KEYSTONE HALLS, INC.
FT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA

Keystone Halls is a 90-bed transitional housing facility helping provide stable residency for men and women suffering from the ravages of chemical dependency. 38 of our beds are devoted exclusively to veterans, who have special services available to them through our case management office. Keystone Halls was founded by Ron Malec in 1998 as a way to give back to the South Florida recovery community. Today, Keystone Halls has become a respected transitional housing facility that has helped thousands of people make a beginning in their recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction. Keystone is staffed by people who understand the ravages of addiction and the difficulties of recovery, and that is why we are unique among transitional housing communities in South Florida. Unlike many other so-called “halfway houses,” Keystone Halls is interested more in an individual’s recovery, rather than just filling beds. Both Keystone Halls and our professionals are recognized by the State of Florida and by Broward County as a certified non-profit agency helping those in recovery. We are also partnered with other local non-profit organizations to maximize the services we provide to our residents in recovery. One of those organizations is Hands On Broward, which works with Keystone Halls to keep our facilities maintained and provide food for residents. The other is the Community Foundation of Broward, which recognized Keystone Halls in 2011 as doing exceptional good in the community, awarding Keystone with a generous grant to help our residents. Hands On Broward continues to help Keystone Halls serve those in need. Volunteers recently joined together to repaint our Wilton Manors housing, giving it a completely new look! Because of the size and scale of the South Florida metropolitan area, it is important you find a housing facility that is close to treatment, meeting clubs, public transportation, medical services and job resources. Keystone Halls is ideally situated near downtown Fort Lauderdale, and is within walking distance of hundreds of meetings each week, as well as public transit and public services. The Keystone Halls program of recovery involves first assessing the needs of the individual, whether that person is suffering from alcoholic addiction or other narcotics. The disease element of the cycle of addiction is also considered, as most people suffering from chemical dependency have a physical predisposition to addiction. Social Services Help Our case managers will help you get the basics you will need to get on the road to recovery. Worrying about food, toiletries and affording public transportation can create stress that leads to relapse. Early recovery depends upon removing as much of that stress as possible, and that includes helping to acquire the services needed to maintain a stable living situation. We help determine our residents’ qualifications for programs like SNAP, help provide bus passes and work closely with the Veterans’ Administration for our VA clients. By helping mitigate the stressors on the individual, that person can more clearly focus on their recovery and the daily requirements to maintain sobriety. A major component of the program at Keystone Halls is providing regular meetings through the week to help our residents become acquainted with each other, thereby creating a support group among themselves. The meetings are also a way for each person to learn to integrate a program of recovery into their lives, making it possible to live the very recovery that restores the life! Keystone Halls has three house meetings each week to guide the individual and build a recovery network. On Tuesdays, we have a house meeting specifically geared to relapse prevention, and this meeting helps our residents identify triggers that may cause a relapse into drug addiction or alcoholic dependency. Residents learn new skills and coping mechanisms to help respond appropriately when such triggers manifest, which happens frequently for those new to recovery. On Wednesdays, Keystone Halls offers a Life Skills meeting to help residents learn how to properly adjust to the expectations society has for proper behavior and public decorum. Part of the issue that affects many people new in recovery is how to adapt to normal life circumstances, and many recovering alcoholics and addicts have never had the benefit of learning such basic skills. The Life Skills meeting helps those in recovery begin to learn skills of adaptation, communication, response and responsibility, elements critical to helping a newly-recovered person become well integrated into society. On Thursdays, Keystone Halls has the Spaghetti AA meeting on the tree deck. The Thursday Spaghetti AA is almost a renowned local meeting that often attracts Keystone Halls alumni, who then help newcomers learn to use the 12 Steps of recovery in a way that helps strengthen sobriety and the spirituality necessary to maintain it. The Spaghetti AA meeting starts with a spaghetti dinner, followed by the AA meeting on the tree deck. Call 954-763-2300 For Immediate Help! Start The Admissions Process Call 954-763-2300 For Immediate Help! Start The Admissions Process Keystone Halls has a diverse and knowledgeable staff who are ready to help you and your loved ones begin the process of permanent recovery from the cycle of addiction. A retired U.S. Navy Supply Corps officer, Ron joined Alcoholic Anonymous in 1987 and has been an active member ever since. AA’s 12-Step programs are the basic guides for Keystone Halls residents. Keystone Halls’ claim to fame includes a large number of life-long drug and alcohol users who have embraced the program and have over five years of sobriety. At the weekly community dinner, cooked and served by Ron, himself, alumni tell their stories and encourage newcomers to “join the club.” Current Keystoners are happy to see so many people who have spent years living on the streets who are now productive members of society, living in their own apartments.