Cornerstone Community
Where Community is the Heart of Recovery

From holding and cradling to standing with and walking beside. From dependence on community to interdependence with a loving community. That’s the promise that Cornerstone extends.

The Cornerstone Community Program

The Cornerstone Community facility is a multi-story house located in the ethnically diverse community of Adams Morgan in the District of Columbia. It reflects the philosophy of providing a home for Cornerstone’s residents rather than a more impersonal institutional environment. The facility has single rooms for residents and live-in staff and common areas such as a living room, dining room, and kitchen.

Our staff, comprised of the Director, Tom Copps and two live-in Community Builders, work with residents to develop an individualized action plan, and coordinate services with community-based service organizations that have expertise in meeting the needs of those we serve. By offering substance abuse counseling and creating a support network, we hope to empower the residents to remain clean and sober, enjoy improving health, re-establish social networks, and address many of the challenges that contributed to their former homeless situation.

The core program components we have implemented at the Cornerstone Community are:

• Transition to Cornerstone. This component assists residents to become acquainted with the community-oriented focus of Cornerstone and the requirements for residency prior to moving into the facility. The Director meets with staff of Joseph’s House or other housing facilities, and each potential resident.

• Action plans. Staff engage residents in creating their individualized action plans to assist them in maintaining and strengthening their physical, mental, spiritual health and developing a life in recovery. These plans link residents to community-based services and are updated regularly.

• Recovery support. Residents develop a personalized relapse prevention plan with the addictions counselor and attend community-based recovery meetings and activities to assist them in living a clean and sober life and to discover the joy of recovery. Regular testing for substance use is also part of the recovery support services offered at Cornerstone.

• Meaningful work. Through this component, staff encourage each resident to participate in chores around the house according to their ability, regular volunteer work, educational courses, or a job that gives a sense of pride and fulfillment.

• Community-building. Residents, staff, volunteers, and others engage in weekly community meetings, share meals, and learn to build relationships that are nonjudgmental and accepting.