These homes are normally safe and drug-free homes and help to provide additional support after initial treatment. The right choice for your recovery could include finding a safe place to transition between inpatient rehab and everyday life. Learn the difference between sober living vs halfway house lifestyle. Even after long-term residential treatment, you might need additional time to practice the skills you’ll need for long-term recovery.

Rehab centers offer intensive recovery programs that help residents overcome addictions by following strict rules and regulations. Halfway houses usually require that residents complete a formal rehab treatment program and they limit the amount of time residents can stay to 12 months. In some ways, it’s easy to understand why people confuse the difference between sober living and halfway houses. They both work as a type of housing to ease the transition for people who no longer need inpatient treatment, but who aren’t yet ready to return home to fully independent living. Both sober living homes and halfway houses can provide the support and community that people working on sobriety need. While the rent for halfway houses vary, there is usually some sort of cost to live in them. This is because a certain amount of rent must be charged to properly run the facility. The rent may or may not include the cost of utilities — this varies depending on the home and who is running it. However, these environments are made to be affordable for people with addictions. In most cases, sober living homes cost the same amount or less than the average rent in the surrounding area.

How Long Should Residents Stay in a Sober Living Home?

This trend has created competing goals for reentry services, a clash between whether to focus on people or money, and mixed results. Marquis Mckenzie knows how difficult it can be for people leaving prison to find a good place to live. As a formerly incarcerated individual, Mckenzie sees a large need where he lives in Florida for halfway housing that is driven less by profit and more by compassion. You might be triggered by certain life events or unexpected changes that cause you to have cravings again, even after years of recovery. Sober living homes can help you stay sober during times of high stress and vulnerability. There are a few differences between sober living vs halfway house living. The following lists show the contrasts and similarities between the two options. Halfway houses often employ staff with qualifications in criminology to assist in the process of transitioning prisoners back into the outside world.

• In general, sober living homes are privately owned homes for people recovering from drug or alcohol addiction.
• Sometimes we have a few electronics when we show up to the halfway house, given you’re not like me and pawned most valuables.
• Many newcomers are so accustomed to the lifestyle they adopted during active addiction, that following even menial rules can present a challenge.
• You might have some form of treatment to continue, like outpatient therapy; however, sober living homes are generally structured around peer support.

It’s nice to have people who genuinely care about their clients…” -Robert D. Next City is a nonprofit news organization that believes journalists have the power to amplify solutions and spread workable Sober House ideas from one city to the next city. Our mission is to inspire greater economic, environmental, and social justice in cities. She adds that a good halfway house serves each person as an individual.

What is life like in a halfway house?

They both work as a type of housing to ease the transition for people who no longer need inpatient treatment but aren’t ready to return home. Both sober living homes and halfway houses can provide the support and community that people in recovery from addiction need. The state-placement of ex-criminal offenders to a «halfway house» after a prison sentence may either be decided upon as part of the judge’s sentence or by a prison official’s recommendation. A direct sentence to a halfway house can be decided upon by a judge or prosecutor in lieu of prison time. Like sober living homes, halfway houses are committed to providing a safe and drug-free environment for all residents. These homes help people safely transition from treatment within a prison or jail or regular inpatient or outpatient treatment back into society. Halfway houses can protect those new in recovery from making bad decisions and from the triggers and temptations that are often unavoidable when someone comes out of treatment back into the real world. Halfway house is an umbrella term for sober living homes, transitional living homes, or recovery homes. Halfway houses are facilities for people coming out of a prison or jail with drug abuse or addiction issues to relearn the necessary skills to reintegrate back into society.

New patients are admitted in individual rooms providing one-to-one services and programming. As they become more independent, the dorms become bigger so that by the time the patient leaves, they are living in the 50–100-person dorm described above. In one model, upon admission, a patient is classified as to the type of disability, ability to reintegrate into society, and expected time frame for doing so. Judy is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in the State of Maryland, and a National Certified Counselor. She earned her Master’s Degree in Clinical Counseling from Johns Hopkins University with an undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Maryland. She has served in both clinical and leadership positions in a number of roles, in inpatient and outpatient settings, as a Primary Therapist and Clinical Supervisor. Returning to regular life after rehab is a difficult transition for many.

You may often hear the terms “sober living” and “halfway house” used interchangeably. However, there are some important differences between the two terms. This article is written with the purpose to allow readers to understand the major differences between sober living and halfway houses. After leaving prison, most inmates do not go directly home but instead go to a transitional facility known as a halfway house. As the name implies, it is not prison and it most certainly in not home, but it what is life like in a halfway house is closer to home. These are all operated by private companies under the supervision of the BOP. As the inmate advances to within six months of his release date, the halfway house will initiate proceedings to transfer the inmate to home confinement. Prior to allowing the inmate to transition to home confinement, the Case Manager in the halfway house will need approval from the federal probation officer. In some halfway houses, inmates will be able to keep smartphones with them at all times.

The concept of the halfway house is predicated upon the ideals of humanitarianism, rehabilitation, and reintegration. More often referred to as “residential treatment centers” in contemporary criminal justice and social services systems, halfway houses have been inextricably linked to the dominant punishment philosophy of their eras. While most people in sober living homes have been in treatment, sober living offers recovery beyond the context of treatment. Your primary focus during a sober living program is to learn the life skills needed to maintain sobriety outside of treatment. These programs include recreational activities and planned events to teach you how to enjoy life without drugs or alcohol. While either type of housing program could help you on your way to independent living, sober living homes provide unique benefits to those in addiction recovery that halfways houses might fall short of. Sober living homes can improve your chances of success in recovery over halfway houses. While completing a substance abuse rehab program before moving in may not be required, it can help individuals to stay sober. However, if residents are willing to remain sober, follow all house rules, and guarantee medical stability, they should feel free to apply. Residents of work release housing are frequently required to pay rent on a «sliding scale» which is often dependent on whether or not they can find a job while in residence.

It doesn’t provide the same level of structure as an inpatient facility. Still, it does present an intermediate sober environment that encourages residents to develop healthy coping skills and habits when returning home. A halfway house can be an incredibly beneficial stepping stone for those re-entering society. By providing a safe and supportive environment, individuals in sober living homes can access the resources they need to transition back into everyday life successfully. what is life like in a halfway house Consider a halfway house if you or someone you know is seeking a place to live that offers support and guidance. If you are interested in learning more about sober living homes or finding one in Austin, Texas, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. Sober living homes accomodate people with substance use disorders, and they’re sometimes called “halfway houses” because they often act as transitional housing for people leaving drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs.