This article serves to store the VSL Knowledge Base's terms and conditions, as well as outline terms, groups, and roles that are crucial to VSL's function.
↖️ Return to 👋 New Operator Welcome Letter & Onboarding Guide
Article Table of Contents
- 💡 VSL Knowledge Base Overview
- 📁 Knowledge Base Structure
- 📄 Knowledge Base Articles
- 🔤 Important Terminology
- Emoji Guide [work in progress]
- 📝 Terms and Conditions
💡 VSL Knowledge Base Overview
Please refer to this section for an overview of the purpose and function of the KB
The Knowledge Base for Vanderburgh Sober Living is a centralized repository designed to provide users with easy access to information about VSL products and services. It offers clear, concise content to help users find answers independently, complementing the VSL website with frequent links connecting the two for a seamless user experience.
What information goes where?
We understand there are many places that information can be found. There are reasons why we keep certain information and specific places, highlighted below:
Source of Truth: the Knowledge Base (what you are looking at now)
This Knowledge Base is the "source of truth" for policies, procedures, and best practices. This knowledge base contains the facts and figures, a full description of all vsl policies, procedures and processes, and recommendations on best practices.
Delivery & Validation: training material (e.g. Talent LMS)
Talent LMS is is the tool we use to deliver the information contained in the KB in consumable formats to learners. Training material should not differ from KB content, but rather, provide context and examples and to help engage learners engage with a more accessible and easy-to-understand presentation of concepts.
Equipping: practical training
Practical training is the last way that information is organized. Practical training is how we support and equip those who have conducted training through our written material.
Additional forms of content
- Playbooks exist inside of HubSpot to help guide staff in specific functions as they relate to HubSpot objects
- Blog posts exist to display public information and often summarize concepts contained in the KB and in training material.
About this Knowledge Base
Benefits
- Efficiency: Immediate access to information helps users find answers quickly, saving time.
- Consistency: Ensures users receive accurate and up-to-date information.
- Resource Optimization: Reduces support requests, allowing the VSL support team to focus on complex issues.
Key Features
- Searchability: Robust search functionality for quick information retrieval.
- Structured Content: Clear organization with easy-to-navigate sections and bullet points.
- Continuous Updates: Regular updates to reflect the latest changes in VSL products and services.
- Complementary Resource: Integrates with the VSL website through interconnected links.
User Empowerment
The Knowledge Base empowers VSL users by providing tools and information to troubleshoot issues, learn about features, and maximize product use. This self-service approach enhances satisfaction and fosters a community of informed users.
Public and Internal Use
The Knowledge Base includes articles for both public and internal audiences. Public articles address common issues and solutions, while internal articles provide detailed guidelines for VSL staff and operators. This ensures all users have access to the information they need.
Also, please remember that the Knowledge Base is a dynamic resource that is being updated by humans every day. If an article looks incomplete or appears outdated, please be patient. Our staff is working hard to ensure that all of our hundreds of articles are up-to-speed!
📁 Knowledge Base Structure
Learn about the structure of the VSL Knowledge Base
Categories
The VSL Knowledge Base his organized in several categories. These categories are a way to organize articles based on their subject.
The four domains of recovery home operation
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🏡 Operations: This domain includes the core activities performed to support recovery homes, focused on delivering structured support to House Mentors and the recovery community in the home.
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⚙️ Administration: This domain governs the Operator's overall management and operations, ensuring that all procedures, policies, and standards are followed to maintain high-quality recovery housing.
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🤝 Outreach: This domain covers the strategies and efforts used to engage with the broader community, share the organization’s mission, and build positive relationships with stakeholders.
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🛠️ Facility: This domain focuses on maintaining the physical environment, ensuring it remains safe, clean, and conducive to fostering a supportive recovery atmosphere.
| Domain [links to overview] |
Theme | VSL Documented Standards | NARR Domain |
| "What we do" | 📋 Chartered Home Standards | Recovery Support | |
| ⚙️ Administration | "How we do it" | 📋 Chartered Operator Standards | Administrative and Operational |
| 🤝 Outreach | "How we engage" | 📋 Communication Standards | Good Neighbor |
| 🛠️ Facility | "Where it happens" | 📋 Facility Standards | Physical Environment |
Additional categories
- Opening a New Home [covers New
- Operator Resources
- Software & Tools
- VSL Policies & Procedures
- Recovery Housing by State
Subcategories
Subcategories exist in each category to help further categorize content.
Articles
Articles contain the content itself and is discussed below.
📄 Knowledge Base Articles
This section will help to contextualize the formatting of the KB, improving readability
At the very top of every KB page, you will find the title of the article you are reading in large text. Right below it, you will see an italicized subtitle, containing keywords that serve as a brief summary of the article's purpose. The goal of the title and subtitle is to provide just enough information to indicate whether you are in the right place.
Often, after a horizontal line, you will find a link that says "*emoji* Return to _____". These only exist in articles that belong to a specific department or SOP, and that are in a subsection of a department or team page. Then, if you are on a sequential article, you will see an arrow pointing to the left that says "Previous article: _____" and/or an arrow pointing to the right that says "Next article: _____". The point of having all of these links is to ensure that connectivity between related KB pages is intuitive and easy.
Following this step, you will encounter the article's table of contents. It will be in a blue box, and have number sections (and sometimes subsections):
Article Table of Contents
- Section 1
- Section 2, and so on
If you click the section you want to see, you should automatically be sent down the page to that information. If you do not get sent there, or get sent somewhere else, please let us know! Our Knowledge Base Update Request process will be outlined below.
After the Table of Contents, you will sometimes find two additional colored boxes containing useful information. First, a green box containing selected Related Articles:
Related Articles
And then, an orange box containing any necessary additional resource links:
Additional Resources
In some articles, these boxes won't exist. Even if they don't, relevant links will often exist directly within the content. Once again, if a link that you click doesn't work as intended, please do not hesitate to let our staff know.
After all of these introductory steps, the article will begin to take shape. It will be organized into sections, all of which are denoted in the table of contents. A section title will be between two horizontal lines, and often have an informative subtitle. Depending on the section's length and content, you may encounter subsections containing steps or areas of discussion. These subsections will below after a horizontal line, but will not have another line below them. Similarly, you will find topics within subsections, which have a smaller title font and no horizontal lines that make them stand out.
It is likely that you will encounter an image or chart within a KB article. If you encounter one that looks stretched, cut off, or otherwise is ineffective, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Finally, at the end of any given section, you will often find two more helpful links. The first link will be on the right side of the page, and prompt you to 'Read More' about the section's content, sending you to a different related KB article. Sometimes, this link will not need to exist. The last link will exist at the very bottom of the page section, and say "⬆️ Back to Top". This link will send you to the very top of the article. After this link, there should be a horizontal line, which marks the end of the section you are in and the beginning of the next one. If there is no subsequent section, you have instead reached the end of the article.
Read More: Link
🔤 Important Terminology
Please refer to this section for definitions of important terms and concepts
General
- Recovery Home — our most common term used to describe congregate living homes for individuals in recovery from substance use disorder — a.k.a. sober house and sober living. See also: 🏡 Recovery Residence Model
- Guest — someone who lives in a VSL Chartered recovery home. Guests are not clients, patients, residents, or tenants.
- Applicant — someone who has completed an application and is looking to join our network.
- Referral Source — individuals, organizations, agencies, and companies who refer individuals to apply to live in a recovery home. See also: 🤝 Types of Referral Sources
- House Mentor — House Mentors (a/k/a House Managers, but we avoid that terminology) are also guests but serve a leadership role in the home. House Mentors may or may not be compensated. Compensation, if offered, is typically a discounted or free room.
- Rent — guests pay rent, not program fees or similar terminology.
- Recovery Community — VSL's mission is to build recovery communities. A recovery community is a sober house, but the spirit of a recovery community is bigger than simply just a recovery home. A recovery community is a group of individuals in recovery who are committed to their personal journey, as well as helping others reach their goals as well. See also: 💬 Communication Policies
- Drug Screening — drug screening is the process of collecting urine samples to screen for recent use of substances. Screening is different from testing, which can only be done in a laboratory setting. Recovery homes screen for potential recent substance use using "quick cups" or dip cards.
VSL Charter Structure
- VSL — 💜 Vanderburgh Sober LivingTM (VSLTM) is a cooperative network of independently operated recovery living homes organized and supported by The Vanderburgh Foundation, a registered 501(c)3 Charitable Foundation, located at 1 North Main Street, Webster MA 01570. See also: 💜 Introduction, Mission, and Vision
- Operator — a blanket term used to describe anyone who operates a recovery home, regardless of their affiliation with VSL (though in this Knowledge Base, the term Operator almost always refers to a VSL Chartered Operator). See also: 🤝 Charter Membership: An Overview
- Charter — a Charter allows an operator to operate their recovery home as a Vanderburgh Sober Living recovery home and access to the VSL platform and resources. Homes are chartered individually, as well as the Operator. An Operator and a home must both be Chartered, and a Chartered Operator cannot run a non-Chartered home.
- Chartered Operator — an individual or organization who has signed a Charter Agreement and who is an active member of the VSL community.
- Independent Operator — a Chartered Operator who runs one or multiple homes as an independent owner/operator under a VSL Charter.
- Contract Operator — a Chartered Operator who runs one or multiple homes as a contractor for VSL under a Contract Operator Agreement.
- House Rules — House Rules are the set of rules which guide each Chartered VSL home. House Rules are contained in the Guest Handbook and are not guidelines or suggestions, but actual rules. They are the concrete and non-negotiable portion of our Core Requirements.
📝 Terms and Conditions
Please refer here to find the terms and conditions associated with this KB
Ownership of the Knowledge Base
The Vanderburgh Sober Living Knowledge Base ("KB") is owned and is the property of Vanderburgh IP, LLC. The KB shall at all times remain the sole property of Vanderburgh IP, LLC and shall at all times be kept secure by all users of this resource.
Importance of Confidentiality
This KB is highly confidential and is protected by copyright. You must, at all times, treat this KB and all other VSL resources, and the information contained therein, as confidential and must use all reasonable efforts to maintain such information as secret and confidential. You may not, at any time. copy, duplicate, record, or otherwise reproduce the foregoing materials, in whole or in part, nor otherwise make the same available to any unauthorized person.
Keeping the Handbook Current
VSL may, from time to time, revise the contents of the KB and Operators are asked to comply with each new or revised standard. Please regularly check for updates.
Disclaimer
This KB and its contents are for guidance only and cannot ensure the success of any sober living business venture. The success of our Chartered Operators is dependent on efforts and the specific business environment in which it is operated. We work with Chartered Operators and make ourselves available for assistance but cannot guarantee anyone's success. This disclaimer applies to any and all information present in this KB and any related or linked documents and articles. Any terms present in Contracts, Charter Agreements and/or Lease Agreements will supersede information presented in this KB.
Read more: 📋 Chartered Operator Standards