Sober living residences have strict rules and a zero-tolerance policy for substance possession and abuse. You do not necessarily have to start with an addiction treatment program before you join any sober living house. However, you will need to participate in their applications and weekly house meetings. The goal of sober housing is to separate users from their previous, substance-occupied environment, and provide them with a safe and supportive place to heal, away from outside pressures. The second phase allows for more personal autonomy and increased responsibility for one’s recovery. All residents, regardless of phase, are required to be active in 12-step recovery programs, abide by basic house rules, and abstain from alcohol and drugs.

• At the end of treatment, the doors will open and the patient is free to apply what their counselors have taught them.
• Residents share tips on maintaining sobriety despite all odds, finding jobs, or resolving personal issues contributing to their drug use.
• Since sober living houses are in residential neighborhoods, backyards may also be available and will be part of the shared communal space.
• After treatment is over, people are faced with returning to their former environment or moving into Recovery Housing.

If you’re seeking substance abuse treatment, consider us here at Harris House. Feel free to reach out with any questions about our different programs — we’d love to talk to you about your options. To answer the question of “how do sober living homes work” doesn’t really require splitting hairs between these different types of residences, so we’ve elected to treat them as one collective type of program. Just don’t assume that all programs will operate exactly the same. Try to choose a quality sober living home located outside of your hometown as well. Being farther away from the environment that initially drove an addiction can help individuals avoid relapse.

Learn More About Sober Living Homes

If you have already gone through rehab, but you’re not quite ready to live independently, this type of facility may be an excellent fit for you. In general, sober living homes are privately owned homes for people recovering from drug or alcohol addiction. Houses are usually located in quiet, peaceful neighborhoods, where members can destress and focus on their growth and recovery journeys.

• Addiction counselors or people who have successfully recovered from their own addiction usually run sober living homes.
• Two additional measures were included as covariates because they assess factors emphasized by as important to recovery in SLHs.
• For over 20 years Dr. Umhau was a senior clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
• Over time these houses have been used to shelter the homeless and, in recent times, two house individuals who have left an inpatient rehab facility.
• These friendships are not built via drugs or alcohol, and for this reason, often sustain long after treatment has ended.

Our study found positive longitudinal outcomes for 300 individuals living in two different types of SLHs, which suggests they might be an effective option for those in need of alcohol- and drug-free housing. Improvements were noted in alcohol and drug use, arrests, psychiatric symptoms and employment. Although criminal justice referred residents had alcohol and drug use outcomes that were similar to other residents, they had a harder time finding and keeping work and had higher rearrest rates. Areas for further research include testing innovative interventions to improve criminal justice outcomes, such as Motivational Interviewing Case Management (MICM) and examining the community context of SLHs. Recognizing stakeholder views that hinder and support SLHs will be essential if they are to expand to better meet the housing needs of persons suffering from alcohol and drug disorders.

Sober Facilities For Extended Stays

After all, the idea isn’t to be there forever; the goal is to get you out into the world on your own terms. Each program will have a different policy when it comes to length of stay. Some will allow you to stay for as long as you’d like, as long as you’re following the rules. We’ll go over the different types of people who typically benefit from a sober living situation or substance abuse halfway house in a later section.

Once you’re finished a clinical treatment program, it can be hard for many people to move right back into life, with all its responsibilities and potential triggers. You’re free to work or go to school while also being held accountable for your recovery. Living in a sober environment helps you develop new habits and routines, taking what you learned during drug or alcohol rehab and applying it in your daily life.

How do I Choose the Right Sober Living Home?

Some SLHs offer intensive outpatient services, including on-site medical care. These homes are often staffed in shifts by psychiatric nurses and licensed clinical social workers, who provide residents with 5 Tips to Consider When Choosing a Sober Living House 24-hour supervision and centralized recovery care. Most halfway houses operate under state supervision, so residents have a corrections officer or social worker they must report to on a regular schedule.

Treatment can be part of this for many, but there are multiple factors outside of treatment that also influence outcomes. Halfway houses, like other recovery and sober-living houses, are intended to gently reintroduce tenants back into society, free from the pressures and triggers of a potentially dangerous home environment. Halfway houses are very similar to other sober-living residences, and it’s no surprise that people often confuse them. Another series of studies found that individuals who remained abstinent for less than one year relapsed two-thirds of the time.

A Double Standard in Addiction Care?

A big part of staying in a sober living home is creating positive friendships that help to reinforce the desire to abstain from drugs and alcohol. In an inpatient treatment center, patients are totally immersed in their rehab programs and generally don’t have much dependence. A sober living home is a great option to alleviate any concerns you may have about going from such a monitored environment right back into daily life. Tragically, for many newly in early recovery, sober living homes provide their only option for a safe, sober living scenario.