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House Rules

TURNING POINT RULES

Rules are subject to change.  Ask for current rules prior to admission or upon admission. 

  1. Possession or use of alcohol, drugs or weapons is strictly prohibited. Drugs are classified as any mind altering substance including kratom, over the counter speed, and misuse of any prescription drug. Possession includes anywhere on Turning Point property. This includes any product that contains alcohol i.e., mouthwash, after-shave, over counter medicines, etc. All prescribed and over the counter drugs must be held and dispensed by the House Manager.  Violation will result in discharge. 
  2. Drug Testing is mandatory if asked to submit to a alcohol/drug test. If the results are positive or the resident refuses the test, the resident will be immediately discharged or offered appropriate consequences to be determined by the director.
  3. Threatening, violent, and/or aggressive behavior is grounds for discharge.
  4. No changes, improvements, decorating or repairs are to be done to any part of the property without the director’s approval. This includes appliances, moving and/or adding furniture, moving and/or adding pictures, photos and posters on the walls.
  5. No smoking inside of the house. No incense, candles or anything flammable allowed anywhere in the house at any time. Violators will be immediately discharged for the safety of the house.
  6. All doctor appointments must be approved in advance by the director other than emergencies where the resident is required to advise the doctor upfront of their alcohol and/or drug addiction and attend the appointment with a staff member. Failure to properly inform doctors will result in discharge.
  7. A Sponsorship Report is due within 7 days from admission. A home group must be chosen and approved within 2 weeks of admission. Sponsors including temporary sponsors must have a minimum of 2 years clean/sober and be a Turning Point approved sponsor. Sponsor must have a sponsor and have worked all 12 steps with a sponsor from the directions in the AA Big Book or NA Basic Text. Sponsor cannot be an employee from the resident’s treatment center or case management.  Sponsor cannot be a member of another recovery house.  Working the steps with the house does not exempt resident from working the steps with a Sponsor from the AA Big Book or NA Basic Text.
  8. Attendance at AA/NA/CA/HA meetings is mandatory. A meeting slip must be signed including telephone numbers by chairpersons or members recommended by the chairperson showing attendance at a minimum 1 meeting per day except Sunday. Residents may attend a meeting on Sunday only with Director approval (6meetings per week). Additional meeting requirements at director’s discretion may be added.  The meeting slip must be turned in to the House Manager each Friday by curfew.  House Meetings, Aftercare (required), and group therapy count toward the 6-meeting requirement.  Resident’s attending IOP are only required to attend 5 AA/NA/CA meetings per week (1-2 meetings on each day not in IOP) counting same as above.  If enrolled in IOP, failure to comply with treatment will result in discharge from Turning Point.  The counselor must sign the meeting sheet to show your attendance.  IOP patients contribute gas money to ride with residents that are approved to have cars.  Aftercare is required for Alumni of treatment centers with local aftercare available.
  9. House recovery support meetings are held every Friday and Wednesday for the Men’s house and Friday and Tuesday for the Women’s house from 7:00 P.M. – 8:30 P.M. House meetings are subject to change due to scheduling. A Monthly Appreciation Meeting is held on the first Wednesday of each month from 7:00 P.M. – 8:30 P.M. A meeting sheet must be signed. Resident will present House Step Reports at meetings and complete a fifth step within forty-five days.  The recovery support group charge is $20 per person per group; however, the fee is paid from other funding sources for qualifying residents.
  10. Curfew is 10:00 P.M. on weeknights (Sun.-Thurs.) and 11:00 P.M. on weekends (Fri. & Sat.) for the first 30 days if all rules are followed. It is 11:00 P.M. on weeknights and 1:00 A.M. on weekends after 30 days if all rules are followed. This means in the house, not sitting outside or in the driveway.  If working past curfew, resident must be in 30 minutes after work.  No incoming or outgoing phone calls after curfew except in case of emergency.  1-night passes per any 7 day period can be earned after the first 30 days by following all rules.  1-night passes per 7 days or 2-night passes per 14 days can be earned. 2-night passes per 7 days can be earned after completing the twelfth step. The manager must receive pass requests 72 hours in advance.  Passes will not be approved before reviewing weekly performance on the same day of the pass.  Resident cannot leave for pass without final approval from Director via Manager.  Failure to comply is grounds for discharge. 
  11. Required within first 3 business days starting on the admission date. If unemployed upon admission, acquire proper ID’s, physically report in person to the food bank & apply for food stamps before starting work. If employed upon admission, the food bank & food stamps apply at the director’s discretion.  Failure to comply may result in discharge.
  12. Employment: You have 14 calendar days starting on your first day in the house to secure a full-time verifiable work schedule or you may be discharged. Employment must be 40 hours with no required overtime per week. Consideration for approval from the director with no guarantee of approval can be earned for working overtime after completing a 5th step with a sponsor.  Resident may not start or change jobs without Director’s approval in advance including orientations.  Resident must work for employer that pays by check or direct deposit with a check stub or a form of showing tax deductions and number of hours. A check stub will always be due on payday and manager will verify direct deposits with the residents pay card.  Resident cannot work for a relative or Turning Point resident without prior approval from the Director. If too sick to work, resident must stay on the property other than going directly to the doctor and straight home.  A doctor’s note stating the diagnosis and when the resident can return to work is required on all doctor visits.  A doctor’s visit is required on the second consecutive day that a resident misses work.  If resident misses more than 3 days of excused or unexcused work within any 30-day period it is grounds for discharge.  Residents come home from work each day before going to meetings with other residents as a team.
  13. Privileges with the opposite sex are earned based on progress. Until receiving consent from the director there are no phone calls, exchanging phone numbers, letters, visiting, riding in cars, or being alone with the opposite sex. Sexual comments, flirting behavior, and any more than brief interaction with the opposite sex are prohibited.  Consideration for approval with no guarantee of approval for new relationships can be earned after verifying completion of the tenth step    Violation of any part may result in discharge.
  1. Possession of mobile phones must be approved in advance by the director. Consideration for approval with no guarantee of approval can be earned after verification of a fifth step with a sponsor if not approved sooner by the director. Residents enabling other residents to make unapproved cell phone calls will lose the cell phone privilege.  Also, after the 5th step residents maybe approved to get piercings or a tatoo at a reputable tatoo studio. Residents are prohibited from giving or receiving piercings or tatoos from other residents.
  2. Guests must be approved in advance by the Director for each visit and a staff member must be present during all visitations. There will be a 2-hour maximum imposed time limit to visitations. Immediate adult family members and pre-existing significant others that are not considered to be counterproductive to recovery by the director are strongly encouraged to attend a house meeting within one week of admission for orientation and to determine the frequency of future contact, if any i.e. phone, visits, and passes. Approved guests are allowed in common areas of the house only.  No guests are allowed in bedrooms.  No type of sexual conduct is allowed.  You may sit side by side.  No lying down, sitting in laps, or any other type of physical contact is allowed during visitation.  No sitting in parked cars or outdoors.  Hugs of the AA/NA nature are allowed.
  3. A chore list will be posted weekly. Chores are to be done daily and must be checked and signed off by the House Manager. Residents are responsible for keeping their own area orderly.  Beds must be made each morning.  Nothing on the floors but shoes & nothing on the beds but linens.  Everything else is to be put away.  No food or drink in bedrooms.  Each person is responsible for washing their own dishes at the time they are used. 
  4. Pornographic materials are grounds for immediate discharge. For the purpose of Turning Point’s Spiritual Environment, pornographic material includes any type of nudity.
  5. Profanity is not a sign of spiritual growth. Profanity in the presence of the opposite sex, children, and/or guests is prohibited.
  6. Support Team System means doing together what we could not do alone. Residents run together supporting each other. After completing the twelfth step, resident is required to sign in/out, make curfew, and turn in a meeting sheet each week as long as they are not behind on their fees. There will be a consequence of $20 if the resident fails to comply with the sign in/out sheet. Resident must still stay in close contact with staff so we know the location of resident at all times. Also, resident must return to the house immediately following work. They may then sign out again. Unless approved verbally by the Director.
  7. Church is optional and new residents may attend a designated nondenominational church with pre-approved staff members where all religions are welcome. Senior residents may attend the church of their choice after completing the 12th step and after demonstrating that they are not using church to manipulate fraternization.
  8. Additional and separate rules are based on individual’s history or performance at Directors discretion.
  9. Cost- $180/week $380 Deposit and $25.71/day with the actual amount of $45.71 per night administrative cost to be billed once per week in advance at $180.00 Administrative fees include a furnished room, utilities, phone, cable, & use of washer/dryer. Turning Point does not provide food, linens, or household items; however, we do have extra bed linen for those in need.  Fees are due on resident’s payday and is applied on Friday.  Residents are required to come straight home from work on payday and Manager is required to be there to collect.  Fees are paid from check to check (weekly, every 2 weeks, twice per month or monthly.)  If you are behind on your fees, you must physically hand any type of check or pay/debit card received directly to the manager.  The manager will cash your check and you will keep 20% until your fees are brought current.  Manager will keep any pay/debit card in his/her possession until the rent is current. If resident receives any cash from any source, he/she must bring 80% of your pay to the manager.  The Director must approve odd jobs in advance.  Waiters/waitresses are to provide food sales reports for each shift.  They must pay 80% of 15% of gross sales plus 80% of paycheck. Noncompliance of any part of this rule may result in discharge.
  10. No debt shall be incurred between any residents or with guests. This includes loans and sales.
  11. Attitude of gratitude is required. Dishonesty, Undermining, and Enabling are grounds for immediate discharge. Bad mouthing of Turning Point, staff, or any other recovery organization will not be tolerated.  Turning Point problems should be discussed in house meetings.  Enabling another resident to break a rule may have the same consequences as breaking the rule.  Love former residents that were non-compliant from distance – no contact until further notice by the director.  Violation of any part of this rule could result in discharge.
  12. Transportation is the resident’s responsibility. Turning Point can assist with a discount on bus passes and day labor sources to help obtain money for bus passes or gas money when riding with other residents that are approved to have a car. All vehicles must be approved in advance by the director.  Consideration for approval with no guarantee of approval for one vehicle per resident can be earned after verification of completion of the third step with a sponsor if not approved upon admission as in some cases.  Possession of a vehicle is prohibited without a valid drivers license and insurance policy.  No vehicle repairs on the property for the purpose of resale, income, or personal gain
  13. Lost or stolen property is not the responsibility of Turning Point at any time regardless of what anyone says or does.
  14. Residents that have completed 12 steps with a sponsor and are current with their rent are trusted to follow all the rules on their own until proven different and will use a sign in/out sheet. However, residents choosing to become staff will always be on the regular schedule and is allowed to date after 16 months of continuous sobriety and approval of Director.
  15. If resident leaves or is discharged, there are no refunds. Any property left behind will be outside for 24 hours and then disposed of. Non-compliant residents will not be allowed to re-enter the house. All residents must immediately file a change of address with creditors and anyone who may be sending future mail. All mail is returned to sender after a resident leaves. NO EXCEPTIONS to this rule.
  16. Up on completion of the 12 steps prior to receiving your Turning Point watch you must have completed at least 3 service commitments to be verified by their sponsor. Effective 1/1/20