Sober Living Programs for After Drug & Alcohol Rehab

While inpatient rehab and outpatient addiction treatment programs can help one achieve recovery, patients will need to work to maintain their recovery long after the conclusion of a formal treatment program.¹ Involving yourself in a rehab aftercare program, mutual support groups, or living with others in sobriety can help maintain long-term recovery. In particular, sober living and halfway houses can help somebody maintain recovery by providing a safe, sober environment. Learn more about recovery housing, such as sober living homes, and how it can benefit you on your journey to recovery.

What is Sober Living?

Sober living homes are a type of recovery residence for people who are in recovery from addiction.² Treatment for addiction is administered according to a continuum of care, in which patients’ plan and setting of care may change as they heal and require less intervention.³ After completing a formal treatment program, there are many community recovery support services that can provide ongoing emotional and practical support, structure, accountability, or motivational rewards to encourage sobriety.³ Recovery residences are a type of recovery support service that provides a substance-free environment and peer-support post-treatment.³

There are four levels of addiction recovery residences that vary in services, staffing, and program rigidity; sober living homes are a level 2.² As a level 2 residence, sober living homes are intended for people who have achieved a stable recovery but still desire a more structured and supportive living environment with some peer-accountability.²

What to Expect in Sober Living

Most sober living programs consist of a house manager or leader who directs and governs the community.³ The number of residents may vary in different sober living homes but is limited enough to maintain a close and accountable community.

Residents are often required or strongly encouraged to participate in community activities, such as:²

• House meetings.
• Peer recovery supports.
• Outside mutual support groups.
• Outside clinical recovery services.

Mutual support groups include programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, SMART Recovery, and others. Many of these groups are based on a 12-Step program that follows a logical progression from acceptance of their addiction to permanent abstinence and then healing of one’s spiritual outlook, character, and relationships.³

By living together, sharing experiences, difficulties, and accomplishments, and participating in communal activities, residents can build a strong support system that will assist them in long-term recovery. Resuming work and other activities can be difficult after recovery, but living with people who understand your struggles can help. Sober living housing could be what you need to help you back on your feet.

Does Health Insurance Cover Sober Living?

Since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, all group and individual health insurance plans are required to offer equal coverage for mental health (including addiction) alongside physical health coverage.⁴ This means that the copays, deductibles, and other costs for mental health must be comparable to the costs for other medical coverage.⁴

The specific number of treatment days covered, in- versus out-of-network costs, and coverage for specific interventions often vary per insurance plan. To find out how much of the cost of sober living housing your health insurance will cover, it is best to call your insurance company before committing to a sober living home.

Finding a Sober Living Program Near You

If you or a loved one are pursuing addiction recovery, sober living housing could be the next step on your journey. For people currently in a treatment program, coordination with the current care team to establish an aftercare plan can make the transition to sober living much smoother. With professional connections between treatment programs and aftercare housing, patients can ensure they do not lose time transitioning between levels of care.

American Addiction Centers offers two sober living programs at the Oxford Treatment Center in Mississippi and the Greenhouse Treatment Center in Texas. Admissions navigators are available 24/7 at these treatment centers and all AAC facilities to answer any questions about sober living, verifying insurance benefits, or other addiction recovery needs. Call today and find out how sober living housing may benefit your recovery journey.