Grace House Sober Living

Grace House Sober Living Review

Grace House is a sober living program for women that operates three locations in the greater Lancaster, PA area. This program was founded by Gerri Shober, whose daughter, Grace, was a victim of the opioid epidemic. The original Grace House location was intended to be the home that Grace would reside in until she got clean for the last time. Now, that house and two additional locations offer structure and support for women trying to stay clean and sober. Once accepted into Grace House, residents are expected to follow a number of rules and remain accountable to themselves and their housemates. This is a 12-step based program that emphasizes the fact that they are not a treatment center, but rather a safe home for those in the early stages of their recovery that are ready and willing to do the necessary work to get and stay sober.

Accommodations and Amenities

Grace House operates three sober living homes: Akron House, Ephrata House and Adamstown House. Each of the locations are single family homes that are spacious, elegantly decorated and comfortable and located in safe, family-friendly communities. 

Each of the two-story homes offers at least one private room. Ephrata House has two singles, one double and one triple, Adamstown has four singles, and Akron has two shared bedrooms and one private. These facilities have all the essentials for comfortable living. There are large kitchens and dining rooms, living rooms with TV’s and spacious back yards. Clients are responsible for keeping  their rooms and common areas clean and safe. 

Clients have to bring their own bedding, toiletries and buy and prepare their own meals. There is a shared TV that they are welcome to, and they may also bring a smaller TV for their bedroom. There are cable hookups in each room. Clients can also have their cars at the residences. 

Rules and Regulations

All clients have to pass a drug test prior to moving in and be sober for at least 20 days. There are weekly drug tests throughout their stay as well, and if there is any suspicion of relapse or if clients refuse to take a test they are immediately dismissed from the program. 

Everyone is expected to do daily chores. Clients have to keep their personal spaces tidy, make their beds every morning and keep all their personal property in their own areas. There is no food or drink allowed outside of the kitchen at any time. The staff reserves the right to inspect personal property at any time. 

There is no smoking allowed in the house but there are places designated around the property where smoking is permitted. There are also no pets allowed in the house. There are weekly house meetings that require attendance. In addition there are a number of mandatory events that all housemates have to attend, including a monthly in-house AA meeting, a Sisters in Sobriety meeting the second Tuesday of each month, and Grace House Blessings the first Sunday of the month. In addition, clients have to call the house manager, Gerri, every week before Friday to check in. 

This program is broken down into phases. The first three weeks residents are required to attend a 12-step meeting every day of the week, and adhere to a 10:00 p.m. curfew.  During this phase, clients are are not allowed to use their own cars. 

The second phase is from week four to seven. At this point clients can request overnight passes, can step down to six meetings per week, and have their curfew extended to 11:00 p.m. on weeknights and midnight on the weekends. 

By week eight clients are required to be working full time, attend five meetings per week, have a sponsor and be actively working their steps. 

In most cases clients are also required to attend an outpatient program which they are expected to complete. 

In Summary

Grace House makes it very clear that this is a program for women who are serious about their sobriety, and while they are provided a safe place to lay their head at night, they are expected to be actively working on improving their lives for the better. This is a program that offers structure and guidance. The women have expectations placed upon them, and at the end of the day, these are the lessons that will help them live a successful and happy life. 

Grace House Locations

Grace House Cost

$550/month, all utilities are included. Reach Grace House by phone at 717-715-3002. Find Grace House on Facebook. 

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