I have had many attempts at finding sobriety, starting in Richmond almost 10 years ago. I have been a resident at quite a few recovery houses, some court ordered, others voluntarily. I have seen the so called “bad actors” Sn. Van Valkenberg spoke of. First at McShin, my time was court ordered and there were many instances where I was taken advantage of for labor and my treatment was seemingly based around whims of a man profiting off of my struggle. Second at Journey house under Mr Tillem where many of the stories cataloged in “the parham papers” were played out in real life for myself. I’ve seen corruption in this community and I’m confident that this bill will help people who would be in the very same position I was. However this bill will also upend my current progress I’ve only achieved through hard personal work and through Oxford house. And this is the reason I’m begging for a carve out created for Oxford houses. Oxford is a democratic program with very clear and effective rules. It’s given me the ability to regain autonomy and progress in a way no other program or recovery house could.
I now have 2 years clean, a full time job and have earned my peer recovery specialist certification through DBHDS. Oxford works. Oxford members ARE the operators and are held accountable by our peers and by our chapter members. Each role in the house is integral and held together by the next and having any one set staff or official oversight would completely eliminate the model of self governance and regulation that has kept me and all of my housemates (some for multiple years) clean. This model works well and your “bad actors” are quickly weeded out. This is why I’m asking for the chance to find a way to leave our model in its existing structure. 
Thank you, 

Alan Denardo