Basic Schedule For New Residents

Residents prepare a personal schedule that shows appointments, meetings, volunteering, etc. Gaps in the personal schedule are then filled in with “house program” components. Once a week the schedule needs to be written and talked through with the co-ordinator. There are notes and principles about that written below. As time moves forward and residents get a sense of direction in their activities there will be adjust-ments made to reflect that. It is the resident’s responsibility to get the schedule written and approved. Blank copies of the schedule can be found on the white shelves beside the photocopy machine.

NOTES TO RESIDENTS

1. Basic scheduling principles: Monday to Friday are work times and so time will be well blocked during those days. Mornings are for volunteering and meetings. Most afternoons will have free time. Schedule appointments in the afternoon. Evenings are dinner at the house and meetings either at the house or another meeting that you are currently involved with. Just a reminder, the TV is off-limits until the end of the afternoon. Your writ-ten schedule needs to be completed and approved by Elsie by Monday morning. The best case would be to have it approved on Saturday so your head is clear about what’s happening in the upcoming week.
2. Bedrooms are to be in order by 9 am with beds made and surfaces organized. Rooms can look “lived in” but organized and neat. That includes va-cuuming and emptying the waste baskets etc. Dirty clothes need to be in some kind of bag/hamper. Other clothes need to be hung up or in a dresser drawer.
3. Assignments: Written homework is to be done at a table/desk during the assigned time. It is expected that morning meditation and journaling will be done before we meet and before daytime activities begin. (A basic sheet on what you’re reading and things you’re learning is to be completed and handed in once a week. It is to be available throughout the week just to see how you’re keeping at things.)
4. Meetings: The Vancouver Recovery Club is within easy walking distance from the house. If other meetings are not planned, residents will choose between a noon or evening meeting there on a daily basis as they build their recovery schedule. Church on Sunday counts as a meeting. The Wednes-day evening in-house meeting is mandatory. The Thursday Christian 12-step with Partners in Hope includes a ride to and from the meeting.
5. House chores and cooking schedule will be worked into the free afternoon on the day of the week that it is assigned. All house chores are to be completed as a MINIMUM before and after Sunday. Check to see bathroom cleaning schedule. That needs to be done several times a week.
6. Progression Towards Personal Scheduling/Planning: If you don’t’ have other responsibilities these are some of the activities you will be expected to participate in: Meetings & volunteer involvement: Groups sessions with Elsie Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and in-house Tuesday afternoon and Wed pm meeting, church, Christian 12- step meetings, NA/AA at Recovery Club etc., Community 12-step programs, Monday & Wednesday drop-in at Family Services & related meetings, Thursday women’s group and co-op box preparation; Friday: food co-op. Initially, make appointments etc. for af-ternoon. Usually during the first 30 days plans and intake appointments with various community groups prepare the road for your next phase in com-munity integration. After 30-days in the house, individualized plans for working and schooling kick in more and more. We will continue to balance meetings and personal growth work with whatever the individual course of action is. By 60 days there will likely be more formalized structure for each individual and by 90 days a solid plan of schooling/employment or short-term stable volunteering should be actively in place.