Sober Homes & Sober Living
Sober homes, also known as sober living homes or halfway houses, are residential facilities designed for individuals who are in early recovery from addiction. These homes provide a safe and supportive environment for individuals who have completed a formal treatment program and need continued support as they transition back into society. Sober homes typically have strict rules and guidelines in place to ensure the safety and sobriety of all residents. In addition to providing a drug and alcohol-free living space, sober homes also offer resources and support to help residents find employment, continue their education, and maintain their recovery. Sober homes are a valuable resource for those in recovery, as they provide a sense of community, accountability, and structure that can be vital in the early stages of recovery.
Finding a sober home can be a pretty daunting task. Finding the right one is made more difficult since any individual home can change depending on a variety factors. Management changes hands and with that so do policies and attitudes. The most reliable way to find a good sober home is just good old fashion word of mouth. That being said, Sharon Eisner Gilreath with Magnolia New Beginnings has put together suggestions below. The community over at Magnolia is incredibly helpful - they also have a Facebook group that is by invitation only.
This PDF, with information from MASH is also a good resource.
Picking a sober home: What to ask
By SHARON EISNER GILREATH
Before contacting any professional or institution, it's recommended that you do further research, request and contact references, consult your physicians, and check with your local Better Business Bureau. We do not endorse any organizations, products or services; further, we assume no liability or responsibility for the claims made by our members, the service providers or institutions.
Vetting a location: This is a resource list ONLY. We have not necessarily vetted any of these facilities, so we ask that you do your homework.
How sober homes answer these questions could determine if they are right for you or a loved one.
Are you certified by the Florida Association of Recovery Residences? FARR certifies sober homes that meet 38 standards for recovery, housing, administration, training, finance and good-neighbor practices. Certified homes can be found at farronline.org NATIONWIDE LICENSED SOBER LIVING - go to www.narronline.org or certified in YOUR STATE.
Is the residence coed? Experts agree that newly recovered addicts, especially women, are vulnerable. Dating and relationships in early sobriety can take the focus off recovery.
What will happen if I relapse? FARR recommends that sober homes devise individual relapse protocols that include contacts and alternative housing arrangements.
Have there been any over doses or deaths? Is staff trained in CPR?
How often do you drug test? Are tests random? What kind of tests? How much do they cost?
Do you bill insurance? Sober homes are not licensed to offer medical care and cannot bill insurance for services, including rent.
How much is rent? How is it paid? What is included in rent? What is the refund policy? Are there rules about pocket change and money transfers? Experts warn insured residents to be leery of free rent, gift cards, cellphones, gym memberships and other inducements if linked to attendance at an intensive outpatient program (IOP) or the provision of urine samples.
Do you have an ownership interest or receive referral fees from an intensive outpatient program (IOP) or lab?
Have there been any complaints filed against the sober home or its employees, including code violations?
How much training, education and clean time do you require of employees, including house managers?
Are properties and vehicles that transport clients insured? Are clients allowed to drive vehicles?
Are there 12-step meetings on property? Do you provide transportation to meetings? The grocery store? Is there public transportation within walking distance?
What are your policies regarding guests and furloughs?
What is your cellphone policy?
What is the maximum occupancy? How many to a room? How many bathrooms?
www.magnolianewbeginnings.org/
Other Resources
SAMHSA
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/
Among the vast amount of information available on this site, is a search feature that allows you to scour the database of facilities such as detoxes, sober houses, outpatient, short-term and long-term residential, substance abuse and mental health services, just to name a few.
The really cool thing about this site is that you can drill down to very specific results.
The example below shows a search in (1) Salem, MA, for (2) Substance Abuse Facilities and Services (if you click the small black arrow near the name you'll see the (3) drop down with more choices to filter the results.
Click for a larger image
MASH
Mass Alliance for Sober Housing
MASH has a listing of certified sober homes in Massachusetts that presumably meet the standards they list in the Certification Standards and the standards according to the MA Sober Homes Law.
MASH is also recommended by The National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) which, according to their website, "is a 501-c3 nonprofit and recovery community organization (RCO) that currently serves 25 regional affiliate organizations. These affiliate organizations collectively support over 25,000 persons in addiction recovery who are living in over 2,500 certified recovery residences throughout the United States."
NARR offers a code of ethics and as well as this document of Standards for Recovery Residents.
MASH also provides their own list of suggestions when looking for a sober home that you can read here.
My Sober Roommate
One of MSR’s founders, a therapist working in addiction recovery, watched many of his clients struggle and grow frustrated trying to find sober roommates. Surprisingly, we couldn't find a roommate matching service for people committed to living a clean lifestyle that also protected their personal information. Thus, MSR was born!
Whether you're in recovery or you've chosen to live clean for other reasons, one of the best ways to maintain your clean lifestyle is to surround yourself with likeminded people, particularly in your living environment. If you're reading this, you're already on a path to sustaining a healthy lifestyle. MSR can help you achieve that goal, and we're grateful to be a part of your journey.
Oxford House
According to the website:
Oxford House is a concept in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. In its simplest form, an Oxford House describes a democratically run, self-supporting and drug free home. Parallel to this concept lies the organizational structure of Oxford House, Inc. This publicly supported, non-profit 501(c)3 corporation is the umbrella organization which provides the network connecting all Oxford Houses and allocates resources to duplicate the Oxford House concept where needs arise.
Sober Livings Intervention
Sober Living Home is a tool for assistance in the recovery from Drug and Alcohol addiction. There are thousands of Sober Living Homes in the directory. You can search by State, then by City with their directory.
note: Website is super slow
