Safety
Keep exterior doors closed and locked at all times. Turn off all appliances when not in use. Know where to locate the fire extinguisher and Narcan in the event of an emergency. Please request Narcan training if you have never been given instructions on how to use it.
Mental Health Safety
A big part of recovery is taking care of your mental health. If at any point you are concerned about your mental health and would like to speak with a professional, please call the office for a confidential conversation and referrals.
We ask that you take all approved medications as prescribed and that consult a doctor before stopping or changing medications. All medications should be stored in a personal lock box provided by the resident.
If you are seeing a professional and you have created a safety plan, please provide a copy to the program manager to be sent to the office. Knowing your safety plan allows us to help you when its needed.
If a resident expresses the thought of self-harm, threatens to harm themselves/others, or has harmed themselves. Real Deal maintains the right to take the necessary steps to ensure your safety. Steps may include a welfare check by the police or an emergency mental health assessment at an ER or psych hospital. Our top priority is to ensure you physical safety when a situation become critical.
Clinical Treatment
If you are attending clinical treatment with an outpatient provider, we expect you make all scheduled group and individual appointments.
When you are absent we recommend you communicate early with your treatment team. Schedule important things - doctor's visits, interviews, etc. - outside of the scheduled group times.
If you are sick, please make a doctor's appointment and obtain a doctor's note.
Recovery Program and Sponsorship Requirements
We require all residents to be working a program of recovery. Real Deal is open to many pathways of recovery. Most residents tend to work the 12-steps, but we are not limiting you to this. If your program of recovery falls outside the traditional 12-step approach, you must submit an outline of your recovery program for approval by staff.
We require that these components are available in any program of recovery to be eligible: sponsorship/mentorship, regular in-person meetings, and service work opportunities.
Establish sponsorship within your first 10 days, regularly contact that sponsor, and progressively work your program week after week. Sponsor checks are done once a month by staff. Tailored accountability measures may be applied for residents showing no progress in their recovery program.
Recovery Meeting Requirements
Residents must attend a minimum of 3+ in-person recovery meetings per week.
Meeting sheets must be signed by a chair person at the meeting to show proof you attended and a picture of your meeting sheet is to be posted in Group Me 1x per week before your house meetings. Missed meetings will result in points. Lost meeting sheets or failure to post your meeting sheet will result in 3 points.
Proper meeting etiquette is to arrive at the meeting early, sit for the full meeting, and stay late.
Productivity Guidelines
Part of your goal while in sober living should be to establish new routines and new responsibilities. Residents can participate in clinical treatment, volunteer work, or employment during their stay.
If your goal is to become employable, begin with submitting 5 applications per day and increase your efforts from there, depending on the responses you are getting from your employment search. Real Deal may apply tailored accountability measures to help you achieve your goals. Failure to make any progress towards being a productive member of society may result in points, early curfews, or a move-out. Please ask for help if you need it.
Chores and Cleanliness
We have high expectations of cleanliness at Real Deal. Residents are assigned daily and weekly chores, these must be completed by the schedule your house managers set.
All resident’s personal bed, closet, and bathroom spaces must be organized and clean by 9 am every day. Common areas and personal bedrooms should remain “tour ready” throughout the day and when you leave the house. Please ask for instructions if you are unsure of the tasks involved with your assigned spaces.
Morning Meditation or Nightly Review
House Managers and the community may choose between morning meditation or a nightly review that happens Monday - Friday. We expect all residents to attend and participate. Please ask your house manager for specifics about the current program schedule for your home.
We do accommodate for work schedules or other obligations. To have your situation considered please speak with the Program Manager; approval for missing this community meeting is required.
1 point is applied for each missed occurrence. For any residents who have a pattern of missing morning meditation or the nightly review, they will be put on an 8 pm curfew until they show up successfully for 2 full weeks.
Weekly House Meeting
Each week your community will come together to share their accomplishments and disappointments, ask for help, and receive feedback from their peers. These meetings are also a great way to communicate rules, changes to the program, or upcoming events. Use this time to get to know your house mates and receive support.
We encourage creative ways to hold the house meetings, whether that is over a meal or asking a house member to share their story. The goal is to bring value to your house both in ways that build people up and offer honest conversation.
The house meeting is required.
Missing the house meeting will result in 3 points and 7-day 8pm curfew.
Curfews and Night Out Requests
Curfews are used at Real Deal to help residents set a consistent schedule. Our curfews are Sunday - Thursday 10pm, Friday and Saturday are 11pm. Residents are not allowed to leae
Extended curfews, night out, and extended nights out requests are made through our website 72+ hours in advance. A staff member will contact the person listed on your request to ensure that your environment and plans are conducive to recovery. Real Deal staff will notify you about your approval or denial. All requests are denied if a resident has 3+ points, is on early curfew, is failing to participate in the recovery program requirements, is on a behavior contract, or has had a recent relapse.
If you are late for curfew:
1st occurrence = 1 point
2nd occurrence = 3 points; automatic 7-day probationary period of 8pm curfew and no nights out until your points are worked off
3rd occurrence = Move-out
Relationships, Sexual Contact, and Sexual Material
Sexual or romantic relationships between Real Deal residents is strongly discouraged. Should something of this nature arise please bring it to Real Deal staff's attention and be open-minded to any directions given by our staff.
Regardless the nature of the relationship, there is no sexual contact on our properties. Our properties are to be a safe environment free from sexual exposure or influence. This includes the use of personal toys, pornography, and sexual advances.
Unwanted and non-consensual activity may result in a move-out.
Pet Policy
We allow dogs in our homes with staff approval and a $500 pet fee. All dog’s shot records must be up to date and documentation must be submitted to Real Deal before their pet entering our homes.
We expect the owner of the dog to kennel their dog when not home, leash their dog when outside the property, and pick up poop daily.
At no time are other residents asked or responsible to feed, walk, or take out your pet for potty breaks. Animals are not allowed on the furniture at any time. If the owner fails to show responsibility in caring for their pet properly, we will ask the pet be housed with family/friend or a dog boarding facility. Pets may be asked to leave the property if aggressive behavior is shown towards residents or other pets. We can ask for you to remove your pet at any time, for any reason. The owner is responsible for any property damage or physical injuries caused by their dog.
If Real Deal's property is damaged, an invoice will be sent to the owner of the dog and must be paid within 7 days. Failure to repair or replace Real Deal's property may result in a move-out or denied re-entry into our program in the future.
Property Searches
Real Deal house managers and staff conduct regular, random property searches that may include your personal spaces or vehicle.
Searches are also conducted upon suspicion that a resident is impaired, intoxicated, or may have prohibited items that could be harmful to our housing communities. If a resident tests positive for substances, they will have their spaces and vehicle searched to ensure the safety of the individual and community.
Please remain calm and cooperative during searches. Any representative of Real Deal will treat your items with care and return items to their original places. We are permitted to confiscate anything that could be a risk to you or the housing community.
Prohibited items are, but are not limited to: alcohol, drugs, drug paraphernalia, steroids, legal or over the counter (OTC) substances that can be abused, unapproved prescriptions, pornography, weapons, suspicious items that can’t be easily identified as “safe”.
Weapons
There are no weapons allowed on Real Deal properties. Should you have these items please surrender them to Real Deal staff or make arrangements for those items to be held by a friend or family member during your residency with us.
Visitors
Visitors are welcome between 9am and 7pm. Visitors are only allowed in the common areas of the home and never permitted to be in a bedroom or upstairs.
Permission must be obtained from the house manager and other residents of the home before allowing anyone to enter Real Deal properties. Please use the Group Me app for general communication about this.
A resident's guest may be asked to leave or banned from returning to our recovery homes if the resident or guest violates any of the house rules. This extends to concerns related to our neighbors and neighborhoods. Complaints should be brought to your house manager.
Drug and Alcohol-Free Policy
Real Deal has many restrictions on prescriptions and over the counter medications. Our restrictions may not make sense to you, but please understand they come from years of experience running sober living. The general rule is that we don't allow any substances that have the potential of altering your mood or mind when taken inappropriately. We realize that this can make for a long list of restricted items. To help you determine what is allowed, please visit this medication guide. When in doubt – ask Real Deal staff before filling, purchasing, or taking any medications.
Drugs, drug paraphernalia, alcohol, and narcotic prescriptions are prohibited on our properties. Alcohol and drug testing are requested regularly. Respond to requests promptly and remain in common areas until completed. Refusal to provide a test will result in the resident being asked to leave within 2 hours.
Residents with prescribed medication will need to provide a coded lock box and keep their medications store in it at all times. Lock boxes can be purchased form Walmart or Amazon for $30-40. Medication lock boxes are subject to property searches.
Relapses on any substances will result in treatment requirements or a move-out. In the event of intoxication, staff may suggest your turn over your keys over and stay in place until you are safe and sober before allowing you to leave. Limit your interactions with other residents and follow all instructions given to you by house managers or staff.
Dangerous Substances
Alcohol, benzos, opiates (esp. fentanyl), or a combination of these are considered dangerous substances at Real Deal. We test regularly or upon suspicion for these substances because they are deadly.
Residents suspected of having taken these substances will need to surrender their car keys, remain in a common area, and submit a urine analysis (UA).
Following a positive test the resident can expect one of the following: transparent discussion about their consumption, high accountability for a fixed window of time, treatment requirements, or being asked to leave the property under the supervision of a family/friend. We will search vehicles and personal spaces within the house to ensure safety.
Residents will not be allowed access to a personal vehicle. Driving a personal vehicle away from a Real Deal property while intoxicated will result in a call to the local police department due to the safety risk to your person and greater community.
Lab Testing for Confirmation
Lab tests are sometimes required to confirm positive UA's, testing for substances not covered by the cup panels, and to confirm psychiatric medication is being taken as reported.
Residents or staff may request a lab test. A resident may request lab tests for historical documentation for court or family accountability. The fee of $75 is to be collected at the time the sample is taken and must be given at the office to a Real Deal staff member. The resident will be required pay for the test by using our website’s “custom payment” option. Results are received within 7 days.
We will need the following information when collecting a lab test: full name, date of birth, insurance information, all current medications or OTC medications you are taking.
In the event of positive test results, please refer to the Drug and Alcohol Policy for more information about the next steps you can expect.
Financial Policy
Program fees are paid by the 1st of every month. Payments made after the 1st of every month are considered late and incur a $25/day late fee. Residents who have failed to communicate any financial issues related to their program fee payment by the 3rd of the month will be asked to move-out. Paid funds are non-refundable.
Missed ride shares will result in the resident incurring a $20 fee for each missed ride and will show on their next program fee invoice.
In the event of property damage, the resident will receive an invoice with the amount to repair or replace the identified item. This invoice must be paid within 7 days of receipt. Failure to repair or replace Real Deal property will result in being banned from our program until the invoice is paid.
We discourage lending money or other items of value to residents. If you are asked or feel like a resident needs support with something financial, encourage them to contact the office or staff member for help.
Please keep valuable items secured or stored in safe places. Real Deal is not responsible for lost or stolen property.
Quality Check-Ins and Exit Interviews
You may be contacted by a staff member or asked to complete a survey during and after your stay with us.
We conduct quality checks, exit interviews, and surveys to ensure our program is offering the best services for the resources we have. These opportunities are voluntary and not required. We appreciate it when residents offer new ideas to improve our community or bring attention to a concern.
Real Deal strives to continuously improve our housing and program.
Additional Information
All rules and regulations are subject to change at the discretion of Real Deal Sober Living.
During your stay at Real Deal Sober Living, you agree to comply with all local, state, and federal laws.
Real Deal Sober Living is not liable for any personal injury, personal property damage, or other losses that may occur during the resident’s stay.
All grievances should be directed to the CEO of the company. Please send an email to [email protected] with a subject line stating “ATTN: CEO.” The CEO will review your concern and respond.
