What Are Sober Living Homes?
Sober living homes are programs that help individuals successfully transition from treatment to living on their own back out in the real world. They help people in recovery gain their independence back while staying sober.
The National Institute of Health’s Journal of psychoactive drugs, “What Did We Learn from Our Study on Sober Living Houses and Where Do We Go from Here?” says,
Sober Living Houses are structured in a way that avoids some of the limitations of halfway houses. The essential characteristics include: an alcohol and drug-free living environment for individuals attempting to abstain from alcohol and drugs, no formal treatment services but either mandated or strongly encouraged attendance at 12-step self-help groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), required compliance with house rules such as maintaining abstinence, paying rent and other fees, participating in house chores and attending house meetings, resident responsibility for financing rent and other costs, and an invitation for residents to stay in the house as long as they wish provided they comply with house rules. (NIH)
Sober living homes are supervised homes that provide accountability in a structured environment and help people that have gotten clean work towards being self-sufficient.
How Do You Get Into a Sober Living Home?
To be eligible for admission into a sober living home, an individual must be detoxed or clean and have received some type of addiction treatment or be attending outpatient treatment concurrently. Every house has its own set of specific rules, so it’s important to check with the house you are interested in living in. To continue staying in the home, each person must pay rent and fulfill household duties. In addition, residents are required to attend all support groups and house meetings. The program in a sober living home usually starts with a pretty high level of intensity and then adjusts as each resident progresses.
In a sober living home, staying for at least 90 days is recommended; however, many recovering addicts choose to stay between 6 and 9 months, and some even stay for a year or more. Of course, the length of stay is up to each person and depends on many variables. You can stay as long as you feel you need to stay for you to keep on the sober path.
Eligibility Requirements for Sober Living Homes
All Sober Living homes have rules to help keep their residents healthy and on the right track. These rules protect the other house residents and are a requirement to stay in the house. Some of the common house requirements can include:
- No drugs, alcohol, or any substances of any kind are allowed
- No violence
- No overnight guests
- Residents are subject to random drug and alcohol screenings
- Must actively participate in support group meetings
- Residents must obtain employment, enroll in school, or be in an outpatient program
- Must help with household duties and chores
- Must pay rent on timeThe other household members must accept residents
- No sexual contact of any kind is allowed
If the rules aren’t followed, residents can lose privileges, have restricted living, or even be evicted depending on the particular house. Some zero-tolerance homes will evict residents if they violate any house rules, especially by having drugs or alcohol. Also, any sexual misconduct is grounds for eviction in any sober living home.
Sober Living Homes for Addiction And Alcoholism
If you or someone you love is looking for a comfortable, beachfront sober living home, we would love to have you here at New You Sober Living. New You Sober Living helps men and women in recovery succeed and prosper. We treat all of our residents with the utmost respect and dignity. So it is time to begin your path to long-term recovery today; give us a call. Our team of specialists is available around the clock to assist you, and all calls are free and confidential.
