Sober Living Near Me

Sober Living Near Me

Sober Living provides a safe environment for you or your loved one who is attempting to recover from drugs or alcohol. Housing options for sober living homes are usually private multi-bedroom houses often run by other recovered addicts and alcoholics. Typically, sober homes provide a structured environment with regular drug testing.

The use of drugs and alcohol has become a very concerning social issue in today’s society. Almost 17 million adults of the US population suffer from alcoholism alone. Additionally, only about 11% of drug addicts or alcoholics have received treatment for their substance abuse in 2009. This means that about 20 million people who suffer from a drug addiction have gone untreated and perhaps could still be suffering from their illness. To combat these issues, sober living homes have popped up all over the United States. You may not even realize it but there are likely sober living facilities near you.

What is Sober Living?

Sober Living homes are a type of group home environment where addicts and alcoholics struggling with drug addiction live together and learn how to reintegrate back into society.

In most instances, recovering addicts choose to live in sober living homes after they complete a professional inpatient drug or alcohol treatment program. Instead of returning to their former lives of social influence and stressful triggers, they commit to living in a supportive, sober community.

It can be helpful to live in a sober living home when you need strong accountability upon the beginning stages of your sobriety. At a sober living, individuals are able to learn social and emotional skills that are necessary in order to properly socialize within society without being outcasted.

What to Expect in a Sober Living

Sober Living is often described as a very strategic living environment that is designed to help drug addicts and alcoholics gradually transition from their illness to sobriety. Many sober living houses are under the operation of people who were once residents of the same.  Typically this person is known as a Sober Living or Halfway House manager.

Residents of a sober living house are required to pass drug screening and breathalyzer tests. This is both used a deterrent to prevent drug use or drinking by residents and to provide evidence if a relapse occurs to discharge the sober living client.

Types of Sober Living

Halfway Houses Near Me

There are a few different models of sober livings ranging from halfway houses to integrated sober living with intensive outpatient treatment. Finding the right halfway house near you will depend on many circumstances such as treatment history and history of drug use and drinking. As sober livings are not equipped to deal with withdrawals and medical issues it is usually recommended to use a sober living as a step down through your various levels of care as you are your loved one starts the road to recovery.

Some sober homes offer a blend of a recovery center and sober living into one model. For example, Solstice Recovery Center located in Austin Texas is a non-profit center with a hybrid approach with both a sober home and a recovery center integrated into an immersive 12 step model.

Does Sober Living Take Insurance?

Sober homes do not take insurance. Sober homes are not considered a medical facility and should not directly bill insurance. In some states, a sober living may work with treatment centers and intensive outpatient centers for continuing care after you or your loved one complete treatment.

Are Sober Homes committing fraud?

No, most sober living homes do not commit fraud. There are thousands of legitimate sober homes nationwide with correct licensing. As with any industry, however, there are a few bad actors which have been popularized in the media, particularly in Florida. However, there are sober living environments run by people that do it to give back and help others struggling with alcoholism or addiction.

Rules That Govern a Sober Living Home

Although residents are given a certain level of freedom, there are still certain rules that MUST be followed to contribute to the proper running a sober home. The rules and regulations that are set in a sober living are very specific. However, they vary across facilities. On the other hand, there are some rules that are common to all homes that are designed for sober living individuals. Some of these guidelines include:

Staying sober

All residents must agree and work on being sober, to facilitate the mandate of the organization. As such, the use of drugs and alcohol is not permitted, and residents are subjected to random drug tests.

12 step programs

Each resident, based on the uniqueness of their situation, must attend a 12 step recovery meeting or another that is designed to assist their transition.

Curfew

Although recovering addicts are given more freedom in a halfway house, they are expected to adhere to their curfew, as they would while being in another household.

Some homes have a rule where friends, significant others, and family visitors must leave the property by a certain curfew as well. Usually, curfew can be anywhere from 9:00 pm to Midnight, depending on how strict the house managers are.

Doing chores

Having the title of “resident” means that a person is required to carry out certain roles and functions of a particular social group. As such, residents of a halfway house are required to do household chores, as they would do is in their own home.

No violence

Residents are expected to live lovingly and to avoid all forms of violence. This is to foster a very friendly environment that all residents feel comfortable sharing and residing in such as to avoid a trigger of relapse at any means necessary.

No stealing or destruction

Residents are expected to avoid taking what doesn’t belong to them and to not destroy items that belong to another member of the household. If this rule is broken, feelings of extreme anger, as well as violent behavior, can be a trigger, thus leading to fights and a possible relapse as individuals tend to not know how to handle certain situations without being under the influence of drugs.

Job interview

Residents are required to seek jobs if they don’t already have one or are not in school.

Benefits of a Sober Home

The greatest benefit one can get from being in a halfway house or sober living is developing or establishing a lifestyle that is built on honesty and integrity. Halfway houses promote a new lifestyle that fosters the holistic growth and success of its residents. This means that individuals will no longer be subjected to living a life that revolves around drugs or alcohol; but rather, one that promotes good values of health and wellness.

Will Sober Homes Help with a Job

Despite the educational challenges of either adolescents or adult residents, many sober livings provide assistance with furthering educational and vocational skills.  This helps the residents to either develop or formulate their career goals. Many sober livings assist residents in the process of re-enrolling in classes or even getting a job.

Goals of a Sober Home

Although this is not common to all halfway houses, many sober living environments have a specific program that is designed to help the residents reintegrate in society. Some goals of these programs include:

Building a sober social support system

In any situation, having good social support is important. However, positive social support is essential because it aids in the transition from addiction to sobriety. In a halfway house, this support system includes a network of other sober residents.

Individual or group counseling

Some people function better when alone, while for others being in a group is more effective. Whatever the case may be, counseling is offered for residents and is centered on substance use or abuse.

Securing new employment and housing

After recovery, residents may choose to and are expected to move on with their lives. As such, halfway houses have put systems in place that help residents to search for and acquire new jobs, as well as a new place of residence if they are no longer welcome in their home or did not have a place to reside, to begin with.

Seeking Help for Addiction

Depending on the circumstances you or your loved one may need to enter into a substance abuse treatment facility, residential treatment facility or inpatient drug rehab. Usually, this will provide for a medically assisted treatment and medically supervised treatment. Once the residential portion of treatment is completed sober living is recommended while continuing outpatient substance abuse treatment and attending 12 step meetings.

If you think your (or a loved one) might benefit from finding a sober living situation, reach out to us for guidance. Call our Addiction Helpline and you can talk to a caring professional who can answer questions, give you tips on how to stay sober, and find the right place to support you through your sobriety. Recovery is possible so don’t wait anymore to get the help you need!

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