How to Locate Halfway Houses

Halfway houses--also called sober houses or sober living--can be the difference between a successful drug treatment regimen and relapse. They offer newly sober addicts and alcoholics a middle step between residential treatment and full reintegration to home life. Sometimes, a residential treatment facility is not an option for the addict, and sober living becomes the primary treatment. There are thousands of these homes across the country. Some are licensed by state boards, some are not. Many provide a valuable community service, while others are dangerous and unhealthy places. Choosing a facility is not easy, but preparation and education can guide you in this very important decision.

Instructions

• 1

  Understand that fewer than a third of sober living homes are registered with the state as 501(c)(3) non-profits. What that means is that the great majority of homes are unregulated. What that does not necessarily mean is that an unregistered home is a bad choice. Most are doing fine work for the residents who are trying to get and stay clean.

• 2

  Make your choice based on personal needs. Cost is a factor, but it shouldn't be the only one. If possible, set up a time to tour the house and meet with the house manager.

• 3

  Ask to see a list of rules for the house. Generally speaking, the more restrictive, the better. Most homes have a curfew and strict rules governing overnight stays elsewhere. These restrictions are there to help the newly recovering addict spend as much time in a safe, alcohol and drug free zone as possible. A printed list of rules and policies also shows that the house is organized and consistent. If the manager verbally tells you house policies without providing any printed materials, it may indicate that the rules are not effectively communicated to or enforced with the residents.

• 4

  When you approach the house, look at the landscaping. It needn't be a palace, obviously, but it should be well kept and presentable. Most homes ask the residents to commit to a daily chore, so it's important that the grounds are maintained with pride.

• 5

  Choose a home that requires recovery-related activities. A certain number of group meals per week or a morning meditation are ways that good sober living homes foster an atmosphere of recovery. Many also require that residents attend a minimum number of outside, 12-step meetings per week. These are all useful tools. A halfway house or sober living home is not a place to exist, but a place to grow and get better.

• 6

  Find a home that is in a part of town far away from old haunts. The key is to start anew, and a home in a decent neighborhood far away from the temptations of your old life gives you a buffer during those early months of recovery.

• 7

  Use your sixth sense. Trust your gut to tell you if a halfway house or sober living home just doesn't feel right, but be careful not to talk yourself out of taking the steps you need to take to get healthy. View several different homes and compare the atmosphere at each before making a decision.