Fresh Start accepts new clients after they have completed a personal interview and intake process. This is done to assess motivation. We believe that our personal interview process is the foundation for forming healthy treatment communities.

1. All potential clients must be drug and/or alcohol free. In some cases an individual may be accepted with a positive urine analysis depending on the half-life of the drug found in their system (examples: benzodiazepines, marijuana, and PC) as these drugs may remain in a person’s system for a prolonged period of time.  We reserve the right to require medical clearance for such clients.

2. All clients must exhibit a high level of motivation toward their own recovery.

3. All clients must be willing to participate in our regimented daily schedule.  All must be willing to accept a 3 day phone blackout and a total blackout period (which may vary) before becoming eligible for weekend passes.

4. All clients must be enrolled in intensive out-patient therapy upon acceptance to Fresh Start.

5. All clients must sign a copy of the rules and regulations that govern the clients in our program.  By signing this document, the client acknowledges that we have created a contract for their success which spells out their responsibilities and contains appropriate consequences for non-compliance.

6. All clients need a Pennsylvania picture I.D. in order to access any kind of financial assistance, counseling, mental health, or medical services.

7. Fresh Start will not accept any potential clients with a history of violent crimes or sex offenders.  We are a neighborhood-based program.  We exclude such potential clients in accordance with our neighbors’ requests, and the requests of local advocacy groups.

8. All potential clients being released to Fresh Start from a hospital or institution with a dual-diagnosis (co-occurring disorder) need to be accompanied by their prescriptions and /or a supply of their medications. In the event that the potential client does not have health insurance, the attending psychiatrist must give the client enough medication for two weeks, so that we have enough time to initiate health coverage to pay for the ongoing prescriptions.

"In the spring of 1992, after what felt like a lifetime of using drugs and alcohol, and countless failed attempts at stopping, I found myself on the door step of Fresh Start. I had heard a lot of great stuff about this program and its founder John Walls .Later I would realize what a turning point in my recovery and my life overall this was."

-Anonymous