WHERE WOMEN CAN HEAL AND RECOVER

"define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you're proud to live."
-anne sweeney

True North

aurora house

compass program

TRUE NORTH RECOVERY IS OWNED AND OPERATED BY WOMEN IN RECOVERY TO PROVIDE SOBER HOUSING SERVICES TO WOMEN IN EARLY RECOVERY WHO ARE ACTIVELY SEEKING RESOURCES TO BUILD A LONG TERM RECOVERY PROGRAM.

​THROUGHOUT 2020 WE MAINTAINED A FULL HOUSE OF THRIVING WOMEN, CELEBRATED 12 ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARIES. AND ONLY 4 RElapses OCCURRED. OVER THE PAST 8YEARS, WE HAVE HELPED MORE THAN 220 WOMEN FIND LONG-TERM RECOVERY.  

 BECAUSE OUR AVERAGE RESIDENT STAY IS 9MO TO 1YR, NEW RESIDENTS BENEFIT FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF THE WOMEN IN THE HOUSE WHO HAVE ALREADY ACHIEVED LONG-TERM SOBRIETY. AS A RESULT OF THE LONGER THAN AVERAGE STAY, OUR RESIDENTS ARE ABLE TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH WOMEN. AND DRAMATICALLY INCREASE THEIR CHANCES AT LONG-TERM RECOVERY. 

​OUR RESIDENTS FOCUS ON BUILDING A 12 STEP BASED RECOVERY PROGRAM, A DAILY SPIRITUAL PRACTICE, MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION, BALANCE, SELF CARE, RELATIONSHIPS/CODEPENDENCY, SELF- SUFFICIENCY, AND BEING USEFUL TO OTHERS.

TRUE NORTH RECOVERY HAS BEEN PRIVILEGED TO WALK WITH OVER 280 WOMEN FINDING LONG TERM RECOVERY IN THE PAST 7 YEARS AND IN 2019 CELEBRATED WITH 35 OF OUR RESIDENTS WHEN THEY ACHIEVED 1-YEAR SOBRIETY. TRUE NORTH RECOVERY ALUMNI HIGHLIGHT OUR VALUE OF SERVICE BY RETURNING TO SUPPORT OUR RESIDENTS THROUGH SPONSORSHIP, SHARING THEIR STORIES, PARTICIPATING IN MEETINGS, AND SOBER FUN ACTIVITIES. OUR ALUMNI HAVE GRADUATED FROM OUR PROGRAM TO THRIVE AS ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE RECOVERY COMMUNITY. THESE WOMEN HAVE SUCCESSFULLY ACCOMPLISHED VARIOUS PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS THROUGHOUT THEIR JOURNEY AT TRUE NORTH RECOVERY AND HAVE LEFT WITH A SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION INCLUDING LIFE CHANGING RESOURCES, SKILLS, AND SUPPORT AND LIFELONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH WOMEN ON THE SAME PATH.

​TRUE NORTH RECOVERY HAS BEEN PRIVILEGED TO WALK WITH OVER 280 WOMEN FINDING LONG TERM RECOVERY IN THE PAST 7 YEARS AND IN 2019 CELEBRATED WITH 35 OF OUR RESIDENTS WHEN THEY ACHIEVED 1-YEAR SOBRIETY. TRUE NORTH RECOVERY ALUMNI HIGHLIGHT OUR VALUE OF SERVICE BY RETURNING TO SUPPORT OUR RESIDENTS THROUGH SPONSORSHIP, SHARING THEIR STORIES, PARTICIPATING IN MEETINGS, AND SOBER FUN ACTIVITIES. OUR ALUMNI HAVE GRADUATED FROM OUR PROGRAM TO THRIVE AS ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE RECOVERY COMMUNITY. THESE WOMEN HAVE SUCCESSFULLY ACCOMPLISHED VARIOUS PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS THROUGHOUT THEIR JOURNEY AT TRUE NORTH RECOVERY AND HAVE LEFT WITH A SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION INCLUDING LIFE CHANGING RESOURCES, SKILLS, AND SUPPORT AND LIFELONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH WOMEN ON THE SAME PATH.


compass program

Our non-clinical approach supports women with 0-30 days of recovery who are on their journey to achieve long-term recovery. Our program engages our residents in a skills and tool-based curriculum to create balance, productivity, and independence. Through high accountability standards, we provide a safe living environment for women with short-term recovery to succeed. We understand that in some cases women need clinical services like detox to get started or mental health professionals to provide a plan to stabilize mental health issues as they begin the challenging work necessary for long term recovery. We focus on day to day living and partner with clinical resources that focus on women in early sobriety.     
Often, women working to maintain long term sobriety have used clinical and therapy interventions and have a strong understanding of the disease of addiction but continue to struggle with relapse. To maintain long term recovery, we have to change how we live, how we think, and how we perceive the world, things we cannot find in a clinical setting. That is where our Compass program focuses. 

We provide:
a higher level of accountability and stability through the especially challenging first 30 days of recovery.   
Tools and one one one support to help residents as they develop a structure that balances recovery with other responsibilities, 
Realistic understanding of the importance real self care, and the part it plays in long term recovery. 
a recovery program that includes all of the crucial elements needed to succeed such as attending regular meetings, working with a sponsor, and service work.  
lastly, a spiritual program because WE CANNOT DO THIS ALONE. 

Aurora House opened in December of 2015. In addition to requiring residents to work a 12th step program, we watched the situations that would derail a woman’s recovery and started building accountability and activities to help women stay sober through the most difficult times. Today, in addition to traditional sober house accountability, we work with residents on: 

Building a daily spiritual program 

Self care and meditation

Building a community of sober women

Balance- i.e. balancing recovery with life, relationships, building a routine to help them thrive, time management. 

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What we do...

01    Accountability 
02    Spirituality
03    Daily Inventory 
04    Community 
05    Healing
06    Service Work 
07    Self Care/ Balance
08.   House Meetings

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What we do...

accountability

WEEKLY CHECK-INS HELP KEEP US ON THE RIGHT PATH TO ACHIEVE LONG TERM RECOVERY. WE CHECK IN ON OUR RECOVERY PROGRAMS AND IF WE ARE STRUGGLING, WORK TOGETHER TO FIGURE OUT WHAT’S GETTING IN OUR WAY AND HOW TO GET BACK ON TRACK.

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What we do...

Spirituality

OUR RESIDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO WORK A 12 STEP PROGRAM WITH A SPONSOR, ATTEND WOMEN'S MEETINGS, AND LEARN TO BE OF SERVICE TO OTHERS. WE LEARN HOW TO CREATE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WILL STRENGTHEN US TO BECOME THE WOMEN WE ARE MEANT TO BE.

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What we do...

Daily Inventory

MORNINGS BEGIN WITH COFFEE AND MEDITATION AND EVENINGS END WITH A DAILY INVENTORY. THROUGH SUPPORT AND SHARED EXPERIENCES, WE BEGIN TO LEARN HUMILITY, TOLERANCE, AND REAL KINDNESS AND BEGIN TO TRANSFORM INTO THE WOMEN WE WANT TO BE. 

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What we do...

Community

BEING SOBER DOESN'T MEAN BEING BORING! WE HOST SOBER EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR INCLUDING ANNIVERSaRY PARTIES, SOBER OLYMPICS AND A DAY AT THE LAKE.

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What we do...

Healing

THE AURoRA HOUSE IS A COMFORTABLE HOME IN THE SAFEST NEIGHBORHOOD IN ST. PAUL, WHERE WE ARE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING A SAFE PLACE WHERE WOMEN CAN REST, REBUILD AND BEGIN THEIR RECOVERY JOURNEY

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What we do...

Service Work

OUR HOUSE IS FOUNDED ON HELPING OTHERS AND BEING OF SERVICE TO ANYONE WHO COMES ACROSS OUR PATH. BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH SERVICE WORK IS A PILLAR ELEMENT OF OUR CURRICULUM.

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What we do...

Self Care/ Balance

BEING SOBER DOESN'T MEAN BEING BORING! WE HOST SOBER EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR INCLUDING ANNIVERSaRY PARTIES, SOBER OLYMPICS AND A DAY AT THE LAKE.

Explore

What we do...

House Meetings

MANY OF US START RECOVERY KNOWING HOW TO CARE FOR OTHERS BUT NOT OURSELVES. RESIDENTS HELP EACH OTHER CREATE A SUSTAINABLE ROUTINE FOCUSED ON MEETING SELF CARE NEEDS AND CREATING A HEALTHY BALANCE THAT PRIORITIZES RECOVERY FIRST

I attended treatment for alcoholism in April of 2013. Following treatment, I followed the recommendations of my treatment team and moved into one of the Come Straight Home sober houses. The ability to enter sober living, instead of returning home after a 30 day inpatient stay, along with the tools and support I received as a resident, enabled me to build a long term recovery program.  

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Kind Words From Alumni

"WHERE WE ARE ALL COMING FROM IS DIFFERENT, BUT WE'RE ALL TRYING TO THE SAME PLACE. IT WAS COMFORTING TO KNOW THAT THEIR PRIORITY WAS TO BE THERE FOR ME. THE AURORA HOUSE REALLY BECAME MY HOME.” -KATE N.

Kind Words From Alumni

“WHILE LIVING IN THE HOUSE I GOT SOBER AND I BECAME HAPPY AS WELL. HAVING SUCH A STRONG SUPPORT SYSTEM AT THE HOUSE DURING THESE HARD TIMES KEPT ME SOBER WHEN I THOUGHT NOTHING COULD.” -NICOLE W

Kind Words From Alumni

“THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE THAT’S THERE TO TALK TO WHEN YOU NEED IT/ I WAS NEVER ALONE. THE WORK WE DID WITH CODEPENDENT NO MORE SHOWED ME ANOTHER LAYER OF REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS I NEED TO WORK ON. I LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT THE DISEASE”- MICHELE C. 

Kind Words From Alumni

“I HAVE MORE HAPPY MEMORIES THAN I COULD’VE EVER IMAGINED GOING TO A SOBER LIVING. ALL THE LOVE IS WHAT MADE AURORA HOUSE HOME TO ME. THE LEVEL OF SPIRITUALITY, COMPASSION, COMMUNITY, AND GRACE WAS JUST WHAT I NEEDED COMING OUT OF MY DARKEST DAYS” - LYDIA B.

Kind Words From Alumni

“I CAME OUT OF THE HOUSE NOT HATING MYSELF. I LEARNED I WAS LOVABLE. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE TOOLS THAT HELP ME SHOW UP BETTER IN LIFE. I DIDN’T REALIZE UNTIL I’D BEEN THERE FOR MONTHS, BUT EVERYTHING THAT IS A REQUIREMENT HAS A PURPOSE” -NATALIE T. 

women served since 2015

 one year celebrations in 2019

average stay

280

35

9 mo.

How it's going...

send

ANN COSTELLO-JUNGE.   OWNER/OPERATOR.   T: 612-205-2568    ACOSTELLO@TRUENORTHRECOVERY.ORG

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