In these areas, a drug and alcohol halfway house is licensed by the Department of Health and has staff coverage 24 hours a day. Living in a halfway house can be a great bridge between finishing your rehab program and returning to your regular life. A halfway house will give you more time to transition, but it also provides a robust support system of sober peers to encourage you. Halfway homes are managed by licensed drug counselors, therapists, and similar healthcare personnel. Daily life is structured around group therapy or individual counseling sessions, support groups, and other aftercare programs.

Key Differences Between Halfway Houses and Recovery Houses

Community meals are shared, especially at lunch and evening meals, so the residents bond and socialize with each other. 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. We’re Recovery Unplugged, a behavioral health initiative bringing effective treatment right to your home. Because if there’s one thing more haunting than millions of addiction deaths, it’s knowing they’re preventable.

What Is A Halfway House and What Is It Like?

It’s more vital than ever in ensuring long-term sobriety post-halfway house stay. Halfway houses have many benefits, especially if you utilize all they offer during your time there. First and foremost, halfway houses give you time to learn and implement more social and life tools to help you maintain and lead a sober and rewarding life. The length of stay can vary according to the level of care provided at the halfway house you choose.

Are Halfway Houses the Same as a Residential Treatment Facility?

Residents must always stay sober; substance abuse could lead to immediate eviction from the house. Also, residents are expected to remain sober and participate in chores as part of their communal living responsibilities. Although most halfway houses have a similar structure, each facility has different requirements and expectations of its residents, so it’s best to ask the facility you’re interested in about rules.

• Halfway houses 1, also referred to as sober living homes or recovery houses, are transitional living environments for those who are in recovery programs or other institutions.
• You’ll be expected to follow a daily schedule, which includes tasks like cleaning chores and attending group meetings.
• For the purpose of this briefing, however, we are focusing on “Halfway Houses in the Criminal Justice System”– which are state or federally contracted facilities for people leaving state or federal incarceration.

When in active addiction, we tend to ignore the things that make us successful. So when getting back on our feet and in recovery, cooking and cleaning for ourselves is part of a healthy recovery plan. Let’s say you or a loved one has heroin addiction almost completed an alcohol or other drug addiction treatment program. Or maybe you’re going to start an outpatient program, but living at home isn’t a sober, supportive environment for you.

The goal of a halfway house is to help you reintegrate into society by providing access to treatment options, counseling, and support. You are expected to follow the rules and guidelines and are required to participate in educational and vocational programs. The primary aim is to help you stay sober and halfway house avoid relapse while learning to become a productive member of society.

Recovery houses, also known as sober living homes, provide a less structured but still supportive environment for individuals recovering from addiction. These homes focus on fostering a sense of community and mutual support among residents. Unlike halfway houses or sober living homes, drug rehab provides active, on-site treatment for substance use disorders from the earliest stages of addiction treatment. The main purpose of a halfway house is to provide a safe and supportive environment for people who are recovering from addiction or other mental health issues.

For those seeking addiction treatment for themselves or a loved one, our calls are confidential and are available for 24/7 help. Recovery Unplugged is a national addiction treatment organization with locations across the country that combines evidence-based practices with music to help clients more readily embrace treatment. “Aftercare” is what happens both during and after your initial rehab program. While you’re in rehab, your treatment team is working to make sure you have the skills you need to be successful once you leave. Sober-living homes are usually privately owned and expect residents to pay for rent and utilities just like everywhere else. No funding disruptions usually occur, provided all the residents remain current on their rent.

These facilities range from entirely carceral to not carceral at all (represented by the locked doors), and feature different priorities and programming for the people residing in them. Their purposes can also overlap, as community based correctional facilities, for instance, house individuals at various stages in their incarceration. For the purpose of this briefing, however, we are focusing on “Halfway Houses in the Criminal Justice System”– which are state or federally contracted facilities for people leaving state or federal incarceration.

• In addition, residents and the house manager can work out an arrangement that meets their needs.
• However, halfway houses typically have rules and regulations in place to promote safety, such as drug and alcohol testing, security measures, and staff supervision.
• The structured environment of halfway houses usually includes support staff like a house manager and medical and mental health professionals.
• Many halfway houses provide access to counseling, job training, and other resources that facilitate reintegration into society.
• Recovery Unplugged is a national addiction treatment organization with locations across the country that combines evidence-based practices with music to help clients more readily embrace treatment.
• We offer professional drug and alcohol treatment services tailored to your needs.

Selecting the right option for yourself or a loved one will come down to the specific treatment options you may need and the stage of addiction recovery. The time spent in a sober-living home depends on a number of factors including strength of recovery from addiction, progress on clinical milestones and the personal living situation at home. A minimum stay of three months is recommended, but many benefit from a longer stay for sustained sobriety. These media reports are too often the only way we are able to retrieve public information about the internal conditions of halfway houses.