In addition, sober living houses encourage their residents to take on a new sport or engage in activities such as volunteering within the community that can add value. While sober living homes do not have to offer drug testing or group therapy, those that do typically have state licenses that regulate those medical activities. In general, a sober living home is simply a place that does not allow drug or alcohol use, so residents can support each other while they recover from their addiction or substance abuse. However, homes that more closely monitor the safety and wellbeing of their residents through therapy and drug testing usually have better success rates. In addition, state licensure or group accreditation ensures that the sober living home complies with safety standards and a code of ethics. In contrast, sober living homes use rent money paid by the residents to support the house’s functions, along with some government funding and nonprofit grants.

And although the staff cannot offer formal treatment services, halfway houses are affiliated with centers that do. While halfway houses are designed specifically for people who are finishing inpatient treatment programs, sober living homes can be utilized as a first-line approach to recovering from substance use disorder. Compared to halfway houses, sober living homes offer residents far more control over the nature of their recovery program. Yes, sober residences help people remain sober and gain long-term sobriety.

Financial help from family or friends

Recovering from drug or alcohol addiction can be a lifelong process, and may be especially challenging without a supportive home environment in early addiction recovery. The average sober living home is not likely to have many amenities, and the person renting a room there must provide their own groceries, medications, and income. These are important steps because routine and personal growth will help the person take their mind off substance abuse, which in turn helps to prevent relapse. Sober living offers a kind of safe retreat that acts as a transitional living environment.

The instrument allows participants to identify up to 12 important people in his or her network whom they have had contact with in the past six months. The drinking status of the social network was calculated by multiplying the amount of contact by the drinking pattern of each network member, averaged across the network. The same method is applied to obtain the drug status of the network member; the amount of contact is multiplied by the pattern of drug use and averaged across network members.

Daily Life in Kentucky Sober Living Homes

Many residents will need sober housing that is within walking distance of grocery stores, employment opportunities, public transportation, and community support groups. Keeping the exterior and interior appearance of the home looking nice, as well as ensuring that it is safe, clean, and well-maintained will also attract potential residents to your sober living home. In Texas, sober living homes are not required to be licensed, but they can voluntarily request a license. Doing so can help ensure that sober housing is regulated and residents are treated fairly. States that regulate these facilities require a maximum number of residents, often fewer than 10.

If you’re receiving formal treatment, like partial hospitalization or intensive outpatient, you’ll attend your sessions at a treatment center and return to your recovery home at night. If you’re not in a treatment program through a treatment facility, you sober house may be attending 12-step meetings in the community or another group. Sober living is also commonly called recovery housing, a recovery home, or independent living. It offers a monitored living environment for people in recovery from drugs or alcohol.

Improving Outcomes for Criminal Justice Referred Residents

Other referral sources may include the criminal justice system, a mental health professional, Twelve Step meeting participants, or friends and family. Whatever the source of the referral, take a tour of the facility and talk to the people living there to decide if it’s the right fit for you. The cost varies by the type of sober-living environment and length of stay.

Establish a functional way to file away all documentation of your business expenses, income records, mileage, and receipts to make filing taxes less stressful. Many people use an online bookkeeping program and/or a desktop filing system with labeled folders. You may feel confident doing this on your own or you may want to consider https://goodmenproject.com/everyday-life-2/top-5-tips-to-consider-when-choosing-a-sober-house-for-living/ hiring an accountant to handle your filing system to avoid any legal issues in the future. Haven House brings together a full spectrum of treatment options demonstrating incredible success rates for our clients. Others may limit or restrict cell phone and internet access because they can act as triggers that could lead to relapse.

Despite the enormous need for housing among the offender population, SLHs have been largely overlooked as a housing option for them (Polcin, 2006c). This is particularly concerning because our analysis of criminal justice offenders in SLHs showed alcohol and drug outcomes that were similar to residents who entered the houses voluntarily. The two types of recovery houses assessed in this study showed different strengths and weaknesses and served different types of individuals. Communities and addiction treatment systems should therefore carefully assess the types of recovery housing that might be most helpful to their communities.

Or maybe you’re going to start an outpatient program, but living at home isn’t a sober, supportive environment for you. Sober living houses are alcohol and drug-free environments where residents can establish or maintain their sobriety. Through peer support, proven recovery principles, peer empowerment, and individual responsibility, residents can solidify their sobriety and prepare to return home or live independently. Outpatient programs in low income urban areas might find the Options Recovery Services model of SLHs helpful.