OXFORD HOUSE OFFERS REFUGE AND SECURITY IN STORMY SEA OF LIFE

Like the piercing beam of light from a lighthouse reaching out across a stormy sea to mariners in distress, Oxford House offers refuge and security to recovering alcoholics and drug abusers.

Robert Lawless knows about Oxford House because he once experienced the devastating impact of alcohol and drug abuse. He knows what it's like for a recovering alcoholic and drug abuser to face the temptations of the world after completing rehabilitation and half-way house programs.

It was because of alcohol and drugs that Lawless lost his marriage and a small construction business he had formed. And it was an Oxford House that enabled him to once again become a productive member of society.

Today, Lawless is a drug-free group home specialist with the Missouri Department of Mental Health's Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse. He is also an outreach worker for Oxford House, Inc., one of many specialists that provide technical assistance to the 25 Oxford Houses now operating in Missouri, plus two more that will open soon in Fulton and Kansas City.

Lawless was in Cape Girardeau recently to visit with the 12 residents who live at Cape Girardeau's Oxford House for Men, located at 536 Broadway. The house was opened in May 1990 and can serve up to 15 residents.

"Unfortunately, there are still a lot of people and organizations in the community who are not aware of Oxford House, or its purpose," Lawless said. "And there are also lot of misconceptions about Oxford House. Many people mistakenly believe it's a place where alcohol and drug users live. That's absolutely untrue. Oxford House is a residence for those people who are recovering from drug and alcohol abuse.

"No drugs or alcohol are tolerated in an Oxford House, and those who use them again are asked to leave at once. Oxford House offers a stable environment and a chance for recovering drug and alcohol abusers to live in a clean, safe, sober and supportive household with other people who understand the challenges of recovery. They pay their own way, and determine their own future."

Oxford House is a network of self-run and self-supported recovery houses. They are not affiliated with any recovery program or government agency. Each house is run democratically by the members of each home. A typical Oxford House will have 12-15 residents. The residents vote to determine who lives with them and they set the local house rules and policies. Each house is self-supporting with members sharing the cost of rent, utilities and other expenses.

"Most important, there is no time limit on how long a person can live at an Oxford House," said Lawless. "Some residents find they prefer the supportive atmosphere, the sense of self-sufficiency and the freedom of self-government of an Oxford House to living alone. For most, however, Oxford House provides a transitional living arrangement following drug and alcohol rehabilitation treatment.

"I guess you could compare an Oxford House to a clean, dry, sober fraternity house where there is a lot of camaraderie and support for one another. I was in the military and I can see a lot of the military life-style in Oxford House. I've lived in an Oxford House, so I can relate to all of these things."

Lawless said the age of Oxford House residents ranges from teens to retirement, as do their socio-economic status in the community.

"We have teenagers in school, people who work, people who have lived on the streets, and retired college professors. They all live in an Oxford House. Some are single, some have families and children. But all of them have decided on their own to live at Oxford House so they can become accustomed to living sober and drug free.

"Eventually, they return to their families once they feel secure enough to leave Oxford House. They make their own decision as to when they feel it's time to leave."

Residents of an Oxford House learn to take on personal responsibilities such as household cleaning chores, handling personal finances and paying bills on time. They pay a weekly rent which is used to pay the monthly rent on the house.

The concept of Oxford House was developed in the 1970s by J. Paul Molloy, a Washington attorney and government worker. Molloy, himself a recovering alcoholic, knew that putting the alcoholic or drug addict back in the same environment from which they came was a sure bet that most would relapse.

Having completed rehabilitation and half-way house programs, Molloy found there was no "safe" place for a recovering drug or alcohol addict to live on his own after the government-run programs were over.

To fill the missing gap, Molloy, and five other recovering drug and alcohol abusers rented a home in order to live together and support one another as they tried to reclaim their lives and return to society. They named that first home, Oxford House.

Today, Molloy is the chief executive officer of the Washington-based, non-profit, Oxford House, Inc. The corporation charters Oxford Houses throughout the United States.

Lawless said it's no accident that Oxford Houses are located in nice, quiet residential neighborhoods of a community. "It doesn't do much good to put an Oxford House in an area where recovering drug addicts and alcoholics have to walk by crack houses or bars," he explained. "We try to find a nice, large home in a nice part of town.

"Good neighbors, in a good neighborhood, is they way we like to think of Oxford House and its residents," he added.

The average stay at an Oxford House is 13-15 months, compared to the six-month time limit at government half-way houses. "They did some national studies and found that of the people who stayed 13-15 months at an Oxford House, 75 percent of them were sober 3-5 years later," he noted.

Any recovering drug addict or alcoholic is welcome at an Oxford House. "If they have completed their rehabilitation, or have been dry for at least 30 days, they are welcome to stop by Oxford House for an interview with the residents. After the interview, the members vote on whether to admit a new resident," he said.

Moving into an Oxford House costs $165, Lawless said. That covers a $110 deposit which is refunded when a resident leaves in good standing. The weekly rent is $55.

More information about the Cape Girardeau Oxford House can be obtained by stopping by the house, or call 339-1163. "I urge anyone who feels Oxford House may be able to help him to contact us right away," he said.