What to Look for in a Sober Living Home in Delray Beach

girl at a sober living home in Delray Beach

What to Look for in a Sober Living Home in Delray Beach

Oftentimes, the lack of stable, drug-free housing is a major obstacle for people in recovery from addiction. If an individual has a history of relapse, incarceration, or homelessness, their risk of relapse without proper and safe housing increases tremendously.[1] This is because when an individual in early recovery lives in a destructive environment that does not support recovery, it’s difficult to stay sober.

To address this issue, sober living homes were created. Sober living homes in Delray Beach, FL offer drug- and alcohol-free living environments and a stable community to individuals transitioning out of treatment. While these housing services are not equivalent to addiction treatment, they typically provide a 12-step model of recovery for their tenants. This makes the utilization of sober living homes vital to one’s success in long-term recovery.

However, not every sober living home is created equal. Unfortunately, many of these houses are not run properly, take advantage of their tenants, or do not have rules and guidelines to promote sobriety. If you or a loved one plan to attend sober living, it’s important to be aware of what to look for and red flags to avoid.

What to Avoid When Looking for a Sober Living Home in Delray Beach

While the National Council for Behavioral Health has called for legislation requiring recovery housing to meet national quality standards, these laws have not been passed yet.[2] As a result, it’s important to be aware of your options and research carefully when choosing a sober living home for yourself or a loved one in Delray Beach, FL.

When looking into your options, be aware of these sober living home red flags:

  • Claims to be free or offer to pay you to live there
  • Rundown or unsafe building
  • Does not have admissions requirements or does not keep records of tenants
  • Does not require abstinence or enforce regular drug testing
  • Has no clear safety provisions
  • Has no house rules
  • Lacks ethical standards

“Free or Paid” Programs

Some disreputable sober living homes may try to entice residents to move in by offering a free stay or offering to pay their way to the facility. Oftentimes, the administrators or owners of these homes gather your personal and insurance information and then use it to submit false insurance claims to payers. Sometimes, residents are given a kickback fee to help continue this type of fraud or to recruit and motivate new residents to help.

The cost of sober living homes varies, in the same manner that the cost of rehab in Delray Beach varies. In Los Angeles County, researchers found that typical fees for sober living homes ranged from $300 to $1,350 a month, with an average cost of $650 a month.[3] Because California is a hotspot for treatment, as Florida is, the prices are generally similar. Keeping this in mind, when you apply to live in a sober living or halfway house, you should be fully informed about any fees and charges that you will be responsible for paying.

Unsafe Facilities

A reputable sober living home will be well-maintained and provide enough space for all of its residents. It’s important that you never go solely by website pictures when choosing a facility, as they can be misleading. In fact, you should ask to take a tour before moving in and try to get former residents’ testimonials about what it was like living at the sober living house.

Safe sober living homes will have:

  • Clean and neatly kept interiors
  • Exterior grounds are maintained similarly to or better than other houses in the neighborhood.
  • Sleeping quarters are located within the home, rather than in a garage or an outbuilding.
  • No signs of insect or rodent infestation.
  • Intact windows, walls, and doors, rather than broken ones.
  • Working kitchen and bathroom facilities.
  • Adequately lit rooms in evening hours.

No Admission Requirements or Records

Sober living homes should have standard admissions protocols in place. This helps to ensure that any residents who come into the home have proper expectations and healthy recovery goals. Additionally, any residents who live in the home should be in recovery from a substance use disorder. In fact, being drug- and alcohol-free is one of the primary admissions requirements for reputable sober living homes.

Additional requirements to look for:

  • Being able to perform daily activities like bathing, dressing, and eating without assistance.
  • Managing co-occurring mental health conditions with a psychiatrist or therapist.
  • Attendance of 12-step meetings or addiction support groups (2-5 times a week depending on the facility)
  • Regular attendance at work or school
  • Performing household chores regularly

Absence of Safety Provisions

Residents who live in sober living homes and halfway houses in Delray Beach, FL are entitled to both safety and privacy. This should be enforced by a set of safety and conduct provisions that residents are required to adhere to.

These safety provisions should include:

  • Mixed-gender homes should provide separate living quarters and bathrooms for each gender.
  • Private bedroom doors should have locks.
  • Residences that house women and children should not allow adult males to live in the home.
  • Confidential resident information should be kept in a locked office and remain off-limits to residents.
  • Weapons are not allowed in the home at any time.
  • Violence, intimidation, and abusive language or behavior should be strictly prohibited and result in the offender being removed from the house.
  • Lewd behavior, threats of violence, antisocial conduct, or any behavior that violates a person’s safety or security should also be strictly prohibited.

Find a Sober Living Home in Delray Beach, Florida Today

If you or a loved one are in recovery from addiction and transitioning out of treatment, it may be time to attend a sober living home or halfway house in Delray Beach. Florida Recovery Group prides itself on providing only the safest, most comfortable, and inclusive sober living housing in the area. Contact us today for more information on our sober living residences and halfway housing.

References:

  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2556949/
  2. https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/18_Recovery-Housing-Toolkit_5.3.2018.pdf
  3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5033720/