Recovery House Task Force Announced by State Agency

A task force formed to oversee Recovery Houses throughout the commonwealth was announced by state and local officials recently.

The Recovery House Task Force (RHTF) was formed in response to calls by local and state officials, plus the residents that live near recovery houses. The task force will now oversee and provide recommendations that will work to ensure appropriate safety standards in the commonwealth for homes that offer refuge and structure for those seeking recovery. As well as discovering which ones are really offering  recovery as opposed to those referred to as “flop houses.”

The announcement came at a press conference in Middletown Township at the municipal building. The press event was attended by officials from The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs,  The Pennsylvania Recovery Organizations Alliance, Inc (Pro-A) and Langhorne-based State Rep Frank Farry (R -Bucks)

Farry, who sponsored a bill calling for the creation of an oversight body for recovery houses, now no longer needs his measure signed into law with the administrative creation by DDAP of the task force, officials said at the press conference. However, if needed, the bill passed by the lower chamber could still be taken up by the state senate and signed into law,officals said at announcement for the creation of the task force.

 

“When individuals transition from treatment services to a recovery house for continued support, they should also have peace of mind that they are provided with safe housing and quality of care needed to sustain them on their path to recovery, ” said DDAP Secretary Gary Tennis.

Tennis said the task force would be meeting every 6 to 9 weeks as they tackle some of the issues the task force is facing.

A certification process is now in place for recovery houses which will be a part of usual site visits and at no additional cost for taxpayers, Tennis said, explaining the fundamentals of the tasked group.

Farry told LevittownNow last fall the issue was brought to him by constituents of his legislative district. Following the announcement, he said he was pleased with the creation of the task force and looks forward to working closely with them.

Farry and officials attending wanted to make clear they fully support the efforts of those seeking recovery yet want to ensure homes providing services, such as boarding, are safe and structured, which Tennis and other officials maintain are keys for recovering people.

The issue of recovery homes and the individuals they serve has been a growing and sometimes sore issue for the communities they are in. The challenge has been and is, both men agreed, separating those that are actually homes supporting recovery to those that are simply boarding homes, otherwise known as “flop houses” by local officials.

The chair of the task force is Pro-A Executive Director William Stauffer. He said he is looking forward to getting on with the work of the task force, comprised of 15 other members including Gary Kaisinger.  Kaisinger of Emilie House Sober Living owns 4 other recovery houses in the Levittown area with his wife “Micki.” He told LevittownNow. com during an interview in August they support  task force idea and Farry’s measure.

“It’s something we need to have done in order for those seeking real recovery to have in order for those individuals to be in safe environments,” he said at the time.

The men and woman who reside, including alumni, at the Kaisinger homes also contribute to the communities they are in, Farry said, by helping neighbors with landscaping, and shoveling of snow for example.

The Kaisenger homes voluntarily comply with the structure set up by a self -governing body called  the Bucks County Recovery House Association, which is comprised of owners of sober living environments which offer structure, support and rules.

Bristol Township-based State Representative Tina Davis, who also attended the press conference, said its been an issue she’s been looking at and hearing about for time now and she is grateful there will now be oversight of the providers.

“This is something to help, not hurt the homes”  she said. She added that she hoped an exact number for the total of self identified recovery  homes will be achieved at some point.

“We have so many in my district, it’s hard to keep up,” she said. She also said that telling which ones are a cause for concern verse those that are actually contributing to the community and well being of those they serve at times has been a challenge.

The Bucks County Recovery House Association is also in support of oversight, officials said in August. They also pointed to the flop houses as the real issue that the public confuses with real homes that are recovery houses.

During the 45 minute press conference, questions about the use of public funds for those that don’t participate in the certification process were also addressed by Tennis.

“We always try to recommend and or refer people seeking help to providers we have established agreements with,”  he said, adding that once the certification process starts DDAP expects to be adding to that list.

Officials suggested potential clients ask an essential set of questions (see below) while assessing potential recovery house providers.

Tennis welcomed owners/operators of the recovery homes who want more information about the process or who want to go through the certification process to contact DDAP.

The group as a whole recognized that with pill and heroin addiction running rampant, the need for recovery houses is important. They also said offering a safe, clean, structured environment where recovery can thrive is just as important.

Pennsylvania is not the only state moving forward with regulating the recovery houses. A published report on Monday by North Jersey.com, which has a connection to Levittown also, says there is a bill moving through the state to regulate recovery houses too.

The story says there is a significant difference between the two states. In New Jersey, recovery homes are required to have a boarding home license that costs $500, , according to the report.

Pennsylvania doesn’t have such a charge in place and at the press conference Tennis said it wouldn’t cost owners of the recovery houses to be certified.

As one one LevittowNow reader said, “there are some really great houses that have helped and then there are the addict mills  profiting off of sickness and nothing more.”

The RHTF seeks to ensure more than just profit is made, officials said.

Suggested Questions from the RHTF to be asked by potential clients/famlies in searching for a Recovery House in Pennsylvania 

• Is the house clean and in good repair?
• Are there smoke detectors and fire extinguishers?
• Are there any local ordinance violations on record with the local planning/municipal office?
• Are there safeguards and rules that ensure the safety and protection of residents?
• What is the level of supervision at the house?
• Is there a zero tolerance policy for the use of alcohol or abused drugs?​

 Members of the Certification of Drug and Alcohol Recovery Houses Task Force include

• William Stauffer, Pennsylvania Recovery Organizations Alliance, Inc. (Pro-A)
• Melanie Brown, Pa. House Health and Human Services Committee
• Michele Denk, Pennsylvania Association of County Drug and Alcohol Administrators (PACDAA)
• LeeAnn Edelman, Capital Area Behavioral Health Collaborative, Inc.
• Denise Holden, RASE Project
• Philip Falvo, Pa. Legislative Policy and Research Office
• Gary Kaisinger, Emilie House Sober Living
• Marvin F. Levine, Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health/ID Services
• Kenneth J. Martz, Pa. Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs
• Tyrone Smith, Gaudenzia Recovery House
• Kathy Jo Stence, Pa. Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs
• George Vogel, Council on Chemical Abuse
• Fred Way, Pa. Assoc. of Recovery Residences (PARR)
• Fern Bolles-Wilcox, The Gate House for Men
• Ron Young, Pa. Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs
• Jay Youtz, Recovery at Our House, Inc.

Later this week LevittownNow.com, will begin to publish its series focusing on Recovery Houses.