and if approved, they meet with staff for a comprehensive interview to ensure that Butterfly House is a good fit. The length of stay is limited to six months, but clients in good standing are allowed to apply for a three-month extension.

Requirements include attending daily AA/NA meetings, obtaining and working the steps with a sponsor, performing household chores, as well as maintaining the grounds at Butterfly House. Cell phones are forbidden at Butterfly House, and clients aren’t allowed to borrow cell phones from 12-step members, staff or others in the community. Clients are expected to look for full-time work, if unemployed, as well as participate in community service. Full time work requires between 35 and 40 hours a week. Clients have the option of working two or more part time jobs, as long as they work between 35 and 40 weekly hours. The women are not allowed to work in businesses that sell alcohol, and jobs like cocktail waitressing or bartending are forbidden, as those environments might hinder their recovery. If clients don’t have jobs within two weeks, they must perform 25 hours of weekly community service, along with 15 hours of job searching until they find employment.

Additionally, they are expected to complete transitional care, if required by the terms of probation, and attend all mental and medical health appointments. Random drug and alcohol screenings are conducted. On the application, clients must have a Plan B or a safe place to go, in the event of misconduct or relapse, since Butterfly House has a zero tolerance policy in regards to those events. The clients are not allowed to communicate on Facebook with any ex-boyfriends, incarcerated men, male acquaintances, former dealers, drinking buddies and other unsavory characters. Additionally, intimate relationships are not allowed, as Butterfly House endorses the belief that newcomers should not date during the first year. The curfew is 10 pm Sundays through Thursdays, and 11 pm Fridays and Saturdays. Additionally, clients must be up, and out of bed, by 7:30 am Mondays through Fridays, 8:30 am Saturdays, and eight am Sundays.

Extras

Butterfly House is the community outreach project of the local nonprofit Moms and Dads Against Meth, Inc.

In Summary

Butterflies often symbolize metamorphosis, and this quaint sober living house works hard to help clients transform into empowered women who are living new and healthy lives. The strict rules and 12-step emphasis my not be for everyone, but women who are seeking a safe place where they can learn how to live  free of chaos and chemical substances will be right at home here.

Butterfly House (mailing address)
PO Box 172
St. Croix Falls, WI 54024

Physical address:
336 N. Washington St
St. Croix Falls, WI 54024

Butterfly House Cost: $500 (first 30 days only, then $400). Reach Butterfly House by phone at (715) 417-1216 or by email at butterflyhousescf@yahoo.com or madatmeth@yahoo.com. Find Butterfly House on Facebook

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