What you should know about halfway houses

Understanding and accepting the necessity of regular drug and alcohol testing is another requirement. These official transitional housing locations serve over 10,000 offenders recovering from drug abuse and working on their mental health. Many of these residents have been in a substance abuse treatment center and have now moved into a sober house as part of their continuum care program. A halfway house is a sober living facility intended to be a transitional environment for recovering addicts.

How long can someone stay in a halfway house?

Unlike rehab, halfway houses provide structure and support without ongoing addiction treatment. Halfway houses or sober living homes provide a safe environment for recovering addicts and those in early recovery. For those without a permanent and stable residency while in rehab, halfway houses provide shelter and a positive environment that promotes sobriety. The rules of halfway houses are sometimes as strict as those from a residential drug rehab facility. Halfway houses serve as a haven for people recovering from addiction and transitioning back to everyday life. They provide support services and treatment options for those leaving the criminal justice system (prison) or rehabilitation centers.

• Sober living homes vary in cost from inexpensive ($100-$300/month) to expensive (over $2,000/month), but many are in the range of $400 to $800 per month depending on where you live.
• For those specifically interested in facilities tailored for men, you can explore more details about sober living homes for men.
• For many, the idea of returning to life after addiction treatment can cause anxiety.
• The term “sober living house” typically refers to facilities for non-offenders who voluntarily seek help.
• These abstinence rates remained mostly stable by the 12- and 18-month marks as well.
• Both houses offer a support system, structured living, and a comfortable environment to help recovering addicts start going back to life after drugs and alcohol.

Find Out About Halfway Houses Near You

• At Ocean Recovery, we ensure that those in our programs have access to follow-up services or aftercare to help maintain sobriety and stay strong in recovery once they leave sober living homes.
• Some facilities allow residents to use health insurance to cover things such as therapy or counseling to help them save money.
• Visitation policies vary per halfway house, so it is advisable to call ahead and inquire about their restrictions before making a visit to a loved one.
• Once occupied, a cell was in the range of $20,000 to $25,000 annually to operate.

Keep in mind, depending on the house roles walking away from a halfway house can be considered an escape, and you could be charged for this. If you’re in a halfway house under court orders, this could mean you get your sentence back, plus added offenses. This is why it’s important to learn about the rules and regulations before choosing a sober living facility. A crucial part of the halfway house process is the reintegration of residents into functioning citizenship, with employment and community involvement being central roles. Whether it is employment off-site or structured activities in the facility, the residents are prompted to develop a sense of purpose and responsibility. As part of these activities, medication management policies emphasize the holistic approach to health, which consists of the safe use of prescribed medications while constantly working on the mitigation of abuse.

Employment and Life Skills

Also note that in some states (e.g., Texas), halfway houses only serve parolees.13 So it may be helpful to note how your state defines the term before you consider a halfway house as a recovery option. Residents of halfway houses have described deeply inadequate sanitation and disease prevention on top of the lack of social distancing. In the now-defunct Hope Village in Washington, D.C., residents reported packed dining halls, makeshift PPE, and restricted access to cleaning products and sanitation supplies.

How Much Does It Cost?

They accomplish this by connecting residents to local resources, such as clinics and peer-support programs, like 12-Step meetings, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). Attendance in continuing drug/alcohol therapy programs and the securing of a sponsor is often enforced as part of the halfway house rules to help maintain recovery. For those in early-sobriety, sober living offers accountability, structure, a support network, and general help during a tough time. Our aftercare recovery programs also help you maintain long-term sobriety and continue to work on your recovery even after rehab. We focus on helping you reach your spiritual goals, life skills, career goals and build a sober support network that will push you in your recovery process from drug abuse. While in theory, they are the same; a sober living home is usually a private facility that can be fancier than a halfway house.

Pinnacle Health Group is available 24/7 to discuss your treatment options. Their representatives will discuss whether their facility may be an option for you. Calls to numbers on a specific treatment center listing will be routed to that treatment center. Calls to any general helpline will be recieved by Pinnacle Health Group, a paid advertiser. In some facilities, charges are determined by the duration of your stay, for example, weekly or monthly fees. However, the main difference is the lack of medical and psychiatric staff on site.

• Even basic statistics, such as the number of halfway houses in the country or the number of people living in them, are difficult to impossible to find.
• Most of these centers offer a healthy environment for people to improve themselves and help them learn important life skills, find a job, and receive counseling.
• This pattern of inadequate staffing extends to CEC halfway houses in California, where a former facility director cited inadequate training and earnings barely above minimum wage.

Residents are all going through a similar process, and the staff creates a sense of structure. Unlike rehab, people are free to come and go as they please, but there are still some ground rules in place. Another significant difference is the length of stay, as sober living homes don’t specify a time limit for residence, with some people staying for as much as five years. This is because, unlike government-funded housing, sober living home residents pay specific fees to stay there. Some halfway houses split the cost of rent and utilities between residents. When an SLH is affiliated with an outpatient treatment program, insurance may pay for a person’s stay at a halfway house.

Unlike leaving treatment against medical advice (AMA), leaving a halfway house can bring significant consequences. For those placed there after being released from prison, halfway home confinement has strict rules. If you run away from a halfway house, this is regarded as an “escape” that could carry the same felony charges as breaking out of prison.

Housekeeping duties and commitments are usually delegated to occupants as a part of their everyday tasks, developing accountability and aiding in the upkeep of the housing. Enter your phone number below to receive a free and confidential call from a treatment provider. You’ll be expected to follow a daily schedule, which includes tasks like cleaning chores and attending group meetings. Besides staying clean, adhering to curfews set by the house management is mandatory. Not sticking with these time limits can attract penalties such as fines or removal from the residence.

Frequently Asked Questions about Halfway House Rules

There are some free halfway houses funded by the government or nonprofit organizations, but these may be harder to get into due to demand. It’s important to note that most rehabs require individuals in inpatient treatment centers or halfway houses to have completed medical detox. They typically recommend staying days post-incompletion of an inpatient or outpatient program. Halfway House vs Sober Living Both houses offer a support system, structured living, and a comfortable environment to help recovering addicts start going back to life after drugs and alcohol. They still have to attend 12-step meetings; people still go to group therapy sessions, and some even check in with their therapists or participate in aftercare recovery programs. After someone goes through a medical detox and completes either an inpatient or outpatient treatment for their addiction, it’s time to move on to the next step in their recovery.