04 Feb Standard Rules for Sober Homes in Delray Beach
Returning home after completing addiction treatment can be overwhelming. For many people in recovery, going home means returning to a toxic environment and facing an increased risk for relapse. Fortunately, sober living homes provide a drug- and alcohol-free environment in which people in recovery can live while in early sobriety.
Sober living homes serve as transitional housing for people who are trying to learn how to live sober after rehab. Sober homes in Delray Beach have strict rules and regulations that they require all residents to follow. These rules are essential as they help keep the residences operating correctly while ensuring the safety and support of everyone living in the homes.
If you have finished rehab and are moving into a sober home in Delray Beach, you probably have a lot of questions about what to expect and how sober livings operate. Here are some of the most common rules and regulations that you’ll be expected to abide by while living in a sober home.
Be Home By Curfew Every Night
Every resident will have a nightly curfew and you must be home by your curfew each night. Oftentimes, your curfew during the week will be some time between 9:00 and 10:00 p.m., while your weekend curfew might be a couple of hours later.
If you fail to make it home by curfew you will likely be given a warning or be given an earlier curfew to follow for a few days. However, if you repeatedly break curfew, you may be asked to leave the home.
This is an important rule because it helps house managers keep tabs on members of the home and hold everyone accountable. It also helps support a routine and regular schedule, two things that are important to have in early recovery.
Submit to Random Drug Tests and Breathalyzers
Throughout your stay at a Delray Beach sober home, you will be expected to stay sober. And, although everyone would like to be able to take your word for it, sober homes will require you to agree to randomized drug tests and breathalyzers.
Your house manager will be able to ask you to take a drug test at any time, however, most homes will require you to do so between 1-3 times per week. The exact number of times you will be tested depends on the individual home. Some homes require patients to perform a breathalyzer each night.
Keep Your Area Clean and Do Your Chores
More than likely, you won’t have your room to yourself. You will have a roommate and you will have to share the living room, kitchen, and bathrooms with everyone else in the home. As a result, it’s important that you keep your area clean and stay on top of your chores.
Each house member will have a weekly, biweekly, or monthly chore that they are responsible for. Failure to complete your chore could result in getting an earlier curfew or picking up extra chores. In addition to chores, you will need to keep your room picked up and personal items organized.
No Guests, Pets, or Visitors
Unfortunately, for your safety and the safety of all other house members, most sober homes in Delray Beach don’t allow visitors or pets inside the home. This often includes family members, friends, and acquaintances who don’t live in the home. If you want to visit friends, family, or pets, you will have to do so outside of the sober home.
This rule is meant to help keep order in the home and show respect to all other house members. Keep in mind that a sober living home may have anywhere from 4-6 people living in it, so having guests can make the home crowded, loud, and hectic. It can also be an invasion of space and privacy to other house members.
Maintain a Job and Pay Your Rent
One reason to go to sober living is to begin adjusting to real life after rehab. This means you will have several responsibilities, one of which is paying your rent. Just like if you were renting your apartment, you will owe rent on a weekly or monthly basis. If you get behind on rent and don’t pay, you may be asked to leave.
In order to pay rent, you have to have a job. Most Delray Beach sober living homes will require you to have a job or be actively looking for employment.
Follow Through With Your Aftercare
Before you leave a rehab center, you will work with your counselor to develop an aftercare plan. This may consist of outpatient treatment, alumni groups, individual counseling, 12-step meetings, or a combination of these. While in sober living, you will be expected to follow through with this aftercare plan.
Your house manager will check in with you on a weekly basis to make sure you have been attending your meetings, therapy sessions, or groups. Throughout your stay in sober living, you are expected to actively participate in your recovery in one way or another.
Find a Delray Beach Sober Home Today
At Florida Recovery Group, we currently manage four sober living homes in Delray Beach – two homes for men and two homes for women that are located in residential neighborhoods just miles from the beach. While most people enter our sober living through our PHP program, our sober homes are also for anyone who needs the structure of treatment without the need for medical care.
If you or a loved one are interested in continuing your recovery journey at a Delray Beach sober home, contact us today.
