Atlas Recovery Sober Living, Los Angeles CA

If you are looking for a house that provides a balance of support as well as structure to help your loved one gain a sense of independence and responsibility, look elsewhere. Although Atlas House advertises this, it is not the case. Residents can break rules including staying out past curfew, failing to do chores and avoid attending the required number of meetings with little more than a slap on the hand. Even after being put on “restriction” residents continued to break rules with no accountability. House managers provide no sense of community. There are no “family dinners” as advertised on the website or structured group outdoor activities. Residents would often be aggressive and yell at each other with no intervention from the house managers and were not admonished for stealing each other’s belongings. Residents are allowed to make noise at all hours of the night, keeping others from getting a good night’s sleep. After 2 months of living there and being taken to meetings as a group, Dave, the owner, decided that the house would no longer provide transportation to meetings and residents would need to find their own way, even if it meant walking alone. Security is lacking and drugs were brought into the house at least twice in 2 months. One incident resulted in a near-fatal overdose in front of the other residents.

Residents are not allowed to contact Dave (the owner) directly, resulting in no accountability for the house managers, as there was no way to report their poor job performance or other house issues that were brought to the house managers attention and not handled appropriately. Staff is not there 24 hours a day as advertised. Residents are allowed to isolate themselves and spend their days unproductively – on the internet or watching television. When we informed Dave that our loved one would be moving out, he became angry and aggressive. He defended the decision to stop providing group transportation to meetings (which was the final straw for our loved one) and instead attacked us, questioning how we could afford the new house. He reprimanded us for having negotiated the rate to stay at his house as he assumed that the new house would be more expensive. The response was all about money when it should have been about how he could make changes in his house to better meet the needs of our loved one and the others in recovery who live there.

Great location to get sober. Dave and his team really care about recovery and has a passion to work with other addicts both locations are very well kept and makes you feel right at home

Frequent relapses. House is falling apart. No activities. You take a UA six times a week. Some at the house, some at an IOP you get thrown into. Your told your rent is being paid on a scholarship. When in reality the house gets paid by the IOP. To quote a recent article in which the FBI raided a similar institution for insurance fraud "$1,980 per day for intensive outpatient mental health; and $1,200 per urine analysis. One patient had 15 urine tests in a single month, resulting in a bill that exceeded $100,000. " Six UAs a week here from a doctor I've never met. Hmm. When your insurance runs dry so does your scholarship. Many addicts from across the country are inticed here by these "scholarships" When they get booted they either are forced to relapse to get back into treatment with insurance or end up homeless. There is a speacial place in hell for recovering addicts and alcoholics who take advantage of their brothers and sisters for material gain.

Atlas House is one of the best choices imo for a sober living environment on the westside. They are involved in both Refuge Recovery and 12 step models to recovery from addiction. Dave, the owner is great and truly cares about his clients. Friendly staff and not overly strict. The house itself is beautiful, situated in a nice, convenient part of the westside. I find that the price is set right for the services they provide, and recommend Atlas House to those looking for a sober living.