What are halfway houses?

Background

Recognizing the need for a safe environment for alcoholics in recovery, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) established the first halfway houses in the 1940s in the United States. These group living facilities were called twelve-step houses and provided safety and support for alcoholics who were not ready or able to return to their lives before addiction.

In 1975, Oxford House, established by and for persons in recovery, was established in Silver Spring, Maryland. Sixteen Oxford houses were established between 1975 and 1988. The Oxford House manual for running a group home was first published in 1978.

Several factors led to an expansion in the halfway house movement in the 1990s. One factor was the loss of residential treatment centers because of decreases in government and private insurance funding for these centers. A second factor was the 1988 amendments to the federal Fair Housing Law. These amendments allowed recovering addicts and alcoholics to be considered persons with disabilities, giving those in recovery the right to live together as a “family” of unrelated persons. As part of the 1988 Anti-Drug Abuse Act, all states were required to maintain funds for establishing sober houses based on the Oxford model, and halfway houses are now found throughout the United States.

Halfway houses are not licensed or accredited by the federal government, however, and they are restricted from offering drug and alcohol treatment. Instead, they are permitted to offer a drug- and alcohol-free environment. Also, halfway houses are limited to groups of unrelated adults, disabled through addiction and working toward recovery. To receive government aid, halfway houses can accept only those persons who have completed or who are involved in some type of formal treatment program.

Mission and Goals

Although halfway houses are not licensed to treat alcohol or drug abuse, they do provide support for the recovering addict or alcoholic. Other goals include providing an environment that is safe, structured, and affordable. Most addicts and alcoholics come to a halfway house directly from detoxification and treatment programs. Some continue aftercare and outpatient care at a treatment center while living in the halfway house.

Government-funded halfway houses offer affordable rates, and payment is usually on a month-to-month basis. Although the average stay in a halfway house is three to six months, each house may have different arrangements. Most houses are run by a house manager, who is not required to have a special credential for the position. House manager selection varies greatly, as does the establishment of house rules and regulations.

A person seeking residence at a halfway house often gets a referral from a treatment facility. Houses may cater to men, women, women with children, and to special populations. House rules for residences generally include remaining drug and alcohol free, completing or attending a drug or alcohol treatment program, continuing to make payments for care, and avoiding negative or disruptive behavior. Other house rules may cover check-in times, visitors, attendance at house meetings and twelve-step meetings, and completion of assigned chores and other responsibilities.

Sober living houses are similar to halfway houses but may have less stringent rules. A resident may be admitted without having completed or without involvement in formal treatment. These houses are less likely to be government funded, may be more expensive, and may allow residents to remain indefinitely. Sober living houses provide an alcohol and drug free environment and usually encourage attendance at self-help programs, such as AA.

Numerous studies have documented that the lack of a stable, alcohol- and drug-free environment is a significant barrier to any sustained recovery from addiction. Involvement in twelve-step groups and strong social support remain strong predictors of successful recovery. A variety of studies have shown that halfway houses improve treatment outcomes for both drug and alcohol addiction.

Bibliography

Hoffman, John. Addiction: Why Can’t They Just Stop? New York: Rodale, 2007. Print.

Jason, L. A., et al. “An Examination of Main and Interactive Effects of Substance Abuse Recovery Housing on Multiple Indicators of Adjustment.” Addiction 102.7 (2007): 1114–21. Print.

Polcin, D., et al. “A Model for Sober Housing During Outpatient Treatment.” Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 41.2 (2009): 153–61. Print.

Polcin, D., et al. “What Did We Learn from Our Study on Sober Living Houses and Where Do We Go from Here?” Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 42.4 (2010): 425–33. Print.