What Is a Halfway House? Learn How Halfway Houses Can Help

Dr. Hoffman is the Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of AddictionHelp.com and ensures the website’s medical content and messaging quality. You should check with your insurance carrier to see what coverage they offer for a stay at a halfway home. BetterHelp can connect you to an addiction and mental health counselor. However, the main difference is the lack of medical and psychiatric staff on site.

Transitioning to Sober Living: How Halfway Houses Make a Difference

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.

Stepping Stones: A Comparative Guide to Sober Homes, Transitional Housing and Halfway Houses

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. Living in a halfway house can be a great bridge between finishing your rehab program and returning to your regular life. A halfway house will give you more time to transition, but it also provides a robust support system of sober peers to encourage you.

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You may also find fresh wraps, soups, and snacks like fruit or side salads. While it isn’t common for a newly sober person to live at a halfway house, it isn’t impossible. Someone committed to sobriety can check their local halfway house about any specific recovery milestones that might be recommended before residency. Halfway houses are government-funded programs for former criminals and recovering addicts. While similar in design, sober homes are privately owned organizations. They are usually located in residential areas, and neighbors and businesses occasionally oppose the idea of the halfway house being in their community.

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Halfway houses are less disciplined than inpatient rehab centers but slightly more regulated than sober homes. Inpatient treatment centers are residential facilities and allow recovering addicts what is a halfway house to live at the center for days. Inpatient rehab does not allow patients to leave until their program is complete. Halfway houses provide people in recovery with an alcohol and drug-free environment to continue to focus on their early sobriety. If a person comes from a correctional facility, they can be court-mandated to live in a halfway house for a predetermined amount of time. Because of this, halfway houses can be used by the homeless or people coming out of incarceration.

• While it isn’t common for a newly sober person to live at a halfway house, it isn’t impossible.
• If you run away from a halfway house, this is regarded as an “escape” that could carry the same felony charges as breaking out of prison.
• The length of stay varies tremendously, but most people stay anywhere between three to twelve months.