Are There Differences Between Sober Housing Programs?

Addictions, whether it be from drugs or alcohol, can change a budding life into a nightmare. Those who’ve dealt with an awful addiction may find themselves powerless to live a normal life outside of a treatment center. To help them gain confidence in returning to their regular world, arrangements have been made to provide a sober living to help them transition into independence. This type of treatment has several kinds, so it’s important to know the differences between sober housing programs that are available today.

Here, we’ll discuss a few of the more popular choices for sober living and give a brief outlook on how each run. Each type of program listed here is designed for a specific group of people, so be sure to check them out, in detail, to find one that suits your needs.

12-step Lifestyle Sober Housing Program

The 12-step housing program is one of the most restricted living arrangements available. This kind of housing has a set number of residents living within one household, sharing living spaces. Each person must follow a rigid set of rules that include doing their part to help run the household and to attend a certain amount of 12-step meetings at the home. If someone does not follow all rules, their time living in the drug and alcohol-free environment ends. Of course, this depends on the disciplinary actions set forth by each house, since most housing programs, like this, has their own rules and regulations.

Typically, 12-step housing does not have medical staff on hand to oversee the living arrangements. They will vote someone as a leader to ensure they meet all rules. Other residents will have an opportunity to have important roles as well to keep the house running smoothly. These living arrangements may or may not have a limited amount of time set for each person to live there. Most allow people to live there as long as needed to gain enough confidence to move out and live their new drug and alcohol-free life on their own. Those that struggle the most with addictions like this type of arrangement, because of the accountability they get from the other residents in the home.

Sober Living in Houses or Apartments

This kind of sober living differs from the 12-step style program. The houses and apartment settings offer a bit more privacy for the individuals living there. It allows them to live as they would in their home or sometimes, with one other resident. While there are still rules and regulations the residents must follow, living in this type of housing isn’t as restricted as the 12-step living offers.

To get into this kind of sober housing requires a bit more than other types asks for. You need to be actively working in order to pay for an agreed upon the room and board amount for each month. In some cases, getting an education is permissible, instead of working a full-time job, but you may need to work a few hours a week in order to pay for the rent costs. There will be mental health counseling, group meetings and other types of therapies you will be expected to attend, depending on your specific needs.

Sober Housing in Half-way Homes

There are two main types of half-way homes when it comes to sober living arrangements. One is for those transitioning from jail or prison to normal life outside of incarceration. Those who had drug and alcohol problems when they were jailed, may not have had any kind of help or limited help during their stay behind bars. Sending them out into the regular world without the means to live a drug and alcohol-free life, could send them spiraling back into the jailhouse once again. These half-way homes help them learn new skills to cope with their problems and live without the plaguing addictions that sent them to incarceration in the first place.

The other type of half-way home is for those who find themselves homeless. Without the skills necessary to obtain jobs and housing, these people find themselves on the street, addicted to drugs or alcohol to cope with their problems. Half-way homes provide them with shelter as they obtain:

  • Job training skills
  • Education for a career
  • Budgeting money skills
  • Mental health and addiction treatment

Each type of sober living home offers their own requirements, but they all give hope to those wanting to move forward into an addiction-free life, one step at a time. For more information on this type of sober living, call us at 844-639-8371.

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