The Jericho Project was founded in 2000 by Dr.Bill Gerber and has helped over 120 people change their lives. We are located in Rockford, Illinois. Our professional, volunteer team is dedicated to helping those who suffer from homelessness and addictions find reconciliation with God, with themselves, with their families, and with the community. The average stay in the Jericho house is 10.2 months, but everyone is welcome to stay until they feel ready for new transitions. 

 

OUR INTAKE PROCESS provides us opportunity to learn as much family history as we can from our residents. We pay close attention to their estrangement from their family of origin, children they may have, their addiction history, the jobs they have held, and their educational background. We seek information about legal responsibilities, i.e. fines to pay, child-support owed/due, and the history of their spiritual journey.

 

WE PROVIDE INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT.  We have a team of professionals with decades of experience. Many have advanced degrees. Some hold special licensure in addictions counseling, family counseling, and anger management.

Most of our case management is accomplished in individualized sessions with each resident. Together with our team a resident constructs short-term and long-term goals. An agreed time frame is determined for each goal. These are reviewed weekly with our Team mentors.  We know that relapse –whether it be substance abuse, anger issues, job termination, or personal crisis is inevitable.  We understand that relapse is a learning process that can move a resident forward with a greater understanding of God’s Grace and His love and desire for wholeness.

 

THE JERICHO HOUSE is a 125 year-old, two-story house in the heart of the drug & crime activity in Rockford.  Our zip code has the second-highest crime rate in the State of Illinois.  We often say, “If you can allow God to stand with you, if you can recover here and move forward, you can do it anywhere!”  Over the years our house was stripped to the studs – room by room.  High School Mission Groups, retirees, Church groups, individuals, skilled tradesmen, from all over the mid-west and our community of Rockford helped us transform this “Old House” into a comfortable home.  A high school carpentry class built our rear fire-escape stairwell.  Our residents built a spacious deck. Its flower baskets will filled by neighbors.  We have two kitchens, six bedrooms, a basement dungeon for our tools, a “state of the art” heating plant and energy efficient windows –all 46 of them!  And then there is the “12-Step” program and our two mascots – “12” & “Step” two homeless cats a former resident brought home. We thought “12” had had a sex change operation.  Wrong.  She keeps us supplied with litters of furry balls of color that are given away to those who want them. 

 

 

Inside of the Jericho house is a clean, simple, and safe environment where 6 men live along with a cat named Twelve, and another cat named Step. They were named after the twelve step recovery program that is the platform of our curriculum.