Magnolia House of Hampton aims to set recovery standard. Sandi Coyle joins leadership.

HAMPTON — The newly opened Magnolia House, and Summerwood House, are two beautiful homes, both providing spaces designed to help men in recovery rebuild their lives and move past misuse of alcohol or drugs.

The philosophy of the organization comes through in a quote posted on its website from journalist and author Johann Hari: “The opposite of addiction isn’t sobriety — it’s connection.”

Connection is a model Jules Johnson, founder and CEO of Magnolia House, and Sandi Coyle, its board chair, have embraced to guide their operation.

A ribbon cutting was held at Magnolia House on Sunday, Nov. 12, offering the community a chance to become better acquainted with the organization.

In this model, the first step is Summerwood House, a men's sober living home. A man who completes a 28-day detoxification program is eligible to enter Summerwood.

Completing their program at Summerwood means a chance to enter Magnolia House, a men's step-down sober living home, where the goal is to help men to take positive steps towards rebuilding the lives they lost. As a group home, decisions are mutually made and the choices offer more responsibility, with a goal of reunification with family and a way to learn to make better choices that will lead to long-term success in their recovery.

The two homes have a combined total of 18 beds.

"Why we are doing this is to really promote what recovering addicts deserve," Johnson said. "We fundamentally believe that they are worth a beautiful home to heal in, not just flop houses with bunk beds. It’s to set the new standard, I suppose, and we’ve gotten it down to a science to replicate."

Fundraising is a key goal, and Johnson sees a need for more homes.

"We are the only sober living homes in Rockingham County, which is obviously a problem, so we are doing what it takes to provide more supportive housing, but need our communities to understand that it takes a tribe to make this all happen," Johnson said. "Most families have gone through mental health issues and/or substance abuse so it's relatable. But what they typically envision what sober living is not what Magnolia House is."

Johnson said she considers Coyle to be the "Navy Seal" of the recovery world.

"As a team, we’ve become unstoppable with how we are treating addiction in this state," Johnson said. "Sandi will also be the face, so to speak, because her background and experience is absolutely without a doubt like no other with creating pathways for addicts in New Hampshire, especially the Seacoast."

Coyle has a long history in the recovery community, much of it in the Seacoast area, including starting and running Safe Harbor Recovery Center in Portsmouth. Her story was part of the local documentary "The Heroin Effect," by Michael Venn.

"Recovery has changed a lot," Coyle said. "There is grief, but there is also a lot of hope. I am so excited to be a part of the Magnolia House family."

Coyle said they are working to build strong, sober communities at both houses, which begins with a safe home. She said she sees a safe and accountable community living model that not only instills dignity, compassion, and integrity but reflects it through homes designed to create a sense of self-esteem, belonging, and pride.

"Addiction and mental health affect the entire family unit, and often people need a safe place to go in order for families to get well," Coyle said.

Johnson said they see their work at both houses as "reunification programs."

"We are family orientated because we know that is what's important," Johnson said. "We provide a safe place for this. Often people would try to rent a hotel to see their family. Or they return to their old neighborhoods, where the temptations are still there. It doesn't work. We provide a safe place with structure to address the substance use and the mental health that often accompanies this. I love the community-based model."

Johnson said men at the two houses relearn life skills, maybe something as simple as cooking for their family. She said peer houses work because they have all been in the same place, and they all want to get better for the ones they love, but also for themselves.

Founded in 2020, Magnolia House, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is where the men can go when they "graduate" from Summerwood, when they are ready to take positive steps to rebuild their lives.

Located in a 200-year-old farmhouse Magnolia offers a welcoming, peer driven environment, where the men make their decisions as a group. Johnson said that gives each person ownership in the house and how they move forward.

Once men spend six months at Summerwood they can move to Magnolia House. The maximum amount of time there is 1.5 years.

The Summerwood House has occupancy for 10 men. The home’s interior is newly updated, and the furnishings are high-end.

Weekly overnight visits to family or others are allowed after 30 days. A person must have 28 days of sobriety to join the home, and a curfew is in place.

"We have random and regular drug testing, and you must attend recovery meetings at nearby locations," Coyle said. "We are also able to help you find employment. We have a no tolerance of drugs or alcohol policy, and you must undertake chores, work no less than 32 hours per week and have a heathy, recovery-focused routine."

As nonprofits, the houses rely a lot on fundraisers and donations. Coyle has confidence they will be successful.

"I think these two houses can be used as a model, to replicate the success in other areas," Coyle said. "We would like to add women's houses eventually. Both houses are within walking distance of a local church, where 12 step and recovery meetings happen seven days a week. They are within walking distance of job opportunities. When I first met Jules and learned about this I said, 'This is beautiful.'"

Information: Magnoliahousenh.org

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This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Magnolia House of Hampton aims to set new standard for recovery