A sober living home provides a structured support system to those recovering from addiction. These facilities provide structure while teaching sober living requirements and designing a treatment plan that is personal and effective in each stage of the recovery process.
A sober living home provides a structured support system to those recovering from addiction. These facilities provide structure while teaching sober living requirements and designing a treatment plan that is personal and effective in each stage of the recovery process.
HOW IS A SOBER LIVING HOME DIFFERENT FROM A HALFWAY HOUSE?
One common misconception is that sober living homes and transitional residences are no different from halfway houses. While both options provide transitional services for patients in recovery, a sober living home differs significantly in its personalised nature.
Halfway houses are often run by government programs or social services, similar to a dormitory with many residents who are either on probation or homeless. Sober living homes, by contrast, exist specifically to provide personalised recovery support and house fewer clients under the same roof.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT STAGES OF RECOVERY?
Recovery looks different for each individual, however the process does typically follow a set of predictable stages:
Awareness and Acceptance: The client becomes aware of the problem and accepts that their behavior is affecting their loved ones.
Consideration: The client becomes ready to take the first step toward active, meaningful change.
Exploring Recovery: The client integrates new daily habits including moderation and abstinence.
Early Recovery: The client successfully changes bad habits but mourns the loss of former friends and copes with a new, difficult lifestyle.
Active Recovery and Maintenance: The client shows visible, sustained sobriety, has fully left behind former friends, and understands that sobriety is a lifelong commitment.
WHAT ARE THE RULES OF A SOBER LIVING HOME?
Following specific sober living requirements is crucial to success in a sober living home. Many expect their residents to complete rehab or detox. Residents may also be required to stay on the premises for the first 30 days of their stay. Random drug tests two to three times per week are a norm. Strict daily routines are also enforced to ensure accountability and success.
WHAT ARE THE RESULTS FOR PERSONS LIVING IN A SOBER HOME?
There is no disputing that the Bridge Foundation Halfway House Programme is importantly positioned within the island’s continuum of care and presently does and will continue to play a key role in providing a safe transitional living environment to support the clients that are in need of Halfway House accommodation. The literature supports this specific type of initiative as an essential ingredient in the re-integration process. See the results for yourself in the National Drug Council's Report on the Evaluation of the Bridge Foundation Halfway House Transitional Living Programme.
