What is a Halfway House? What to Expect in Halfway Housing

By augustus 15, 2023 Sober living No Comments

what is it like living in a halfway house

If residents tell them what they’re good at, managers can assign cleaning tasks within their capabilities. Calls from your area will be answered by Legacy Healing Center, a paid advertiser. Any treatment center receiving calls from the site is a paid advertiser. American Addiction Centers (AAC) is committed to delivering original, truthful, accurate, unbiased, and medically current information. We strive to create content that is clear, concise, and easy to understand. Insurance coverage and other financial support are sometimes available to help with the cost.

Maintaining Sobriety:

Many halfway houses also require that residents maintain a job or continue actively going to school. Rehab programs are also available at different https://sober-home.org/want-to-quit-drinking-use-these-8-strategies-to/ levels, from inpatient treatment to a few outpatient recovery programs. In federal prison we weren’t allowed to interact with guards in such a way.

Are Halfway Houses the Same as a Residential Treatment Facility?

  1. Government and some insurance like Medicaid might help with the cost.
  2. Also note that in some states (e.g., Texas), halfway houses only serve parolees.13 So it may be helpful to note how your state defines the term before you consider a halfway house as a recovery option.
  3. That being said, halfway houses can provide the type of support and structure that someone in recovery might need to stay on track with their sobriety.
  4. Instead, these facilities refer residents to contracted treatment providers.

Like anything else, time in the halfway house is a matter of perspective. Since I served decades in prison, without any privacy at all and with the iron boot of corrections pressing down on my neck, I had a different perspective from most others who experience the halfway house. But then again, since I’m gone for more than half of every day, I’m only there to sleep.

Sober Living Homes

Placement in Residential Reentry Centers (RRCs) post-incarceration can technically be declined by people slated for release, but doing so would require staying in prison instead. The rules at a halfway house are usually basic and enforced only to ensure you maximize your time there. Some rules are implemented to protect the other residents and make living together pleasant for everyone. Many halfway houses require a drug screening test before admission as they are not equipped to deal with withdrawal symptoms, so residents must complete medical detox before entering. Think of sober living as your support net as you practice new skills, gain new insight and shape your new life in recovery with other people who are possibly facing the same challenges. Sober-living homes provide a strong support network and community to help you safely navigate the tough spots and triggers you may encounter.

They can also providereferrals to general health services and mental health providers. The main goal of residential reentry centers, the term that the Federal Bureau of Prisons uses to describe halfway houses,is to reduce recidivism. Most of the centers are run by contractors, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons provides oversight.

Visiting Rules

However, as we will discuss later, these numbers include facilities that serve primarily or entirely as residential correctional facilities (where people serve their entire sentences). This ambiguity means that pinning down how many people are in halfway houses each day – and how many specifically state-funded halfway houses there are – is nearly impossible. Many people want to know, can you have a cell phone in a halfway house?

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 https://rehabliving.net/binge-drinking-what-it-does-to-your-body/ for ourselves is part of a healthy recovery plan. Most of these centers offer a healthy environment for people to improve themselves and help them learn important life skills, find a job, and receive counseling. Residents of a halfway house are obliged to follow a set of rules and restrictions.

Sobriety is an active part of everyone’s lives and is celebrated in these environments. Many halfway houses also make attending Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or other 12-step meetings mandatory. Learning accountability is an important skill for people in recovery.

Staff may include professionals trained in addiction counseling or security personnel that ensures residents are complying with the rules and regulations of the home. Halfway houses have a maximum limit of 12 months for residency, and for someone looking to establish a long-term sober living environment, a halfway house may not be ideal. Finally, rehab is not a prerequisite requirement to sign up for a sober home, but residents of halfway houses must have completed rehab before their stay. The government funds halfway houses and offers less privacy but more structure than alternative sober living communities. After you, complete inpatient drug or alcohol rehab, your counselors and medical team will meet with you to discuss what’s next. During this conversation, you may learn about opportunities for transitional living.

This is mostly due to the fact that halfway houses require you to remain sober while you live there. Therefore, people who already have some level of sobriety under their belt are more likely to succeed at a halfway house than those who are new to recovery. The majority of halfway houses are safe spaces for individuals who are dedicated to bettering their lives and remaining sober. Living in a communal environment with others struggling with addiction or other mental health issues can sometimes be triggering. However, halfway houses typically have rules and regulations in place to promote safety, such as drug and alcohol testing, security measures, and staff supervision. Unlike halfway houses or sober living homes, drug rehab provides active, on-site treatment for substance use disorders from the earliest stages of addiction treatment.

what is it like living in a halfway house

In an inpatient rehab program, you will discover that many people are traveling down the same road as you, and you can support each other. People who are addicted to drugs will know that no one, no matter how understanding and empathetic, can understand them as well as other recovering addicts and mental health professionals can. That’s why, upon completion of a reputable drug rehab program, it may be worthwhile to transition back to society slowly, through a halfway house. Let’s say you or a loved one has almost completed an alcohol or other drug addiction treatment program. Or maybe you’re going to start an outpatient program, but living at home isn’t a sober, supportive environment for you.

This removes temptation and helps people in recovery see that it is possible to enjoy life without these substances. Some halfway houses do not allow residents to bring pets with them due to concerns related to safety and hygiene, whereas others encourage residents to bring pets as part of their support system. Some insurance plans may cover a portion of the cost of halfway house services, while others may not cover it at all. During your initial consultation with Oceans Recovery, we will do our best to place you in a facility that meets your insurance requirements. Some halfway houses may offer scholarships or financial assistance for individuals who cannot afford the full cost of their stay.

One of the best ways to find the right halfway house is through your inpatient or intensive outpatient treatment program. As you complete treatment, your program’s clinicians should speak to you about aftercare, or the transitional time between rehab and full recovery. A good facility will help you develop a personalized aftercare plan, which may include https://sober-house.org/prevention-of-substance-use-and-mental-disorders/ recommendations for trusted halfway houses or sober living facilities near you. If you have not yet started your road to recovery, call us to speak with our caring support staff about finding the right treatment program for you or your loved one. A halfway house is a sober living facility intended to be a transitional environment for recovering addicts.

Leave a Reply