Public speaker, drug and alcohol counselor and recovering substance user Randy Haveson opened the Higher Education Recovery Option (HERO) House, a recovery home for male college students committed to staying sober, reported the Marietta Daily Journal on January 29.

On January 3, the Marietta, Georgia resident opened the five-bed halfway house for residents who are at least 28 days sober and have completed some form of substance use treatment. So far, there is only one resident in addition to the house manager, James O'Connor, 22, who is also in recovery.

"We look for a very specific type of resident," said O'Connor, a peer counselor who met Haveson at a drug and alcohol conference where Haveson was speaking. "We look for someone who is serious about their education and recovery.… It's meant for motivated people who are looking to get their lives back."

The HERO House will allow students who have recently completed a treatment program to return to school without fear of entering the familiar environment that previously fostered their destructive behavior.

Students may stay for either one or two full semesters, and must be enrolled in the nearby Kennesaw State University. Haveson requires that the residents find jobs so that they may contribute to the house rent. Each week, a resident must attend four twelve-step meetings, one house meeting and one individual meeting with Haveson.

Haveson is in the process of purchasing another house down the street, which will serve as an all-female version of the HERO House.

For more information, visit www.theherohouse.org.