What is a Halfway House? Guidelines & Benefits

First and foremost, absolutely no drinking or substance use is allowed at any given time, and clients are often habitually breathalyzed and drug tested to ensure adherence to this rule. If this rule is broken, clients are discharged from the house and evicted. To live there, you must pay monthly fees (essentially, rent), which support the cost of maintaining the home. Additionally, many sober living homes have resident councils, which help govern daily life, enforce house rules, and offer peer support. Other sober living homes are more like boarding houses, except that there are strict abstinence requirements, and residents do not get the final say about rule-making. In addition to these specific rules, halfway houses are usually more strict than other sober living homes.

Many people use the term sober house and halfway house interchangeably, but the two are actually not the same thing. Nontreatment affiliated sober living homes tend to offer a length of stay like any rental tenancy. For example, you will generally rent on a month-to-month basis for an indefinite amount of time and be required to give a 30-day notice if you plan to vacate the premises. Sober living homes are also not state-sponsored.4 You may qualify for a scholarship or grant funding for a sober living home provided by nonprofit organizations.

Who Can Enjoy Sober Living?

It can take several forms, ranging from a single room in a house to a number of or all of the units in a structure. Part of what is taught during treatment is to take responsibility for your actions and that you, and you alone, control your actions, behaviors, and the consequences that come with them. Continue reading to learn more about these recovery programs, how they’re similar and how they’re different, and where you can find help for you or a loved one. Life skill training may include anger management, relapse prevention, communication skills, financial planning, computer skills, and job search skills.

• Generally, the cost of living at a halfway house ranges from $100 to $2,000 per month.
• If you are leaving an inpatient or PHP program, we recommend your next step is to go to a sober living home and continue treatment in an IOP program.
• Many people become dependent on drugs and alcohol because of the environment they were raised in.
• Choosing a great recovery house can mean the difference between going on to live a happy, sober life or relapsing.

Some sober-living facilities are only offered for as long as you are in the treatment program. For others, you can remain in a sober-living environment after treatment is completed. Although halfway houses share a lot in common with sober-living homes, there are a few key differences that set them apart. Learning accountability is an important skill for people in recovery. Most halfway houses have rules to follow and help residents set boundaries. It also teaches them responsibility and that authority isn’t negative.

Small Sacrifices are Worth the Many Benefits to Sober Living

While the two share many similarities there are also important differences to know when it comes to deciding which type of transitional home is best for you and your needs. At Discovery Institute in Marlboro, New Jersey, we provide a continuum of care and aftercare options for people still wanting assistance after they complete treatment to prevent relapse. After treatment has been completed, not everyone has a safe and supportive environment to return to as they continue their sobriety journey. Some people may have lost their homes either as a result of their addiction or while they were in treatment. For others, their homes may not be a safe place to be for one reason or another. Riviera Recovery is a health and wellness sober living community helping men & women recover from substance use, mental health and co-occurring disorders.

Leading St. Louis drug rehab center Harris House offers two levels of transitional housing designed to provide ongoing and progressive alcohol and substance dependency skills. Many people use the terms sober house what is the difference between a halfway house and a sober house and halfway house interchangeably. Here’s a closer look at these two different resources for people in addiction recovery. How long you stay depends on the sober-living facility and your progress in recovery.