With thousands of homes across the U.S. and abroad, it offers an accessible and proven structure for individuals committed to rebuilding their lives in recovery while forming meaningful, supportive connections. As an OKARR level 3 certified program, OCARTA provides a supportive and stable environment for sustained sobriety with additional resources such as mentoring, PRSS supports, case management, and encouragement for all pathways to recovery. In addition, they offer WE CARE, Women Engaged in Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment, providing outreach and engagement to women and women with children who need pre-and post-natal supports.
Alcoholics and drug addicts seem to have a tendency to test and retest the validity of any real, potential, or imagined restriction on their behavior. Our research examined the nature and outcomes of the Oxford House model of substance abuse recovery. We worked with the needs of diverse groups, including ex-offenders, minority groups including Native Americans, and women and women with children.
Building Your Support System
- No other significant differences were found between the two groups of houses, including sense of community among residents, neighborhood or policy characteristics, and house age.
- When screening potential homes and roommates, ask about house rules, relapse policies, rental amounts, expected participation, and, if possible, contact current residents for their opinions.
- Each member has one vote and majority rule applies except that 80% of the members must agree in accepting new persons for membership.
- The easiest way to find an Oxford House is to use our vacancy locator at oxfordvacancies.com.
- Oxford House, Inc. is a separate nonprofit organization that provides support and training to the network of houses to help expand the Oxford House Model.
Q. What is the “ideal” number of individuals to make a self-run, self-supported recovery house work? Experience of Oxford House has shown that from 8 to 15 members works very well. A house with fewer than six individuals is difficult to maintain because of the small size of the group and the fact that any vacancy causes a greater disruption of the financial welfare of the house.
There are no time limits on residency, and no professional staff manage daily operations. New Jersey has several established providers offering structured sober living with varying levels of support, including Midway House of NJ, AEY Housing, and South Jersey Recovery Residences. These programs typically provide drug- and alcohol-free housing with house managers or on-site staff, structured including curfews and drug testing, and connections to local treatment providers and recovery support services. Oxford House is a well-established model of democratically run, self-supporting, drug-free homes for people in recovery. Residents share responsibilities, including chores, house maintenance, and rent. The house operates democratically with all residents having a voice, no professional staff, and members must remain abstinent from drugs and alcohol.
- With Oxford House there is no need for a recovering individual to live in an environment dominated by loneliness.
- The Chapter is also the place where individuals expand their network of sober friends as Chapters host all kinds of social events that bring their community together.
- Recovery.com combines independent research with expert guidance on addiction and mental health treatment.
- Research has indicated that when recovery facilities offer these structured environments, clients are more likely to experience improved outcomes regarding drug use and greater levels of successful integration within society.
Drug-Free Environment
Each resident contributes equally to the house’s expenses, covering rent, utilities, and other shared costs. This setup encourages financial responsibility and helps individuals develop skills crucial for independent living post-recovery. We also believe that Oxford Houses and other community-based support system provide social scientists with rich opportunities to explore a vast array of psychological and sociological constructs. Clearly, psychologists with interests in community based support networks for substance abusers have ample research topics worthy of exploration, and this research may have public policy implications.
Rediscover Life at Valley Spring Recovery Center
They are a good fit for those who want a strong support network without the more structured oversight of halfway houses. The location of sober living houses matters for accessing employment, outpatient services, and existing support networks. Consider proximity to recovery meetings, medical professionals, and positive connections that support your sobriety. The best sober living homes provide convenient access to resources that facilitate building a normal life in recovery.
- They guide our mission as accomplished individuals dedicated to improving the landscape of addiction recovery and mental wellness.
- Most people live in sober homes for three to twelve months, though some residents stay longer if they continue benefiting from the supportive environment.
- Results were quite positive; only 18.5% of the participants who left Oxford House during the course of the one-year study reported any substance use (Jason, Davis, Ferrari, & Anderson, 2007).
Once you find a house that has a vacancy, you can call the contact person to set up an interview. Alternatively, you can apply online and your information will be sent to all of the Oxford Houses in your area that have an opening. Oxford Houses are democratically self-run by the members who elect officers to serve for terms of six months. House officers have term limits to avoid bossism or corruption of egalitarian democracy.
Transitions should be planned and coordinated with the help of treatment providers and housing staff to ensure continuity of care. Originating as a solution for easing the transition for individuals released from prison, halfway houses have expanded their role to encompass support for those recovering from substance use disorders. This evolution reflects broader shifts in rehabilitation approaches, emphasizing continuity of care and community-based support. A recovery residence refers to a supportive, shared living environment founded on peer support and connection to community services that promote a person’s active participation in their own recovery.
Option 3: Oxford Houses & Peer-Run Recovery Homes
Our group has recently received a federal grant to explore this new type of culturally modified recovery home. Unfortunately, there have not been any outcome studies comparing TCs with Oxford Houses, although the first author currently has a NIDA funded study that is exploring this issue. There is considerable evidence for the effectiveness of TCs (DeLeon, oxford house & Rosenthal, 1989).
- Having direct conversations and house meetings are helpful tools for resolving conflicts like chores, noise, visitors, or common areas in your household.
- View and download the latest House and Chapter Manuals, along with other forms used to conduct weekly house meetings.
- By the time many of us had stopped drinking, we had lost jobs; we had lost families, and some of us either had no place to live or no place to live which was not an invitation to start drinking again.
- There is no reason to believe that society as a whole had the responsibility to provide long-term housing within a protected environment for the alcoholic and drug addict.
If a roommate experiences a relapse, follow all house rules, safety protocols, contact the house manager, and keep your focus on maintaining your own safety at all times. Be alert to developing co-dependent relationships and/or creating substitute addictions; continue to establish healthy boundaries, and continue your recovery process. New Jersey is increasingly recognized as a recovery-friendly state with a broad network of sober living homes and addiction recovery support throughout North, Central, and South Jersey. You can stay as long as you like, provided you don’t use drugs and alcohol, are not disruptive, and pay your share of house expenses.
