At six months members of the community are permitted
and encouraged to obtain full time, salaried employment. At this point,
many join the Advanced Recovery community, one house for women and
one for men. Candidates must ask the Peter House community for agreement
that this is a good move. They are voted in after a community interview
by the advanced community for a trial period of one month. After this
month the community reviews the experience with the prospective member
and is definitively voted in. the purpose of this community is to
advance in achieving transitional goals in the recovery process: saving
money, obtaining housing, furthering education or training, continuing
therapy, deepening spirituality, stabilizing recovery, preparing for
parenthood, obtaining custody of children, reuniting family etc. The
structure is minimal to allow for growth of individual responsibility,
but sufficient to provide the necessary encouragement for this period.
The advanced houses maintain their households and house rules. All
house members (no exceptions) must arrange their work to be free to
attend a weekly community meeting on Thursday evening from 7-9pm;
here community business and event planning, disciplinary matters and
sharing about life experiences and efforts to progress in advanced
recovery goals all take place. Members of this community are also
required to make a minimum of three recovery meetings each week and
observe house rules and curfews. They may attend or help lead any
workshops or events taking place in the New Jerusalem Community as
a whole.
