Sober Living vs Halfway House: What’s the Difference?

From marketing to housekeeping, each position at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation provides What is a halfway house purposeful and inspiring work with colleagues who share your commitment and drive.

The rules are to maintain the integrity of the community in the house and to ensure that residents are maintaining sobriety. While rules may adjust throughout your stay at a halfway house, such as an extended curfew or case-by-case basis, there are many concrete rules in halfway homes. You may often hear the terms “sober living” and “halfway house” used interchangeably. However, there are some important differences between the two terms.

Insurance Providers

As such, sober living houses serve as a space to transition into a life without addiction, developing tools and community while getting used to the demands of daily life. Sober living facilities first appeared in the 1830s, when religious organizations established hotels with strict no-alcohol policies. “Dry homes” became places where those in recovery could live for continued support and accountability. While residents in halfway houses usually have to stay for a certain amount of time, sober living has no such restrictions. Having the freedom of time allows individuals in recovery to focus on reintegrating back into society without worrying about finding a permanent home. The terms halfway house and sober living house are often loosely interchanged, there are differences.

  • Over the past few years, Oxford Houses have been under intense scrutiny due to their peer-run model.
  • Thus, sober living homes provide their residents with the support and structure that they need to maintain their sobriety.
  • You may be experiencing withdrawal symptoms and Temptations to relapse.
  • When individuals are in recovery, they have the opportunity to develop healthy coping skills.
  • While sober living houses share much in common, there are also varying levels of structure for the residents in the home.

They may also be able to connect you to sober living houses that offer sliding scale fees. Difference between a halfway house and a sober living home is that halfway houses are typically part of a treatment program and, therefore, subject to government regulations and oversight. On the other hand, sober homes are generally not considered formal addiction treatment programs.

Professional Service Within the Home

Clients who have graduated from treatment at The Recovery Village at Baptist Health can receive recommendations for certified local sober living homes in the South Florida area. Treatment does the initial work, but after your treatment is over, you need a long-term plan. In a peer-run Oxford Model, it is nearly impossible for providers to determine the health of the house. Providers invest significant time and energy in creating a safe, sustainable discharge plan for their clients, only to recommend a home that is peer run, dirty and potentially has people using in it. Historically, the term half-way house was in reference to a residence or house setup for people recently released from prison; a place to give them time to integrate them back into the general public.

Generally, those that are staying at a sober living home will remain there for at least 90 days, but stays can be arranged for as long as necessary. We offer long-term support and continuing care for young men with substance abuse issues including opioids, , benzodiazepines, cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol addiction. If a treatment center owns a sober living home, the treatment center may hire staff in the home, but this is rarely a clinical staff member. Instead, this staff monitors compliance with rules and may transport residents to treatment, work, or the grocery store. Sober living homes are paid for by the individual residing in the home.

Types of Sober Living Houses

Riviera Recovery is a health and wellness sober living community helping men & women recover from substance use, mental health and co-occurring disorders. Halfway houses are cheaper because they get their funding from taxpayer’s money. Sober living houses cost more, but insurance companies can help with the bill.

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