The ideal Grounds member is a young man who is ready to take charge of his life!  We look for members who still need some structure and accountability but can also handle the freedoms and temptations of semi-independent living in a large and complex city.  We are not in a remote location and everything the world has to offer is practically in our backyard or within a few hours.  Combined with our intentional program design, our environment provides the right combination of challenge, support, independence, privacy, responsibility and accountability.

All incoming members must have some sobriety under their belt either from primary treatment, wilderness program experience, detox, or other intervention.  We understand if you’ve had one relapse or many, we understand if you are still contemplating how to live abstinent and if you aren’t familiar or yet comfortable with the 12 Steps.  While you are with us, we can work through all of those pieces together and help you tackle each one to see what’s right for you.

We do, however, require that you be substance free upon arrival at The Grounds. We also ask that you arrive open to trying new things (even if it’s a little uncomfortable) and open to challenging yourself and your current beliefs and thinking.

Besides substance use and addiction, most of our members have also struggled with co-occurring disorders such as anxiety, depression, learning disabilities, attentional issues or executive functioning issues.  Many of our members have experienced failure, loss, trauma, bullying, isolation or other life events that often fueled the need and desire for the escape substances provide.

We know that these things all walk alongside addiction and substance use which is why our program is about “healthy living”, not just “sober living”.  Please contact Alex Zemeckis, our Founder, who personally screens and oversees all of our admissions.  We know you and your story are unique and we want you to be successful so we’ll decide together if we’re the right place for you.  All prospective members have an interview (typically by phone) with Alex prior to approval for enrollment so that we can answer your questions, get to know you and better understand your expectations and goals.