OKMULGEE, Okla. — A new recovery home known as the Bennett House is now open in Okmulgee. It will help women recovering from substance use disorder.
An open house and dedication on Wednesday will mark the official opening of the Bennett House.
Although the home in Okmulgee is already helping women.
“This was actually a blessing for me,” said Jessica Bliek, a resident of the Bennett House.
Jessica Bliek is a recovering meth addict.
After serving time in prison, she needed a place to live to get back on her feet and stay clean.
The newly opened Bennett House is doing just that for her.
“I have six grandkids. So I was really looking forward to getting back out there. That’s my main reason for wanting to be sober,” she explained.
Plus, with the new house being in Okmulgee, it’s keeping her close to family because if this house didn’t exist...
“I probably would have had to go to Tulsa and quit my job," Bliek said. "My boss held my job for seven months, so I’ve had this job this whole time. So I would have had to quit and completely relocate.”
The Bennett House is run by CREOKS Health Services.
CREOKS bought the home, renovated it, added on, and fully furnished it to help seven women at a time.
The goal is to support them by giving them an affordable, safe, and positive transitional environment while also promoting independence and self-responsibility.
“Recovery homes provide a gap between the structured environment of let's say a detox or correctional institution and the stark reality of independent living,” said Amanda Hammack, the director of substance abuse services with CREOKS Health Services.
However, it's not just a place to live. While living in the home, residents are held accountable for their recovery process.
"They attend 12-step meetings at least three times a week. We have leveled leadership within the home, which means there's leadership within the home and then outside of the home as well," she explained. "People come into the home and do home-based services for them, and they are a part of a care team with CREOKS."
Hammack said she hopes locals realize this is important for rural Oklahoma.
“It’s a place that people can go and grow and become members of that community and of that society instead of going back to using,” she said.
The average stay in a recovery home is six months but it can be shorter or longer if needed.
For Jessica, she plans to stay until she gets her ankle monitor off. In the meantime, she’s set some goals for her stay in the house.
“My hope and goal is to learn how to keep my sobriety and also how to learn how to live everyday life being sober and to learn how to be out in society," Bliek said.
If you or someone you know is interested in placement here, an application can be found at any of the 27 CREOKS locations, or you can contact the recovery residence coordinator, Ami Danker, by phone at (918) 268-4382 or by email at ami.danker@creoks.org.
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