Recovering from addiction is a journey. If your teen has attended an in-patient or out-patient program, this is only one phase of the recovery process: there are still more steps to take. As a result, one option that many people find helpful as they transition from an intensive recovery program into everyday life is a sober living home. Here’s what to keep in mind when exploring this option.
Location
To begin with, location might be a key consideration in your research of sober living homes (also known as halfway homes). For example, does your city or town have a sober living home? Is it near your home so you can visit? When considering location, it’s important to weigh both what’s available and what would be most helpful to your teen in their recovery.
Cost
Sober living homes carry a cost, and some can be quite expensive. As you consider the location, look into the monthly rent expectations associated with each option. Homes with more services or hands-on support will be more expensive in order to cover worker salaries.
Requirements
Due to the nature of sober living homes, most homes have resident requirements. Besides maintaining sobriety while living in the home, residents might have to engage in drug testing and follow curfews. Some homes might ask residents to work toward career or academic goals. Others might require regular participation in household chores and house meetings. It’s helpful to ask what sort of requirements your prospective home has so that you get a full understanding of what life will be like once your teen lives there.
Level of Support
Different sober living homes provide different levels of support. Some might be more peer-run and have few to no paid staff members. At the other end of the spectrum, there are sober living homes that have clinical staff on hand, 24/7. There are also options in between. Along this spectrum of support, there will be different services offered so be sure to check and see if they’ll fulfill your teen’s needs.
Community
Ultimately, sober living homes are about building a community to support one another in recovery. This means that residents will be expected to spend time together and help motivate each other. Therefore, it’s important to find the right community that your teen will feel comfortable participating in. Remember: the other residents are more than roommates. They’re an important part of your teen’s recovery process.
If your teen is looking to enter a sober living home, you can find different treatment programs available.
Feature Photo: Lia Leslie
