Recovery from chemical dependency is a process that takes time.

Before any “miracle” can happen, certain steps must be taken to ensure the safety and success of the journey. First and foremost, FoundationHouse believes that those steps are the “12-Steps” of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).

Beyond just the 12-steps of AA, it is imperative for an individual to seek out and accept a support group made up of men and women who have shared the same experience and who through their collective strength guide each other as peers along the path of recovery. Foundation House is a place where men who have been living there for anywhere from three months to one year (senior peers) help the new resident by showing them exactly how they were able to attain a continued stretch of sober time. Common traits in the lives of these men, just to name a few, are structure, responsibility, accountability, honesty, support, trust, and respect.

At Foundation House we focus on two primary issues: “relapse prevention” and “the restoring of our individual dignity”. We incorporate various elements to help in the transition to independent living: LADC therapy; medication management (if necessary); job placement; financial management; daily 12-Step based and staff run process, life-skills, and study groups; sunday evening resident "check-in" house meetings; house outings (beach barbecues, paintball, Red Sox baseball games, etc.); alumni support groups and meetings; guest speakers; clinical referrals; sponsorship referrals; and more.

The Foundation House weekly signature event features our Saturday evening spring-summer-fall softball league, and fall-winter-spring (inside the Dome) flag football league. The culmination of our softball league is our championship game, played at Hadlock Field - the minor league ballpark and home to the Boston Red Sox AA Affiliate, the Portland Sea Dogs. It is an all day event with concessions available throughout the day, and all Foundation House family, friends, and alumni invited to participate.

Recovery takes time. And one day at a time, we ask of each resident only what we are willing to do ourselves. In this case, it is an uncompromising commitment to our recovery.

This is not just our philosophy … it is our way of life.

Foundation House establishes a culture of highly dignified recovery and long term sobriety.

A common theme at Foundation House is the discovery of what “drives” us rather than what “motivates” us. Motivation comes in waves, it is transient, and for the addict and alcoholic, in between those waves is a dangerous place to be. Drive, on the other hand, suggests a constant, ever reminding us to fill the gaps with the “next right thing to do”.

Our resident’s success is our success. Upon completion of a resident’s stay, it is our goal that they have learned how not only to help themselves, but others as well. We teach the old adages “In order to help yourself, help someone else”, and “You can’t keep it unless you give it away”.

At Foundation House, we remove the stigma of addiction and return the dignity that we are all born with to those who have nearly lost it all.

Foundation House staff is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Foundation House first opened its doors in 2002. By the end of 2003, and each year thereafter, we have operated with an average sober success rate of 90%. This means that out of the 38 beds we have available between our two houses, an average of over 35 men per month — on an annual basis — stay sober while living at Foundation House.

Industry wide, for decades, individuals who leave short term rehabilitation facilities average anywhere from a 3—15 % chance of continued, and long term recovery from chemical dependency.

Thusly, our 90% statistic cannot be overlooked, or overemphasized — Foundation House’s sober success rate is quite simply an industry leader. As a result, we are confident that our residents can, and do stay sober for their first year while living at Foundation House in Portland, Maine.

And knowing what a fantastic achievement that truly is, having been there ourselves, we promise to give each resident who remains sober for 365 continuous days in our homes, the 13th month free.

This is a promise that we have gladly kept for a number of our residents who have long since spent over 365 continuous days of sobriety within our Foundation House homes!

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