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What Is a Sober Living Home?

Red Rock Recovery Center Sober Living house

If you are someone living with a Substance Use Disorder, one of the most valuable decisions you can make is choosing a life in Recovery. Embracing a lifestyle of Recovery can be an exciting and rewarding experience but it often requires a considerable amount of time and dedication. So when weighing your options it is important to understand the various recovery-focused treatments available in order to find the program that best fits your individual needs.

What Are Sober Living Houses?

Sober Living houses can be effective treatment options for anyone considering a life in Recovery but defining exactly what they are can be challenging due to the myriad of sober living programs across the country. Fundamentally, sober livings are considered to be a form of Peer Recovery Support Services. These programs generally offer services that are peer-driven and recovery-focused. One of the main functions of these programs is to provide a safe and structured environment, which is often essential for building strong foundations in early Recovery. These programs usually include zero-tolerance drug and alcohol policies as well as various house rules, which are designed to facilitate and maintain a safe environment. Since sober livings are based on peer-driven communities they often require active involvement in various 12-step fellowships.   

It is important to note that Sober Livings are not detox facilities, although some programs offer this service. Many sober livings actually require or at least suggest some amount of sober time before admitting anyone into their program. Sober Livings are more often designed to help people gradually transition into an autonomous recovery-oriented lifestyle from more intensive forms of treatment. They can also be very effective for people who have briefly strayed away from their path of recovery and are in need of a supportive community.

Who Should Live in a Sober Living House?

When considering treatment options for you or your loved one it is also important to be aware of the different levels of care offered by various programs in order to find the treatment option that is right for your needs. When calling about Sober Livings we strongly recommend asking if the agency is either accredited by the National Association of Recovery Residences (NARR) or working on an affiliation and accreditation. NARR is dedicated to improving access to quality recovery residences through standards, support services, placement, education, research and advocacy. NARR has developed standards for different Levels of Care, outlined in the table below.

(Many States, including Colorado, are still in the process of creating NARR Affiliates so if they are not already accredited be sure to ask if they plan to and/or comply with NARR Standards.)

By being aware of the different Levels of Care, ranging from peer-run recovery residencies to more robust programs that offer supervised sober living facilities as well as clinical and experiential programming, you will be able to find the program that best caters to you or your loved ones needs. Remember that sober livings are designed to facilitate a safe and supportive community environment. So, if you are someone who is interested in a life of Recovery and recognizes the importance of building strong foundations within a supportive peer-based community then sober livings, at any level of care, are an excellent treatment option.

The compassionate staff at Red Rock Recovery Center  (Level IV under NARR standards and on the board of starting a NARR affiliate in Colorado) is committed to helping patients overcome their addictions. As a premier Extended Care program offering sober living houses in Lakewood, CO, they offer comprehensive rehab services as well and are dedicated to ensuring residents return to healthy, fulfilling lives. Call (720) 607-5199 today to speak with their staff about their drug addiction treatment services and visit their website and Facebook to learn more about their structured living options.


Original Article re-printed here with permission from NearSay.com

Red Rock Recovery Center is a Colorado state licensed substance abuse extended care treatment program designed to help you or your loved one recover from the struggles associated with alcoholism and drug addiction. Located in Denver, Colorado we offer a safe haven for those afflicted by the ravages of untreated addiction. Our program is based on a compassionate 12-step model that applies behavioral as well as life skill therapies, which will enable our clients to heal and recover.

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