Oxford House (O.H.), a success-oriented network of residences for recovered drug users, has received a powerful endorsement in the form of a new book, “Rescued Lives: The Oxford House Approach to Substance Abuse” (Routledge). Leonard Jason, director of DePaul University’s Center for Community Research and a co-author of the book, will share stories of overcoming addiction gathered during his research, at a book reading on Sept. 17 at DePaul University Bookstore at Barnes & Noble, 1 E. Jackson Blvd, from noon to 1 p.m.

“Rescued Lives” presents success stories of a cross section of recovered substance users living in the 1,200 O. H.'s throughout the country, while explaining how the program works to bolster the sobriety of its 9,500 residents. The book examines a society in crisis due to conditions such as drug use, retraces the history of the first recovery houses and devotes considerable coverage to expansion of the O.H. model to include homes for women and children, criminal offenders and society’s disenfranchised.

Jason’s co-authors are Bradley Olson, an assistant professor at Northwestern University; and Karen Foli, a registered nurse and researcher with a doctoral degree in communications from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

In presenting the O.H. model as one worthy of replication, the book explores the concept of self-governed living as a new paradigm based on a simple yet successful concept: “There is a return to a lost way of living—community living, where everyone shares the commonality of substance abuse or dependence, where residents learn to help themselves and each other.”

A community psychologist, Jason’s prevention-oriented research resulted in two highly regarded O.H. studies that showed recovering substance users living together in self-governed home settings attained a 65 to 87 percent abstinence rate. Prior to this research, published evidence revealed that a majority of individuals in recovery relapsed after treatment. As a result of these findings, the state of Illinois, last year, reinstated its group home loan revolving fund initiative, which allows for an annual increase of between 10 and 20 new houses.

Past and present members of Oxford House, as well as administrators of the Oxford House program in Illinois, will participate in the book signing and discussion. For more information about the book signing, contact Deborah Liebow, DePaul University Bookstore at Barnes & Noble, 312/362-8795.