Hickey House

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Hickey House has made a positive difference ! It is a place one can regain life skills and learn self reliance. Individuals are assisted with job placement, along with structure and support. The small town location is perfect with its many outdoor activities and walking convenience.

As I sit back and begin to write this review I truly don't know where to start. I guess I will give a brief description of my addiction, the obstacles I have faced in my recovery from substance abuse and how the Hickey House helped truly save my life. I like many other young men began experimenting with alcohol and marijuana iny early teens, but unlike many other young men I began snorting heroin at the age of 15. Within a year I had dropped out of high school, been arrested on firearm charges, began selling narcotics, involving myself with street gangs amongst many other very high risk lifestyle choices. At the age of 17 on a bright Florida afternoon I witnessed my closest childhood friend take a mans life in a wreckless and drug induced accident. That night I made the decision to switch from snorting to shooting heroin. Fast forward 2 years, multiple trips to detox, 2 rehabs, a mental health facility, many cheap hotels and abandon buildings later I was a homeless, uneducated, unemployable 19 year old heroin addict that had also developed a crack cocaine habit in the process. I was dropped off at the Hickey House by my parents with the hopes that maybe, just maybe, this program would be the one that saved my life. And it did. My parents left, I did my intake, and went to room. As I sat on my bed I heard a knock at the door and was greeted by Mr. Star Bridges. Little did I know at the time how much influence this man and this program would have on my life. Over the next 13 months I maintained complete sobriety from all substances, I maintained employment and planned for the next chapter of my life. I left, continued to stay active in the 12 step program where I moved and used the skills I learned at the Hickey House on a daily basis to maintain my sobriety. But that isn't it, it couldn't be that simple, not for an addict like me and many others. When my initial entry fee was paid there was a promise given that I could return at anytime if I relapsed and needed help. And yes atsome point I did make that decision to begin using again. I not only returned once but multiple times. I would show up, be greeted with open arms, and after a week or so I would leave. At 25, I was living in the 3rd Ward of Uptown New Orleans. I slept in abandoned buildings that had been flooded by Hurricane Katrina. The only possessions I had were the clothes on my back and a cheap pistol. I lived my life like a feral animal that was stuck in a vicious cycle of maintaining a $300+ a day heroin habit as well as the other drugs I could use to further my suicidal spiral down.At some point I banged my head on the wall and said "Help me." 6 years later from my initial intake Mr. Star Bridges picked me up from the Greyhound bus station in Gainesville. I had been released from detox after 3 weeks of coming off of heroin/PCP and had no where else to go so I returned to the Hickey House. Deep inside myself I knew that it would be different this time. I wasn't going to satisfy my parents, I wasn't going because of a court mandate, my wife wasn't sending me on an ultimatum...It was for me. I arrived at the Hickey House broken in every way. Overthe next 10 months, I worked very closely with Star and the staff at the Hickey House. They said jump, and I did. Often times complaining and making sarcastic remarks the whole time, but I did what was recommended and required of me. My family came back into my life and we began repairing our broken relationship. I maintained employment and was able to save money for my departure and independent living. I created great friendships which I maintain to this day. I left the Hickey House and moved to North Philadelphia, I am face to face with the horrors of the current Heroin epidemic on a daily basis. I maintain my sobriety thanks to everything I learned at the Hickey House thanks to the staff and Star. I cant emphasize enough that you will get out what you put in. If you want cushion check into a hotel, Helen has plenty. If you want recovery, this hope to die addict can't think of a better place to get clean

I was a resident at the Hickey House for over 2 years (cumulatively) and during my time there I was able to put my life back together after struggling with addiction for years. Simply put, the Hickey House saved my life. Star and Hunter are excellent role models and lead by example. Both of them are former residents and that allows them to empathize with the current residents. Part of that empathy is understanding relapse is part of addiction and they are willing to work with residents under special circumstances. The staff is able to strike a near perfect balance between compassion and rendering consequences for certain behaviors. The community as a whole is always considered a priority over any individual resident and, therefore, residents will be removed from the program if they threaten the safety or sobriety of others in any way. One aspect of the Hickey House I found extremely beneficial was the ability to find a job and travel to and from work without a vehicle. There is an abundance of jobs in Helen and the Hickey House is located less than a half mile away. Upon arrival at the House, I had no vehicle and no money; however, I was quickly able to secure and maintain employment. Another benefit of this program is the beautiful geographical area in which it is located. There are many nearby activities and nearly all residents find time to hike, fish, bike, golf or swim on their time off. I found that having fun with friends in sobriety motivated to me to continue with the program. While I enjoyed my stay at the Hickey House, I did have bad days there. When I chose to break the rules, I was punished and after relapsing, I was asked to leave the program. Star eventually allowed me to return and the incident only affirmed the fact that I had a serious problem. It was a turning point for me. If a resident relapses, Star tries to help the resident use it as a learning tool; however, if he refuses to do so and continues in relapse, they are normally referred to a less permissive inpatient rehab. As with all illnesses, addiction can vary widely in degrees of severity, and Star knows this, as he is not only in recovery himself but also has many years of formal education on the subject. I have been involved with the Hickey House and have known Star and Hunter for over 5 years. In that time period, I have seen many men turn their lives around and become contributing members of society. I have also seen many men die or return to drugs and continue their path of destruction. The bottom line is that people get back exactly what they put in. That is true in any treatment environment. I arrived at the Hickey House with nothing but a trash bag full of clothes and very little hope. Today, I have over 2.5 years of sobriety, and my life is better than I could have ever imagined. With the help of the Hickey House, I was able to restore every aspect of my life and today I have more happiness, serenity and gratitude than I have ever had in my entire life. I also have a beautiful wife and son, a house, 2 cars, a great job, respect and trust of my family, money in the bank and so much more. All things I thought I would never ever have! I highly recommend the Hickey House to anyone serious about living a life second to none.

I lived at the hickey house for a year and a half. It was honestly the best thing that could have happened to me. The hickey house and the people that worked there were and still to this day great male mentors in my life. The hickey house was a stress free living environment for me to establish a foundation of sobriety. I Have been to numerous rehabs and half way houses and the solution was best presented to me through the men at the hickey house. For lack of a better term the hickey house saved my life. Thank you

I owe my life to Star and the guys at the Hickey House! I completed a year at the house, and it was the toughest and greatest journey Ive ever been on. I was there from the summer of 2014 until summer of 2015. I see a review on here that is out an outright lie. I always felt that the staff's main concern was to provide us with a drug-free environment and never saw any tolerance or exceptions. What I got to see was other guys like me who came in broken and hopeless, and were able to turn it all around thanks to Star, Hunter, and the rest of the Hickey House staff. I look forward to visiting the house a couple times a year just to show my appreciation, and visit the amazing hiking trails up there!