Priorit​y House
Priorit​y House
Where Responsibility For Personal Recovery Comes First
PRIORITY HOUSE REQUIREMENTS
Requirements are subject to change. Ask for current requirements prior to or upon admission.
1. Possession or use of alcohol, drugs or weapons is prohibited anywhere on Priority House property. This includes any product that contains alcohol and includes over-the-counter medications. All prescribed and over- the-counter medications must be approved by the director. Violation could result in discharge.
2. Drug Testing is mandatory upon request from staff. Each drug screen is $20. These costs are the residents' responsibility. If the results are positive or the resident refuses the test, the resident can be immediately discharged or offered appropriate consequences to be determined by the director. If lab services are needed to confirm results those costs are the residents responsibility.
3. Threatening, violent, and/or aggressive behavior is grounds for discharge.
4. No changes, improvements, decorating, or repairs are to be made to any part of the property without the director’s approval. This includes replacing or bringing appliances, moving and/or adding furniture, moving and/or adding pictures, photos, and posters on the walls. Priority House is not a storage facility.
5. No smoking except in designated areas. No incense, candles, or anything flammable allowed anywhere in the house at any time.
6. All doctor appointments must be approved in advance by the director. Residents are required to advise the doctor upfront of their alcohol and/or drug addiction. Failure to properly inform doctors could result in discharge. Narcotics are not permitted at Priority House even if they are prescribed.
7. A Sponsorship report is due within 7 days of admission. Sponsors (including temporary sponsors) must be male and approved by the director. To be approved, a sponsor must have a sponsor of his own and must have worked all 12 steps with his sponsor following the directions in AA or NA approved literature. Sponsors cannot be an employee from the resident’s treatment center, case management provider, or a family member. Working the steps in another treatment program does not exempt residents from working the steps with a sponsor while residing at Priority House.
8. Participation in AA/NA meetings is mandatory. A meeting slip may be required to prove attendance. If so, the meeting slip must be signed by the meeting chairperson and include his/her telephone number, meeting location and time. Residents are required to attend a minimum of one meeting per day (7 meetings per week). The director may require additional meeting requirements on a case by case basis. If required, meeting slips must be turned into the House Manager each Friday by curfew. House meetings, after-care, and group therapy count toward the 7-meeting requirement. Resident’s attending IOP are required to attend 5 AA/NA meetings per week outside of IOP requirements. If enrolled in IOP, failure to comply with treatment will result in discharge from Priority House at director’s discretion.
9. It is mandatory to attend the Men's Recovery Meeting (non-residents welcome) each Wednesday at 5:00 p.m at Priority House followed by a house meeting (residents only).
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 as long (as residents complies with all Priority House requirements). After 30 days, curfew is 11:00 P.M. on weeknights and 12:00 P.M. on weekends (as long as residents complies with all Priority House requirements). Curfew requires residents to be inside the house and not sitting outside or in the driveway.
At times, in some cases, residents may obtain prior approval from the director to work after curfew. In this case, the resident must report immediately to Priority House after work.
A one night pass per any seven day period can be earned (after the first thirty days) at the director's discretion. Passes will be approved following a weekly performance review on the same day the pass is to be issued. Residents cannot leave on a pass without final approval from the director via manager. Failure to comply is grounds for discharge.
11. Employment is required ASAP. Your job is to find a job.
12. Unemployment may result in discharge. Residents may not start or change jobs without the director’s approval in advance. Residents cannot work for a relative or another Priority House resident without prior approval from the director. If a resident becomes too sick to work, the resident must stay on Priority House property unless the director grants permission. Residents are required to report to a physician on the second consecutive day that a resident misses work. If a resident is placed on medical leave by a physician, the resident is required to provide a copy of the physician's official diagnosis with a date stating when the resident should return to work.
13. Privileges with the opposite sex are earned based on progress. Until receiving consent from the director, no visitation with the opposite sex is permitted. This includes riding in cars or being alone with any member of the opposite sex outside of an immediate family member. Violation of this requirement may result in discharge.
14. Possession of mobile phones, tablets, computers, or other electronics must be approved in advance by the director and are considered a privilege . Any electronic device that has been approved can be confiscated by Priority House staff at any time for inspection of the device's content. In such cases, devices will be confiscated for a twenty-four hour period per point when resident violates rules that results in a write-up.
15. Guests must be approved in advance by a staff member for each visit, and a staff member must be present during all 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 visit the house within one week of admission for orientation and to determine the frequency of future contact. Approved guests are allowed in common areas of the house only. No guests are allowed in bedrooms. No type of sexual conduct is permitted on the property. You may sit side by side. No lying down, sitting in laps, or any other type of physical contact is allowed during visitation. Sitting in parked cars is not permitted.
16. Daily chores be completed and checked by the house manager each day. Residents are responsible for keeping his own area orderly. Beds must be made each morning. Personal items may not be stored or placed on the bed. Shoes are the only thing that may remain on the floor. All other items are to be stored in assigned areas. Food and/or drinks are not permitted in bedrooms. Each person is responsible for washing their own dishes at the time of use. Deep house cleaning is done on Tuesday and Friday, all residents are responsible for completing his assigned chores.
17. Pornographic materials are grounds for immediate discharge.
18. Profanity in the presence of the opposite sex, children, and/or guests is prohibited.
19. A Support Team System requires doing together what we could not do alone. Residents work together supporting each other. Bullying will not be permitted.
20. Church is encouraged but is not a replacement for 12 step program participation. Using church or religion to manipulate Priority House policies is prohibited.
21. Additional and separate rules may be assigned based on an individual’s history and/or performance and are assigned at the director's discretion.
22. Residents are required to pay $165 rent due weekly on Saturday by noon (unless other arrangements have been made with director). If you are unable to remit payment as scheduled, you must make arrangements with the director to remit overdue payments immediately. Amenities include a furnished room, utilities, phone, wi-fi, TV & use of the washer/dryer. Priority House is not responsible to provide food, linens, or household items; However, we do have extra linens and household items for those in need and will provide meals on special occasions. Noncompliance of any part of this rule may result in discharge.
23. No debt shall be incurred between any residents. This includes debts from loans or sales.
24. An attitude of gratitude is required. Dishonesty, undermining staff or other residents, and enabling are grounds for immediate discharge. Bad mouthing of Priority House, staff, or any other recovery organization will not be tolerated. Priority House problems should be discussed in house meetings. Enabling another resident to violate a requirement may have the same consequences as breaking the requirement personally. Violation of any part of this requirement could result in discharge.
25. Transportation is each resident’s personal responsibility. Priority House is 70 yards from the CATS bus stop which is Cookeville’s public bus system through UCHRA. Fees and stop times available upon request. All vehicles must be approved in advance by the director. One vehicle per resident may be approved in some cases. Approval for personal vehicles is left to the discretion of the director. Possession of a vehicle is prohibited without a valid driver’s license and current insurance policy required to meet TN's minimum requirements. No vehicle repairs on personal vehicles, or for the purpose of resale, income, or personal gain are permitted on the property unless approved by the director.
26. Lost or stolen property is not the responsibility of Priority House at any time.
27. If a resident leaves or is discharged, no refunds are granted for any reason. Resident’s property left longer than 24 hours will be promptly disposed of at the director's discretion.
28. Prescription medication must be approved by Priority House director, and if approved, will be kept out of sight. Each resident must secure a lock box for his own medication and will be the resident's responsibility. Residents are required to provide the director with a spare key. At no time are drugs of abuse permitted. Absolutely no narcotics, benzodiazepines, or maintenance drugs such as suboxone, methadone, etc. are permitted. Lock boxes may searched at any time and prescriptions are subject to pill counts at the director's discretion.
29. If being released from incarceration, the resident must immediately report to the Priority House. Travel time will be considered.
30. Residents of Priority House are not allowed in bars or nightclubs. Manipulation of this requirement is not permitted. For example, attempts to undermine this requirement such as, “You let us go to restaurants that serve alcohol.", or, “We can't hide from alcohol and drugs."
You know the difference and so do we so please do not insult us with this type of justification.
31. If Priority House residents try to leave priority house with any past due balance for rent, drug screens, etc. it is understood that any property of said residents will be held until that resident pays their balance.