Weekend of Recovery Policies

All participants in a Weekend or Day of Recovery are required to acknowledge that they have read and agree to adhere to these policies. You will also be asked to sign an Informed Consent at least 30 days prior to the event.

Screening for attendance on a Weekend of Recovery or Day of Recovery is required and will be conducted after a potential participant registers. The purpose of the screening interview is to help determine if an applicant is ready to safely and productively participate. If we determine a participant is not yet ready, we will suggest other activities he could engage in to prepare himself for participation in a future weekend.

Safety during the event is a priority. We emphasize personal safety for everyone in attendance. To accomplish this goal, at the beginning of each event we engage in a collaborative process between facilitators and participants to define the safety guidelines for the weekend. The facilitator team is committed to working with the participants to provide structure and support to help protect individual and group safety and to promote opportunities for growth.

Another way we work to ensure safety is by having enough facilitators at each weekend so that individual attention is available whenever it is needed, along with encouraging participants to risk asking for help from each other as each participant brings a wealth of experience and skills with them.

To protect and promote an environment of safety, we do not allow the use of alcohol or any recreational or non-prescribed drugs. Sexual contact between participants during the weekend is not permitted. If a participant fails to adhere to these norms, or there are any other violations of safety guidelines, then the Supervising Facilitator will meet with the participant to determine whether he will be allowed further participation in the weekend.

The MenHealing policy regarding smoking and the use of alcohol or non-prescription drugs includes the following requirements:

• Participants must be free of alcohol use 48 hours, and recreational or non-prescribed drugs 72 hours before the weekend.
• All participants remain free of alcohol and other non-prescribed drugs or recreational drugs for the duration of the event.
• Participants should not bring any alcohol or non-prescribed drugs with them.
• Use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, and pipe-smoking will comply with the rules of the hosting facility. 

For anyone who is considering attending but is struggling with being able to meet these requirements, we recommend you address these issues with a therapist prior to registering.

MenHealing provides services for all adult males who have experienced sexual harm during childhood and/or as an adult. This is inclusive of cisgender men, anyone who currently identifies as a trans man, and anyone who is nonbinary and wants to heal in a male-defined environment. 

We recognize that sexual violence impacts communities that are marginalized, including survivors of color, various sexual orientations and gender identities, ages, physical and mental abilities, etc.

It is important to realize that survivors may have a multiplicity of identities. This is an especially important consideration for survivors of color and those who are sexually and/or gender diverse. 

We recognize that racial and ethnic identity must be included as an important aspect of a survivor’s experience. Factors of intersectionality are critical to the circumstances of victimization, as well as their process of healing.

We recognize that participants may identify their sexual orientation as straight, gay, bisexual, asexual, pansexual, queer, questioning, or any number of words to describe their identities and experiences. We welcome participants of any sexual orientation.

We want to honor all of this diversity as a space to heal in a community.

An important factor in establishing safety for each Weekend or Day of Recovery event is for clear expectations that everyone begins the days at the designated start time, as well as remaining in attendance until the designated end time. Planning may need to consider transportation factors to be sure of on time arrival.

Participants are expected to arrive at the venue in time for check in and to be available to begin at the designated start time for the event.  Advance communication will provide travel options to access the venue.  Consideration should be given for travel time to the venue, as well as predictable and unpredictable delays.

Prior communications will include designated procedures for contact – phone or text number, e-mail address, etc. – in the event that a participant is encountering travel confusion or delays.

A clear policy has been established about management of late arrivals. Our standard protocol is to not admit anyone if they arrive more than 15 minutes after the designated starting time.

A clear departure policy is enforced to respect the safety concerns of all participants to have adequate time for closure. Participants are expected to remain through the designated ending time for the event.  Anyone who has an extraordinary circumstance that might require the special need for an early departure should discuss that during the registration or interview process.  Scheduling transportation at a time that requires an early departure does not warrant an extraordinary circumstance. There are no refunds for early departure. Completing a Level 1 WOR until the end is a requirement for attending an Advanced WOR

MenHealing does not arrange travel or ride shares for participants.  After you are accepted for the event, you will be provided information to network with the other attendees in order to arrange ride shares.  If you share a ride, please be respectful and offer assistance with paying for gas.

Safety for Weekend and Day of Recovery events requires that all participants feel their boundaries will be respected and protected. We recognize that some survivors of sexual victimization may also have a history of sexual behavior towards others that might be considered non-consensual, coercive, or offending.

A pre-event interview is a prerequisite for final acceptance to attend. This interview includes screening questions about prior history of offending behavior. We expect honesty and transparency from each registrant during this screening process. Our intention with this screening is to evaluate the nature of any offending behaviors a registrant may report occurred previously during their life. The screening information helps us to address issues of safety and preparation for all participants.

We distinguish that some incidents of offending may be sexually reactive behaviors in childhood or adolescence; and that young adults sometimes engage in sexual behaviors that may be questionable or that may raise concerns about degree of consent. Registrants with such history will not automatically be excluded.

Any registrant who indicates a prior history of engaging in offending, coercive, or non-consenting sexual behavior will be required to have a second-level interview for further screening to determine the appropriateness of their participation. Additional screening will include a second interview, obtaining feedback from a provider who has worked with the registrant about these issues, and review by the Facilitators who will be staffing the event.

Any person who has been convicted of sexual perpetration and/or has been placed on a sexual offender registry as an adult is ineligible for participation. The exception will be for an event that is specifically planned for inclusion of survivors who offend.

Staff who conduct second screening interviews will review information for any registrant with the following status: (a) who reports a history of sexually reactive behaviors, (b) who has engaged in prior treatment services and has received official clearance that they are not at risk for further offending behavior, and/or (c) who may have received prior legal conviction and their records have been expunged. For any of these circumstances, members of the Facilitator Team may determine that this registrant is safe for acceptance to attend.

Contact us with any questions you may have.