Sober living homes help individuals transition from an intensive addiction treatment program to independent living. They are designed to provide continuing care after one undergoes addiction rehabilitation treatments with the goal of helping one achieve complete independence as a sober individual.
However, there are actually other ways that sober living can be an asset to your sobriety, which is why we’ve decided to cover some of these alternative sober living strategies here.
How a Sober Living Home is Different Than a Halfway House
A sober living home is different from a halfway house. Notably, a sober living home doesn’t require the residents to have finished or be working with a formal rehabilitation clinic. The main requirement of a sober living home is that you fully are committed to working on and maintaining your sobriety.
Silicon Beach Sober Living offers several sober living homes in Los Angeles where you can reinforce your commitment to a sober lifestyle.
A sober living home can be used to support you throughout different stages of your sober living journey.
Unlike a sober living home, a halfway house generally requires residents to either have completed a rehabilitation program or be actively enrolled in a rehabilitation program. Additionally, halfway homes can deny individuals with a criminal record and limit how long you can stay.
Between sober living and transitional homes, a sober living home offers more flexibility in who can be a resident and, thus, provides for more flexibility in how you can use a sober living facility with your recovery plan.
How Can You Fit Sober Living Homes Into Your Recovery Plan?
Many people don’t realize that there are many sober living strategies you can use to support your recovery plan. In fact, a sober living home can be a real asset to your sobriety at multiple stages of your recovery journey. Sobriety is a journey you have to make every day, and a sober living home can help support you at various stages of your journey.
After Finishing Inpatient Rehab
Inpatient rehabilitation treatment centers provide you with an extremely structured environment and help you break your addiction. After such an intensive environment, going straight home to an environment in which you become fully responsible for your sobriety may not be the best choice.
The freedom of living at home may not be what you need in your sober living journey.
At a sober living home, residents are required to follow a number of rules like not using drugs or alcohol and regularly participating in support group meetings. Similarly, responsibility is encouraged as residents must complete household duties and activities.
When staying in a sober living home after inpatient care, you’ll benefit from having a structured yet informal environment in which to adapt to living a sober lifestyle.
While Completing an Outpatient Program
Inpatient rehabilitation may not be feasible for several reasons. For example, there may not be enough space for you or perhaps an inpatient program is outside of your budget. Whatever the case, outpatient rehabilitation facilities provide enough support to overcome addiction while allowing you to continue living at home.
However, the flexibility of living at home can pose a major threat to your recovery journey. When you’d benefit from a more structured environment as you attend an outpatient program, staying at a sober living home can be a great compromise.
At a sober living home, you will be held to certain standards and surrounded by others going through similar experiences who can support you on your journey.
Staying at a sober living home while attending an outpatient program can be a strong sober living strategy and an unexpected way to incorporate sober living into your recovery plan. When used in this way, a sober living home allows you to participate in your outpatient program, go to work or school, and remain in a supportive environment centered around helping you stay sober.
While Coping With Life-Changing Events
The journey to living a sober life doesn’t end when you finish inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation. Rather, it is a choice you have to make each day.
When faced with a significant life change event — such as a job loss, divorce, or death of a loved one — the strategies you have used to stay sober may suddenly be ineffective. With your support structure suddenly changing, you may need additional support to continue with your recovery journey.
Not all sober living homes are the same.
A sober living home can provide additional structure as you deal with a major life change. In addition to a structured environment in which you’re held accountable for your sobriety, a sober living home can give you access to a community of individuals who understand the hardships that you’re facing. This can be a major asset even when you’ve already achieved a number of years of successful sobriety.
A sober living home can provide you with the support you need to stay sober in the face of unexpected and disruptive life events.
Types of Sober Living Homes
Similar to drug rehabs, there are different types of sober living homes and different levels of support offered at these different types of homes.
Peer-Operated
A peer-operated home is one in which there tend to be minimal rules required for residency. This type of home may be right for you if you are years into your sober living journey but are primarily seeking a community of individuals who understand your journey.
Supervised
A supervised sober living home operates under the guidance of trained staff and requires residents to attend support groups or therapy. The staff has the formal training to help residents on their recovery journeys and can include professional services like mental health support or counseling.
Monitored
Monitored sober living homes have paid staff present and require residents to attend support groups or therapy as a condition of being a resident.
Service Provider
A service provider sober living home has credentialed staff who require therapy and is often integrated with clinical facilities. For instance, an integrated IOP center will have on-site medical care and additional treatment options to assist residents.
In addition to the different types of sober living structures listed above, some sober living homes in Los Angeles offer specializations, such as gender-based homes as an alternative to co-ed sober living homes. Additionally, some sober living homes partner with specific rehab centers and therapists to provide more affordable inpatient services to those who may need them.
At our sober living homes, you’re afforded a supportive network and environment in which to fine-tune the coping mechanisms and self-reliance skills you were taught in rehab so you can apply them to everyday life. As a result, sober living homes can be a valuable resource whether you have completed an inpatient program, are actively completing an outpatient program, or you’re facing major life changes.
Give us a call today to find out how our sober living program can support your recovery journey.