Our Program

House of Hope provides a nonprofit, 12-month, Christian-based, residential program for men dealing with addiction. It is a voluntary program for those who truly desire to be healed.

House of Hope welcomes men over 18 who are committed to changing their lives for themselves and their families.

Over 200 men have entered the program since 2014 and many have returned to their families as productive and faithful members of this community.

House of Hope utilizes a three-phase program:

Induction
Long Term Training
Re-entry

Phase One - Induction. This is accomplished with close personal support, but without the aid of substitute medication. Students stay in the First Phase program for three or four months, or until ready to undertake the next phase. A medical examination is conducted before entering House of Hope. The emphasis of the program is development of self-respect, confidence, and a capacity to enjoy life through classes and counseling. A total living environment of personal and group interaction, under structured activity, forms the basis for this approach. This is supportive and yet confronts the individual with reality and life without substance abuse. New faith in self is created in the individual through awakening of the drug-numbed spirit for life buried within him. The spark for a new way of life, encouraged through a belief in God, is kindled until they are ready for the long-term treatment program which awaits them.

Phase Two - Long-Term Training. This phase is for men who are truly serious about changing their lives. During this period of time the men continue to undergo academic and spiritual training. This phase continually changes as different ways to expand our curriculum are examined to meet the needs of the students of House of Hope.

Phase Three - Re-Entry. The students receive support as they prepare to return to society although some choose to remain at House of Hope as counselor-trainees. Each phase gives the student the opportunity to cultivate the life practice of personal prayer and daily devotions. In addition, the men attend Chapel services, Christian growth classes, church attendance, and Christian mentoring to facilitate their spiritual journey and discover God’s purpose for their life.

What Makes Us Different

The total environment is developed as a living experience.

Upon severance with drugs, the drug dependent person:

Begins to experience the emotions suppressed through the use of drugs. Human needs were replaced with his drug habit. (Love) This distorts his perception of himself and his own human desires beyond drugs.
Feels within him an indefinable thirst for self-survival. That is why he seeks help and a break from the deadening clutch that drugs has on his life.
Sees the program as a way out of the gnawing uselessness of his present life.
Does not understand his own needs because he does not know, or cannot face them.

Process Begins to Make Necessary Changes from the Former Lifestyle

Emotional pain that had previously made drugs so satisfying is channeled to provide the motivating force to push for a new life.
The student is shown true warmth, support, and respect from the individual staff, but reality is confronted, not blocked out.
The student becomes aware of his health, emotions, and past problems.
The student is encouraged to discover himself and to touch the rest of the world using his self-acceptance as a cornerstone of stability.
Self-acceptance is the first, most necessary step, but is only a starting point for a life that will include others and an awareness of the world around him.

Responsibilities and daily chores are assigned when the student is physically able.
The physical effort yields a concrete result which the individual student can recognize and appreciate.

Being a member of a group makes a difference

Camaraderie and peer identification has proven very influential in developing self-respect.
Room assignments of two to four students per room create a small group which has its own room responsibilities. This group creates its own cleaning schedule and works out the responsibilities that go with maintaining each bedroom.
The major unit is the entire community. Everyone lives by the same rules and there is a feeling of "making it together." The community holds weekly group sessions at which the students can relate grievance and express personal concerns. Meetings are used to help individuals to confront their own emotions and express concern for others.

Recreation serves such therapeutic benefits as team cooperation, self-awareness and coping with self and others.

Some of the specific recreation available is on the grounds such as weight lifting and other outdoor group sports. There are times when the men are blessed with Christian concert tickets, tickets to major or minor league baseball games or basketball games.

The program was incorporated and is a charter act under the State of Florida in 2014. It also holds a Federal Exemption Status under 501(c) (3) as a non-profit charitable organization. Our mailing address is: House of Hope, Florida, P.O. Box 540, Wildwood, Florida 34785.