Gaiser Center Plans First Licensed Recovery Home for Women in Butler County

BUTLER, Pa. - April 17, 2024 - PRLog -- The Ellen O'Brien Gaiser Center will open a recovery residence in June to serve women transitioning back to independent living following treatment in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program.

The first state-licensed facility serving women and children in Butler County, the sober living home — also known as a three-quarter house — is designed to provide a safe and supportive environment for women to continue their journey of sobriety with more autonomy.

"The house is a place where women in recovery can live while they're getting the last bit of their life together," according to Gaiser Executive Director Joe Mahoney. "They can work full time and their children can visit and stay with them."

Pennsylvania's Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs licenses recovery homes to ensure a network of safe places for individuals with substance use disorders to work toward sustained recovery. Mahoney said residents of the home will have completed a treatment program prior to arrival and must participate in mutual support groups within the recovery community, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Refuge Recovery and Smart Recovery. The facility will accommodate 12 women.

Gaiser purchased the 2,765 square-foot, four-bedroom Victorian on East Brady Street in August 2023 for $244,000, after Butler County officials expressed a need for a licensed three-quarter facility. Butler-based JM Construction is updating the home's existing bathrooms, building an additional bathroom, renovating the kitchen and refurbishing the deck. Renovations included replacing the home's 36 windows, waterproofing the basement, installing a security system and security cameras and upgrading the heating and cooling systems.

Butler County allocated $440,000 for the project, including the home purchase and renovations, security systems, equipment and furniture.

"Only four of the more than 300 state-licensed recovery homes in Pennsylvania are located in Butler County and none are currently earmarked for women," said Butler County's Director of Drug and Alcohol Programs Donna Jenereski. "We are happy to partner with an established substance use disorder treatment program like Gaiser to create a new resource to help women transition from treatment back to self-sufficiency within the community."

While there are rules for living in a three-quarter house, the home is less structured than a half-way house, which would typically include onsite treatment protocols and a strict curfew. As they move toward independent living, residents of three-quarter houses also pay rent.

Mahoney said Gaiser's sober living home will use a sliding fee scale with residents paying what they can afford, and the balance paid from the State Opioid Response grant program, which was created to reduce unmet treatment needs. Residents who receive subsidized rent will also be required to continue a formal treatment program.

Learn more at https://www.gaisercenter.com.