Blog - April 4, 2024

What’s a Halfway House? A Transitional Living Option in Recovery

Many people transition into sober living after finishing a residential program to continue their recovery journey in an outpatient setting. Most transitional housing programs are supported by government funding and private partnerships. Laura Clarke of Advanced Recovery Systems describes how people transition back to work while staying in a sober living home or halfway house. The services and resources a halfway house provides depend on the type of operator, the purpose of the residence and the types of residents who live there. In general, halfway houses have strict rules, accountability tests and resources to aid residents. Most houses have some form of house manager, supervisor or on-site landlord.

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These residential facilities help individuals in recovery remain sober by providing a safe, structured, supportive, and stable environment where individuals learn and practice skills they need to re-enter society. Halfway houses play a vital role in the recovery process, offering a supportive and structured environment for those transitioning from rehabilitation to normal life. These facilities provide not just a place to live, but a community and framework within which individuals can rebuild their lives, develop essential skills, and foster the resilience needed for long-term recovery. For anyone in recovery, considering a stay in a halfway house could be a pivotal step towards a successful, sober life.

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Others go for the recovery services, such as group counseling and access to 12-step meetings, such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. For individuals who might be starting their recovery after incarceration, a halfway house can help them find employment by offering specific job-seeking services and guidance. Most halfway houses do not provide medical care, but many provide drug abuse programming. Federal prisoners can participate in a residential drug abuse program in prison and move to a transitional drug abuse treatment program in a halfway house. Halfway houses are residential facilities that offer a supportive and structured environment for individuals recovering from addiction or other disorders.

What Is a Halfway House? How Transitional Living Impacts Your Recovery

But when considering some of the services offered, make sure they’re services that help support your sobriety. Part of living in recovery is “showing up for life,” meaning doing things for yourself that make you a successful, contributing member of society. When in active addiction, we tend to ignore the things that make us successful. So when getting back on our feet and in recovery, cooking and cleaning for ourselves is part of a healthy recovery plan. Let’s say you or a loved one has almost completed an alcohol or other drug addiction treatment program.

• Now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is even more important that the public focus on the jail-like conditions of halfway houses which put vulnerable populations at risk.
• Halfway houses are very similar to other sober-living residences, and it’s no surprise that people often confuse them.
• Use the SAMHSA program locator to find halfway houses in your area, or click here to learn more about treatment options.

• Such services help ensure successful reintegration into the community, particularly for individuals who are transitioning to independent living from intensive mental health care settings, such as psychiatric hospitals.
• Research indicates that individuals who participate in structured transitional living are more likely to maintain sobriety, find stable employment, and have fewer legal problems compared to those who do not use these services.
• The presence of supportive staff, coupled with residents who are also in a similar stage of their recovery, helps a person develop life and social skills to better cope with the reintegration into society.
• On the other hand, halfway houses are dorm-style living spaces owned by a government or private agency.
• Since sober living typically follows addiction treatment, getting a referral from the treatment provider is recommended.

The warehouse features six roller shutter doors, excellent height to the eaves, and a three-phase power connection, making it ideal for various industrial and logistical activities. A full solar system is in place, enhancing energy efficiency and sustainability. Some Liberal MPs say they think their government should consider expanding the eligibility for an upcoming government rebate to include seniors who are no longer working.

Missing hiker found alive after 50 days in northern B.C. wilderness

Since states have overwhelmingly failed to protect incarcerated people in jails and prisons, the outlook for halfway houses is bleak. These woeful inadequacies are indicative of a larger systemic failure of halfway house oversight that often results in deeply problematic conditions for residents. Too often, audits are only conducted after journalists report on the ways specific halfway houses are failing residents, rather than government correctional agencies doing proper oversight on their own. In May, an investigation by The Intercept revealed that the federal government is underreporting cases of COVID-19 in halfway houses. Not only is the Bureau of Prisons reporting fewer cases than county health officials; individuals in halfway houses who reached out to reporters described being told to keep their positive test results under wraps. Some halfway houses may offer scholarships or financial assistance for individuals who cannot afford the full cost of their stay.

However, they still offer more structure and a larger support system than independent living. Halfway houses are often a step between prison and regular life, while sober living houses are focused Halfway House vs Sober Living recovery spaces that people choose to help them stay sober. Sober living houses started in the 1830s when temperance movements promoted “dry hotels” or sober places to live. But it wasn’t until the 20th century that they became the structured, supportive homes we see today.