Halfway House vs Sober House: What’s The Difference?

You have to live by a curfew – unless your job requires you to work at night. This is definitely the right way to go for people who need a greater level of supervision in early sobriety. While in an IOP house or OP sober living home, there are often more rules than a halfway house since it is affiliated with a treatment center. There is usually staff at the homes to help monitor to provide transportation to meetings (depending on what level of care you’re in), and typically weekly grocery shopping trips. While in a sober living house you still have to pay rent as that is not usually covered by insurance at that level of care.

• Transitional living places, such as a halfway house or a sober living home, are given many different titles these days, creating confusion for those who seek help.
• Furthermore, all occupants must make payments for rent either every week or every month.
• Case managers are also the ones who negotiate favorable lease agreements with landlords on behalf of the homeless.
• They will usually let you in free on the agreement of a payment plan while you get back on your feet.

To live there, you must pay monthly fees (essentially, rent), which support the cost of maintaining the home. Additionally, many sober living homes have resident councils, which help govern daily life, enforce house rules, and offer peer support. Other sober living homes are more like boarding houses, except that there are strict abstinence requirements, and residents do not get the final say about rule-making. A halfway house is a type of temporary accommodation that provides support for those trying to overcome substance abuse. It could be used by individuals coming out of long-term rehabilitation centers, prison, or homelessness, or those who need to follow a court order. Those residing in the halfway house will be expected to be drug and alcohol-free and if withdrawal symptoms or delirium tremens are present, the facility is not able to provide the necessary care.

Sober Living Facilities Provide Structure and Support in the Early Days of Sobriety

No matter what your situation is, if you’re reading this article, you may be considering sober living. Sober living is the general term given to places of residence that have been designated as recovery housing. These places support the sober lifestyle and are occupied only by people who are drug and alcohol-free. A halfway house is a structured living environment for reintegration purposes. While there are many different types of halfway houses, some are strictly for people who have mental disabilities. Other halfway houses serve as the halfway point for convicted criminals to reintegrate into society but also have strict monitoring services.

While many of these rules seem like they are normal rules of life, they are sometimes things that we must relearn in our recovery process. In a halfway 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. While sober living houses have research touting their efficacy, it is also important to remember that they are still environments where you are living with others and the focus is on staying sober. Research on sober living houses also states that residents experience a higher possibility of securing employment and a lower likelihood of getting arrested.

Support

There are also plenty of independent sober living houses that have not changed their protocols much since the late 1940s when these residences came to be. 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. When you are deciding which residency program is best for you, it can be helpful to be assisted by your rehabilitation specialist in the process. While sober living houses share much in common, there are also varying levels of structure for the residents in the home.

Living in a sober-living home gives you accountability to yourself and to the other residents there. Ongoing support and community can improve everyone’s chances of continued recovery. Halfway houses are also usually funded by treatment centers or the government, which means if the government decides to cut their funding, people may end up having nowhere to go. Those living in sober living homes will go to work, go to their therapy and doctor’s https://ecosoberhouse.com/ appointments, and get themselves acclimated to their new, sober world. Finally, a transitional housing center with a sobriety requirement could be of great help if you’re struggling with housing insecurity, mainly due to addiction struggles. Leaving the structure of the treatment program can be very disruptive to your sobriety, so treatment programs have strict schedules filled with counseling, group therapy, and participatory activities.

Time, Time, Time

A halfway house is a structured, recovery-supportive, temporary living arrangement for someone stepping down from the inpatient level of care. It is meant to help with the transition back to the community, but this time, as someone in recovery, not active addition. While adjusting, they continue to receive therapy or counseling and are also encouraged to participate in volunteer service, seek employment and enrich their daily living skills.

• This is particularly beneficial to those who may be making the transition from jail or a correctional facility.
• While there may be some 420-friendly sober homes that allow medical cannabis use, most facilities frown upon any form of marijuana consumption.
• Before discussing the difference or differences between a sober living house in Hanover, PA vs halfway houses, there are similarities.
• While many of these rules seem like they are normal rules of life, they are sometimes things that we must relearn in our recovery process.
• The most important aspect of any living space is that it encourages growth, recovery, and accountability.

It’s important to be aware of the risks you may encounter in a sober living environment. Although halfway houses and sober living homes support sobriety, you may encounter individuals who bring contraband to the premises, such as drugs, alcohol, or other illegal items. The benefit of a sober living home or halfway house is that the rules of living in these homes supports accountability and consequences if this occurs, such as eviction from the home. While halfway houses are licensed by the state and staffed by the provider, sober homes are typically privately owned. They are regulated differently and are overseen by a “house manager” who is also a resident in recovery. Those who feel they need long-term accountability and community support can benefit from sober living homes.

However, these two types of residences provide different supports based on your recovery needs. Halfway houses and sober living homes can be beneficial sober house vs halfway house for those trying to get acclimated to life in recovery. Both halfway houses and three-fourth houses provide a recovery-supportive environment.