Halfway House vs Sober Living Homes: What is the Difference

Some insurance providers may require a referral from a primary care physician or a mental health professional, and there may be limits on the length of stay or the specific services covered. Another similarity between halfway houses and sober living homes is that they both help individuals transition from one state of living back into regular society. Both halfway houses and sober living homes also help individuals gather skills and resources. These skills and resources help individuals transition smoothly back into regular society. Halfway houses also help keep individuals that are newly released from prison or jail from getting in trouble.

Additionally, a sober living home may offer resources like career support, housing assistance and so forth, but each sober living home will differ in its requirements. The living environment can be any type of dwelling, but most commonly is a single-family residence with shared bedrooms. Like level 1, this setting often proves to be quite cost-effective; the length of stay varies and is open-ended. At level 2 some degree of ‘programming’ is offered in-house and often in collaboration with outside service providers such as outpatient programs.

Difference Between a Halfway House and Sober Living

Furthermore, the word “halfway home” has a negative connotation, as there has been much in the news about shady operations and overdoses at halfway houses. The terminology employed to describe the home environment is deceptive, ambiguous, and has negative connotations. AlcoholicsAnonymous.com is a referrer service that provides information about addiction treatment practitioners and facilities. AlcoholicsAnonymous.com is not a medical provider or treatment facility and does not provide medical advice. AlcoholicsAnonymous.com is not owned or operated by any treatment facility. AlcoholicsAnonymous.com does not endorse any treatment facility or guarantee the quality of care provided, or the results to be achieved, by any treatment facility.

• Our primary purpose is to foster long-term sobriety through the cultivation of accountability, camaraderie, & character development.
• Having a solid support system and a safe living environment allows residents to grow, and to get the accountability they need to sustain sobriety.
• On the other hand, sober living homes do not have this limitation or prerequisite.
• Some halfway houses, on the other hand, are run by government entities.
• Those suffering from addiction are advised not to return to the same environment where their unhealthy habits began.

Unlike inpatient treatment, residents in sober living have the flexibility to determine what they want to do in their free time and even get a job. At Boardwalk Recovery Center, our sober living residents are encouraged to find work to set up a strong foundation where they can provide a positive lifestyle for themselves in the future. Community is key in recovery, and living with individuals with a common goal makes early sobriety possible. A halfway house serves a variety of different people in need of a drug and alcohol-free living environment. This 24/7 support is conducive to adjusting to a new way of life and providing a safe community for those in early recovery.

Renewal Center for Ongoing Recovery

Of course, there are a slew of additional factors that influence the overall quality, effectiveness, and fit of a sober house vs halfway house program. Residents are merely required to maintain sobriety and make regular payments on their residential fees by the sober house. There are a few differences between sober living vs halfway house living. The following lists show the contrasts and similarities between the two options. Other sober living homes are a privately-owned house where a collective of the residents run the house together. Similar to an Oxford House, these sober living homes also have a strict set of rules and often have blackout periods and strict rules about employment and paying rent.

The Residence has rules which will help you adjust two following these rules and leading a sober life. You have access to a support system that schedules time for making applications and attending interviews. Case managers are also responsible for addressing difficulties that may prevent the homeless from accessing livable housing alternatives in other housing programs. Credit history, arrears, or any other legal concerns are examples of these impediments. Case managers are also the ones who negotiate favorable lease agreements with landlords on behalf of the homeless.

Length of Stay

The second business model of sober living homes involves private, for-profit ownership. These sober living homes may be available to anyone in need of supportive housing in addiction recovery, regardless of their most recent treatment. Meeting attendance—If house meetings are held, you may be required to attend. Many halfway houses also encourage or require attendance at 12-step meetings. Residents of a halfway house are required to pay a portion of their income toward their rent. The costs of halfway houses vary depending on the number of services and amount of privacy offered.

In a https://ecosoberhouse.com/ home you should be prepared to be supervised at times and to have to adhere to rules of the house. If you are court ordered to a halfway house, you will also have to meet all of your probation requirements while also adhering to the halfway house rules. Sober living homes rarely offer professional services within the home.5 Instead, most residents will stay in a sober living home while attending IOP or outpatient treatment. 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. Some specific sober living homes have scholarships and grants available.