Best Practices for Recovery Housing


These homes provide a structured and supportive environment to help individuals reintegrate into society, access necessary resources, and establish a stable foundation for successful reentry. The NARR Standard categorizes recovery-oriented housing into four levels of support, each with specific operational guidelines to suit varying degrees of resident independence and care needs. The standards were developed collaboratively by recovery housing experts, providers, and stakeholders across the nation to ensure they comprehensively address the needs of individuals in recovery. It is important to note that these rules and regulations are designed to create a supportive and accountable environment. They help foster personal growth, recovery, and the development of essential life skills.

Level I: Peer-Run

Coburn escaped to the solitude of the mountains, trees and rivers in Grass Valley, but the area was also rife with drugs. California was the first state to cover this approach as a benefit in its Medicaid program, according to the Department of Health Care Services. Substance use experts say incentive programs that reward participants, even in a small way, can have a powerful effect particularly with meth users. A growing body of evidence indicates that such programs can lead to long-term abstinence. Here in the rugged foothills of California’s Sierra Nevada, the streets aren’t littered with needles, and dealers aren’t hustling drugs on the corner.

  • According to the state Department of Health Care Services, the rate of Californians dying from such drugs doubled from 2019 to 2023.
  • This is because the person’s consumption of these substances will have a negative impact on the other residents, who may be going through a medical detox and healing process.
  • Halfway houses are ideal for people who’ve already gone through medical detox and have completed an inpatient or outpatient treatment program.
  • Some sober living homes may have restrictions on accepting individuals with certain types of criminal backgrounds, particularly if there are concerns about the safety and well-being of other residents.
  • In Part 2, we’ll discuss state funding limitations and local restrictions enforced at the city and county level.

Transitional Housing and Sober Living in New York, NY: Find a Safe Place to Live and Recover

According to the state Department of Health Care Services, the rate of Californians dying from such drugs doubled from 2019 to 2023. Participants receive at least six months of additional behavioral health treatment after the urine testing ends. “It’s that little something that’s holding me accountable,” said Coburn, a former construction worker who has tried repeatedly to kick his habit. He is motivated to stay clean to fight criminal charges for possession of drugs and firearms, which he vociferously denies.

Benefits of Sober Living Homes

There are thousands of sober living homes in the U.S., according to the National Association of Recovery Residences (NARR). However, sober living homes differ depending on the residents they accept and the rules they maintain. Completing a treatment program provides individuals with the tools and coping strategies necessary to maintain sobriety and make progress in their recovery.

sober house rules and regulations

Questions about treatment options?

It doesn’t come without its challenges, however, and it’s beneficial to be around people who can support you on this journey. Sunnyside uses a psychology-based approach to help you drink more mindfully, no matter what your goal is. You’ll get a 100% custom plan, then use daily texts to track your progress and help you stay on target.

  • Discover more energy, restful sleep, and improved wellness with a plan designed to fit your life.
  • For more information on what cannot be delivered to residents during visits, contact the halfway house.
  • If you find a rule that needs to be clarified, address it during house meetings.
  • It doesn’t come without its challenges, however, and it’s beneficial to be around people who can support you on this journey.
  • At Footprints to Recovery, over 70% of our patients choose to stay in sober living while receiving treatment or after completing treatment with us.

Most halfway houses don’t restrict who can live there, but the majority of people who live in a sober living home have already gone through a treatment program before going to sober living. This is mostly due to the fact that halfway houses require you to remain sober while you live there. Therefore, people who already have some level of sobriety under their belt are more likely to succeed at a halfway house than those who are new to recovery.

Through daily chores, they can get re-acquainted with the fundamentals of functional life in a safe and structured setting. Incorporating chores into a regular routine is also one way to teach sobriety while preparing an individual for the mundane tasks of daily living. Laundry, meal preparation, doing the dishes, cleaning the house, gardening, and raking leaves are examples of such chores. In this article, we’ll go through the different halfway house rules and regulations. When considering sober living homes, find a residence with state licenses, nonprofit accreditations, and appropriate health certifications.

sober house rules and regulations

Under federal statutes, the convictions for an escape charge can be anywhere between two to five years. A communal phone for residents may be provided in halfway houses where cell phones are prohibited. Federal halfway houses are designed to help low-risk and high-risk criminals nearing the end of their prison sentences readjust to society. They facilitate residents’ re-entry into https://virginiadigest.com/top-5-advantages-of-staying-in-a-sober-living-house/ the workforce and foster healthy relationships with their families and communities. Rent is an important part of an individual’s responsibility when living in a sober home, as it commonly is in life for others. Some individuals may be students who work part-time or have parents that pay their rent, or older adults receiving supplemental security income from the government.

Personal responsibilities like maintaining hygiene, seeking employment, and timely rent payments are also emphasized to help residents transition smoothly into society. The consequences for breaking the rules in a sober living house can lead to various repercussions, from verbal warnings for minor infractions to eviction for severe violations. Residents may also face probationary periods Top 5 Advantages of Staying in a Sober Living House or be asked to write reflection essays based on the severity of their actions. Based on your violation of the rules, for instance, you might have to make amends to other residents, write essays about your harmful actions, or pay fines. If the violation is serious – such as continuing to abuse drugs and alcohol even after being warned repeatedly – you may be forced to leave the facility.