Highland Halfway House Program

Criteria for Admission

Highland House is a long-term residential program designed for women over the age of eighteen who are in recovery from drug and/or alcohol addictions. It is state licensed and CARF accredited. To be eligible for this program, a woman must have completed an inpatient drug/alcohol treatment program within the past year. She must be recommended or referred by a drug and alcohol treatment professional working in the field and meet the criteria set forth by the Pennsylvania Client Placement Criteria.

A potential participant must be a resident of Pennsylvania. She must be motivated and willing to commit to a long-term program. Dually diagnosed clients deemed able to understand and benefit from the program will be accepted. However, a woman diagnosed as being psychotic or with a mental health diagnosis that is her primary treatment focus is not appropriate for the program and will be referred to local mental health agencies for services. This will be documented on the intake form.

Because Highland House is not a medical facility, the potential resident must not be in danger of acute withdrawal symptoms, actively psychotic, or in need of acute medical monitoring. Clients must be ambulatory and able to care for their own personal needs while in treatment. Because of the age of the building it is not handicapped accessible.

When a potential client who is not ambulatory is referred, the referral source will be so informed and the names and numbers of other halfway houses that are accessible will be given. This will be documented on the intake form.  Clients in need of American Sign or bilingual interpretation can receive services through the Slippery Rock University and Westminster College.

Treatment Philosophy 

Highland House recognizes alcoholism/addiction as a progressive disease affecting all aspects of a women’s life-physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. It is an illness, which renders its victims increasingly powerless to manage their lives. In order to reclaim personal power a women must first recognize her inability to manage her life due to her addition and establish abstinence.

Our experience is that many women with addictions have also suffered due to social barriers and standards. Highland House addresses issues, which are gender specific to women in recovery. Such interpersonal, social and economic issues include: physical/sexual abuse, single parenting, lack of education, employment, stereotypical sex roles, divorce and co-dependency. A women’s recovery then becomes a holistic process of rediscovering herself and clarifying goals and directions for her life.

The Highland House offers a safe, empowering environment in which the needs of women in recovery are addressed from a holistic approach.

Support Services 

Highland House addresses issues, which are gender specific to women in recovery. We address interpersonal, social and economic issues, including physical/sexual abuse, single parenting, education, employment, stereo-typical sex roles, divorce and co-dependency. A women's recovery then be- comes a holistic process of rediscovering herself and clarifying goals and directions for her life.

The Highland House offers a safe, empowering environment in which the needs of women in recovery are addressed from a holistic approach.