A sober house for women will be opened in Ashland, as soon as the middle of March.

Kristen Vake reports that it’s the first one there for women.

They receive all of their help from volunteers along with donations. The president of the non-profit group Partners in Recovery, Mark Ehlers, says although the construction is taking longer than expected, the outcome will be worth it.

There is room for five women in the new home. In order to get into the house, women must fill out an application, go through and interview and a background check. Ehlers says they are picky about who gets.

“We’re a little selective. We don’t want any violent offenders in our sober house that would create a potential public safety concern for the community.”

The women who are selected to live in the house are responsible for paying rent and taking care of the house. In order to stay in the house they must attend group meetings and have a job or be going to school.

Ehlers says they want women who are committed and ready to work toward sobriety.

“Basically if a person can get over their addiction and can get back into society they can become a better parent, a better employee, they’ll become a better sister or daughter. They will just become better people. They will be contributing to society rather than taking away from society.”

As long as rules are followed and the women are making progress, they are allowed to stay in the home as long as they want. The average amount of time for their men’s sober house is 6 months to 2 years.

Ehlers says if a person is committed to their sobriety but finds themselves back in their old environment it makes success rate much smaller and that is where he believes the women’s sober house will be effective.

“It’s very hard for them to leave the jail setting, lets say, or treatment center setting and go back to their same community and maintain their sobriety. So this is a place where it’s a safe place. There is no alcohol or drugs allowed in the house, there is no smoking in the house. The other people in the house are trying to do the same thing.”

Ehlers hopes this home will give women the opportunity to find themselves again.

“That’s our ultimate goal, is to give these people a chance to achieve the person that they are. We just want them to become the people that they think they are.”

Ehlers is an alcoholic himself and has been in recovery for 30 years. He believes that in order to keep it, you have to give it away.

“I know the person that I was and I know the person I’ve become and I recognize that I’m really no different than anyone else and if I can do that I really firmly believe anyone can do it. So I think this is just something I feel strongly about trying to help other people because other people certainly helped me. So this is just a part of paying it back.”

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