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Claude ‘Ike’ Eichar, Program
Director
818 894 8617
Hello, my name is Ike:
I am the Program Director and your host should you decide to come to the
Comfort Zone. Since you are now trying to decide what the best avenue for
your recovery might be, I think a little information about myself and the
Comfort Zone might help. First I want you to know that I am also an addict
in recovery. I used drugs for 26 years, and spent 17 years behind the
state’s revolving doors because of it. In 1992 I decided to try and get my
life together.
I could never seem to quit on my own and treatment seemed only a temporary
cure. i.e. I t lasted as long as I was in treatment. Believe me when I say I
tried every state funded recovery resource (I only went into recovery when I
was broke or arrested) they offered to treat my addiction, I completed two 9
month treatment programs, I was in the California substance Abuse Program in
Norco for over 6 years, I lived in halfway houses, I was on methadone
maintenance programs, I detoxed in many treatment centers from Doctors
Hospital of Compton to Doctors Hospital of Beverly Hills, I went to
Christian Recovery Homes, I tried Transitional Housing, the worst was trying
to stay clean and sober at my grandmothers house on will power alone. I had
heard about 12 step programs (AA, NA, CA) and I decided to give it a try.
The biggest problem I faced was trying to find a safe place to stay while I
built a foundation for my recovery. I found that safe place along with some
structure and peer support in a Sober Living Home. The idea being that one
addict helping another addict to stay clean has no parallel. Between the 12
step meetings, an out patient treatment program, and the sober living I
managed to build a foundation that has kept me drug free since July 17,
1992.
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I am currently a married man with
a 2 year old daughter, I have been married for 6 years now. I own my own
home and my own business. I feel good about who I am today and I really want
to pass what was so freely given me along to you, so that someday you will
find out how good freedom from active addiction feels.
I started my first clean and sober living home called the Recovery Zone in
1999, because I wanted to reach out to my fellow addicts and alcoholics who
want to change their lives. In the effort to help recovering people to help
themselves, I set up the Recovery Zone to service low bottom
addicts/alcoholics so that all they needed to bring is a desire to stop
using and a willingness to follow some simple structure.
Over the next few years I received many calls from professional high bottom
people who wanted to stay clean and sober, but who had tried the tradition
style of sober living homes and had bad experiences. They didn’t like the
rough language or prison mentality that some of the guests exhibited. They
had more belongings, than many of the low bottom recovering people, and they
needed more space than most soberlivings offered. Finally the wanted some
place where they could feel physically safe and not have worry about their
belongings.
In 2005 I finally got an opportunity (money) to open a house that would fit
the needs of this group of recovering people. I found a grand house in
Winnetka, it is 3500 square feet, a completely fenced in 16 thousand sq. ft.
lot, there is a beautiful pool, Jacuzzi, and a 5000 gallon koi pond. I had
the house professionally decorated, every bed is a cherry wood slay bed (no
bunk beds here), there are big closets and I had some armoires made. I
bought a 5 drawer dresser and a two drawer night stand for each person, so
everyone has more space to keep belongings. I decided to keep the number of
people down, so I only have ten beds available; so we have no overcrowding.
We do not allow anyone here who has the convict mentality and we do not
tolerate any violence or threats of violence, so everyone feels safe.
The Recovery Zone is an approved member of the San Fernando Valley Sober
Living Coalition and the Los Angeles Sober Living Network. I am the current
Vice President of the San Fernando Valley Sober Living Coalition. We work
with the courts and probation. Additionally, we work with Prop 36 people and
outpatient treatment centers like Tarzana, Cri Help, and High Roads.
The purpose of sober living is to provide clean, quality housing so
recovering addicts will have a safe, drug free place to live while they
build a solid foundation, so they may transition back to society. More
importantly sober living provides peer support to those in recovery. While
you are at the Zone you will learn to take steps that have enabled recovery
from the disease of addiction/alcoholism in its many forms. You will be
expected to attend 12-step meetings, in and outside the Recovery Zone. You
will need to find (with our help) a 12-step sponsor who will help guide you
through the 12 steps. You will have a daily chore to perform. You will be
expected to follow all of the Recovery Zone Rules. You will be expected to
participate in weekly Council meetings. You may have to attend outpatient
treatment at one of the many treatment centers we work with (Prop 36 and
Walden House must attend outpatient treatment). You will be given random
drug tests. If you are able to work, you will be expected to find a job and
remain employed while you are here (we can help you find a job). You will
maintain an 11pm curfew for the first 30 days. After that late night or
overnight passes will be granted at Council discretion.
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