What is a Halfway House? Transition Homes Explained

On any given day, there can be as many as 50,000 total residents; approximately 87% of the residents are male and 13% are female. The average age range is twenty-one and older, as other facilities are better equipped for juvenile treatment. The term ‘”halfway”‘ implies that the house is a stopping point or a respite on the journey to healing. Often, halfway houses are the middle ground between crime or addiction and recovery or reentry into society.

  • Originally, these centers were created to serve as an alternative to incarceration for target populations within the United States.
  • All halfway house residents are expected to take part in routines such as household chores.
  • If you or a loved one needs addiction treatment, the Canadian Centre for Addictions can help.
  • In most houses, visitors need to be approved by the staff in advance, so calling ahead to set an appointment is imperative.
  • Our free email newsletter offers guidance from top addiction specialists, inspiring sobriety stories, and practical recovery tips to help you or a loved one keep coming back and staying sober.
  • Listed below are the rules recommended by the Federal Bureau of Prisons for both state and federal halfway houses.

What Are the Differences between Halfway Houses and Other Sober-Living Houses?

In 2004, President George Bush began a $300 million program for incarcerated people to perform community service, thus encouraging and enabling halfway houses to open and operate. Sober living houses, or recovery homes, are somewhat different from halfway houses. First, sober living homes are privately owned and can be run by businesses, religious groups, or private individuals, https://stocktondaily.com/top-5-advantages-of-staying-in-a-sober-living-house/ while halfway homes are government-funded. Unfortunately, much less information exists about how many state-run or state-contracted halfway houses and halfway house residents there are. However, as we will discuss later, these numbers include facilities that serve primarily or entirely as residential correctional facilities (where people serve their entire sentences).

Why the Recovery Residence Name Matters

definition of halfway house

You’ve gone through medical detox and completed an inpatient or outpatient treatment program. While going home may seem like a relief after so much time in treatment, for some people, the thought is overwhelming—especially if you’re in a triggering environment or don’t have a strong support system at home. The lack of state oversight of a halfway house has become an issue in recent years. This has resulted in several escapes in addition to other common problems, such as drug use, gang activity, and violence.

There’s far more that we don’t know: Lack of publicly available data makes it difficult to hold facilities accountable

Halfway houses are like “halfway points” between some kind of rehabilitation program and regular, day-to-day living. Design for Recovery provides structured sober living in Los Angeles, California. Most halfway houses don’t restrict who can live there, but the majority of people who live in a sober living home have already Sober House gone through a treatment program before going to sober living. This is mostly due to the fact that halfway houses require you to remain sober while you live there. Therefore, people who already have some level of sobriety under their belt are more likely to succeed at a halfway house than those who are new to recovery.

  • Residents may need to work or volunteer while they are living in a halfway house.
  • The lack of state oversight of a halfway house has become an issue in recent years.
  • The residential facility is typically part of the continuum of care for an overseeing rehab institution.
  • Some sober-living homes have a base rate with additional costs for added services.
  • However, they may still participate in additional treatment services like therapy, support group meetings, or programs that help them acquire the skills they’ll need when they leave.

Recovery Coaching

What is the Longest You Can Stay at a Halfway House?

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