6 Benefits of Sober Living Homes

Being farther away from the environment that initially drove an addiction can help individuals avoid relapse. Someone’s family and friends could become a barrier sober house to recovery, or may even trigger relapse. Conversely, having a change of scenery and being safely away from temptation can facilitate faster healing.

This can help you continue your recovery in a supportive environment while living in a substance-free home. At Bridges of Hope, we can help connect you to an appropriate sober living community and our outpatient treatment program, all conveniently located here in Indiana. California bill AB 724 (2007) addressed operations that
claimed to be sober houses solely to avoid local regulation but that, in fact,
did not supervise residents or limit them to people in recovery. It would have required
sober houses to have a zero-tolerance policy for drugs and alcohol and required
the residents to participate actively in recovery activities.

Primary Outcomes

Suppose you’ve recently relapsed and found that the stress of being in environments around alcohol and drugs or a lack of structure is particularly triggering. In some cases, sober living homes will contract with licensed drug rehabilitation centers and therapists as a means for providing an even greater level of care. These types of sober livings do tend to charge higher fees, however, they are often able to provide a very affordable alternative to what would otherwise constitute high-priced inpatient treatment.

• The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS)
  certifies 39 sober houses for funding through two programs.
• Over the years, sober living houses have evolved to meet the needs of those in recovery.
• If you’ve struggled to understand the different types of treatment, you’re not alone.
• Learning to get to know yourself clean and sober and learning to manage your emotions can be very difficult once the drugs and alcohol have gone.

However, they also have to submit to random drug testing, adhere to a curfew, and follow house rules. Have you or a loved one completed a substance abuse treatment program or detox? Sober living homes offer safety and support for people recovering from drug or alcohol abuse. You live in a substance-free environment while navigating the responsibilities of life in the real world.

Who runs sober houses?

The Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations evaluates quality of care provided by healthcare organizations. Footprints has the Gold Seal of Approval, which is the highest standard. Typically, as long as you follow the rules, you may live in the home for as long as you want. An alcohol abuse problem can include binge drinking, having negative consequences such as hangovers with your drinking but continuing anyway, and drinking despite the desire to stop. There are many misconceptions about alcoholism that make it sound like an alcoholic is an easy person to spot, however, many alcoholics function effectively and lead relatively normal lives. Because alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous – and even kill you – make sure you have medical advice from your doctor or a rehab facility when you decide to stop drinking.

• The intensity declines as an individual comes closer to early recovery.
• It can be hard to make connections and succeed at things like a job or continue your education.
• The complexity of treatment programs, knowing which level of care you need and how to choose the program best suited to you can sadly become a hesitation for those who desperately need care.
• Living in a sober house can
  give these people the time and safety to take care of legal or social service
  issues and find a job and a permanent place to live.
• Central to recovery in SLHs is involvement in 12-step mutual help groups (Polcin & Henderson, 2008).
• John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE is board-certified in addiction medicine and preventative medicine.

Rehabs will focus on their primary treatment facility first and their sober living second. A good sober house should have a community feel to the place as the peer support is the most important aspect of the house. 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 of them view their homes as a necessary component of a successful recovery. Specific nuances of each rule depend on the sober living home or manager. As you’re searching for the environment that’s right for you, ask each potential recovery home what their rules are.

Rules & Regulations for Living in a Sober Living House

Attending treatment for a short period of time is also rarely sufficient to repair the damage wrought by addiction. The fact that residents in SLHs make improvement over time does not necessarily mean that SLHs will find acceptance in the community. In fact, one of the most frustrating issues for addiction researchers is the extent to which interventions that have been shown to be effective are not implemented in community programs. We suggest that efforts to translate research into treatment have not sufficiently appreciated how interventions are perceived and affected by various stakeholder groups (Polcin, 2006a). We therefore suggest that there is a need to pay attention to the community context where those interventions are delivered.

Over time, the United States adopted the English idea of halfway housing. The halfway houses in the U.S. host individuals that have just been released from prison. These programs, while helpful for many, have a number of limitations that sober living homes lack. Halfway houses are mostly government-funded, meaning they are particularly vulnerable when governments cut spending.

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.

• Residents are encouraged to provide mutual support and encouragement for recovery with fellow peers in the house.
• Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery, an advocacy
  group, estimates there are about 160 sober houses in Connecticut.
• While everyone recovers at a different pace, it is worth repeating that long periods spent in substance abuse treatment are correlated with a reduced risk of relapse.
• Chris is a storyteller and aims to share his story with others in the hopes of helping them achieve their own recovery.

Read on to learn about what a sober living house is, the history of sober living homes, types, who should go to one, and how you can find a sober living house. Some homes require that you’re either in outpatient treatment or you’ve completed inpatient treatment before you enter the home. Others are less specific, and if you feel that you need help maintaining sobriety, they’re happy to welcome you. When it comes to sober houses in Boston or the surrounding area, each one has different requirements. Performing these life skills will help you establish a routine you’ll use in your daily life. Also, living with other sober living residents will teach you interpersonal skills and how to apply them.

How to Choose the Right Sober Living Home

Each year more than 7 million individuals are released from local jails into communities and over 600,000 are released on parole from prison (Freudenberg, Daniels, Crum, Perkins & Richie, 2005). Although the need for alcohol and drug treatment among this population is high, very few receive services during or after their incarceration. Housing instability has contributed to high reincarceration rates in California, with up to two-thirds of parolees are reincarcerated within three years. In a study of women offenders released from jails in New York City 71% indicated that lack of adequate housing was their primary concern. Some sober houses may tell you that there is only one way to recover but that is untrue. We are unique because we do not follow the usual one size fits all approach.