Tryworks sober house set to open this week
BY MARY LANCASTER
Just as it requires time, patience and commitment for people with addictions to attain and maintain sobriety, it has taken time, patience and dedication for the island's sober house to become a reality.

Jeffrey Bright, left, house manager of Tryworks, and Peter Swenson, executive director of Nantucket Behavioral Health." The whole thing is about empowerment," says Bright.

The first resident of Tryworks was expected to move in yesterday, something Nantucket Behavioral Health executive director Peter Swenson and NBH therapist and house manager Jeffrey Bright were very excited about during a discussion late last week.

"We're shooting for a 100 percent success rate," said Swenson, whose career has been devoted to similar recovery programs. He hopes the sober house will be an accomplishment that makes the island community proud and that there will be an opportunity to expand from this first one with all male residents to one for women.

The name Tryworks was chosen as a philosophical reference to the historical, tedious process of rendering whale blubber into oil, changing a difficult situation into one that is beneficial.

The spacious, welcoming house, owned by NBH but on Surfside land leased from the town, has three bedrooms with each wired for cable and phone, two living rooms downstairs furnished with lots of plump, comfortable chairs and sofas, a second floor library and a big kitchen area. Its basement will be finished by the end of the year as an apartment for Bright. There is even a very talkative, gray and white housecat named Purkins to bring more joy to the environment.

The modular home was paid for through funding from the Community Preservation Committee, Tupancy-Harris Foundation, the town, private donations and a $176,000 investment from NBH. Though groundbreaking occurred in September 2004 and the house's parts were joined the following month, ensuing issues including differences of opinion and money problems between Tryworks, Inc., the group originally proposing the concept, and NBH officials, stalled its opening until now. All that is in the past, said Swenson, explaining that NBH eventually took over the project and brought it to fruition.

There are many sober houses in the country, including some on Martha's Vineyard. The idea behind them is to provide a safe, supportive place for recovering addicts to live for up to 18 months while they prepare for strong, self-sufficiency either to go out on their own or return to families. Studies of these types of programs have shown that the longer someone is able to be in such a nurturing environment the better their chances are of retaining sober health.

"It's not just the alcohol or drugs that have gotten out of whack, it's their whole lifestyle," said Swenson. "We take a holistic approach. Many treatment programs only look at the physical but we are trying to provide an opportunity for the whole person to recover."

Swenson also emphasized how the island's costly housing situation can hamper the progress of someone in recovery, which is why Tryworks will not demand high rents and associated deposits. When people are "chasing the dollar," as he put it, they are often so consumed with that need that they forego attending to their health and become more stressed, which can trigger relapses.

"[The sober house] is like a place where you can stop and take a breath," said Swenson. "People need time to regather themselves - to relearn to live."

Though Bright does not intend to command a "lights out at 9 p.m." attitude, sober houses must be structured and rules laid out. Bright will work with residents to decide what some of those rules will be once the house has more occupants, but initially the men will refrain from any substance use, not have overnight guests, clean up after themselves in the kitchen and share general cleaning chores. He will also monitor whether residents are attending their required meetings and counseling and hold one or more weekly sessions at the house to discuss issues at hand.

"The whole thing is about empowerment," said Bright, who describes the typical sober house resident as someone who already has one foot out the door on their way to stable, independent living.

Considered a three-quarter house rather than a half-way house, a sober home, which is not a treatment program, is suitable for people who have been substance-free for a minimum of six months and who possess a commitment to achieving full recovery. The Nantucket house will be for people with long-term ties to the island who want to stay here, many of whom have had to leave for periods to undergo mainland treatment because no local options were available.

"It's kind of like a bicycle with loosely attached training wheels," said Swenson.

Though Bright will be on call and accessible to counsel house residents seven days a week, the sober house tenants must work to pay an affordable rent, continue on-going appropriate counseling and seek self-help at least three times a week, such as attending Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous or assistance with a church affiliation.

They will also be asked to establish a checking account and a savings account to build a nest egg to sustain them when they are ready to live independently. Applications and an interview may be scheduled either with Swenson or Bright through the NBH office, 228-2689.

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