Our House is Home: Rehab for Mothers

Sojourner House provides in-patient residential treatment to addicted mothers and their children. Located in East Liberty, Sojourner House provides 24-hour residential rehabilitation services for 14 families at any given time. Mothers can bring three children with them and stay up to six months while receiving intensive treatment for their addiction.

Sojourner House is proud to be the only program in Allegheny County that provides each family with their own apartment while the mother receives treatment. Mothers and children can begin to experience the joys and challenges of living as an independent, drug-free family while securely surrounded by round-the-clock support.

Sojourner House shall ensure the availability of preferential treatment to pregnant women. Priority is given to women as follows: (a) pregnant injection-drug users; (b) pregnant substance users; (c) injection-drug users; and (d) all others.

Sojourner House gives preference to women from Allegheny County and the surrounding region, and is licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health Bureau of Drug & Alcohol Programs.
Call 412-441-7783

 To be eligible, a woman must:

  • Be 18 years or older
  • Have at least one child aged 12 years or younger
  • Be actively seeking custody of a child or be pregnant
  • Be dedicated to working on recovery and willing to meet program requirements

Key program elements:

  • Up to six months in individual apartments
  • Evidence-based gender responsive treatment
  • Individual, group & family counseling
  • Children’s programming
  • Linkages to community resources

Our mission is to offer compassionate, faith-based recovery services to mothers and their children.

Rehabilitation program’s positive results:

  • 53 mothers entered the treatment program in the 2018-2019 Fiscal Year
  • 42 children were in residential treatment with their mothers
  • 4 of those children were legally reunified with their mothers during treatment*
  • 25 families graduated in 2018-2019 Fiscal Year
  • The drug of choice is as follows:
    • Opiates (heroin or pain pills) – 75%
    • Crack Cocaine – 11%
    • Other drugs – 1.4%

*Allegheny County Department of Children, Youth and Families estimates it costs $1,000/month, per child, for children remaining in the child welfare system.

Positive results for children:

  • 100% Received medical interventions and are current with immunizations
  • 100% received programming based on assessment levels
  • 100% demonstrated achievement level gains in school readiness indicators
  • 100% improved social behavior when interacting with their peers
  • 100% improved language skills (letters & sounds)
  • 100% showed improvement in cognition & general knowledge
  • 93% of pre-school children met the goals of age-appropriate fine-motor skills