Sober Living & Transitional Housing

sober living and transitional housing header image
Last Edited: September 22, 2020

Author
Claudia Rose

Clinically Reviewed
Mark Frey, LPCC, LICDC, NCC

All of the information on this page has been reviewed and certified by an addiction professional.

What Is Sober Living?

Sober Living Environments (also known as SLEs) are living arrangements used by recovering people to serve as a transitional environment between a rehabilitation center and future life-goals. SLEs came about from the need for individuals to have a safe and supportive environment where people can perform daily activities, while pursuing a life of recovery. These living arrangement are generally meant to provide housing for individuals who have recently come out of a treatment or recovery center. Often treatment centers provide strong structure and individuals benefit greatly from gradually stepping down from being watched constantly while they transition back into the world. While sober living is not a required element of the recovery process, it is highly recommended to make a smooth transition process.

According to research studies, people have generally found that people who stay in sober living arrangement for longer periods of time have better rates of abstinence. Most individuals who stay in a sober living arrangement for less than a few months tend to have lower rates of abstinence.

Browse rehab Treatment Centers
1412 E Chapman Ave
Fullerton CA 92831
Break through the denial and delusion that is causing the destructive nature of addiction. Chapman House has successfully been treating addictions in ...
23331 El Toro Rd
Lake Forest CA 92630
At Miracle Recovery Center, we believe that connection, balance and daily action is the recipe necessary for a life lived well free from addiction. We...
601 York Street
Newport KY 41071
Transitions Inc (York Street House) located at 601 York Street, Newport, KY 41071, United States is a drug rehab center providing substance abuse trea...
31214 Coleman Ln
Spanish Fort AL 36527
The philosophy of The Shoulder is that alcoholism/chemical dependency is a chronic, progressive, and potentially fatal illness which is treatable....
1246 Jordan Street
Crescent City CA 95531
Jordan Recovery Center (Crescent City) located at 1246 Jordan Street, Crescent City, CA 95531, United States is a drug treatment program providing sub...
57 Beacon Street
Greenfield MA 1301
Franklin Medical Center (Beacon House for Men Recovery House) located at 57 Beacon Street, Greenfield, MA 01301, United States is an alcohol rehab pro...
2523 14th Street NW
Washington DC 20009
925 5th Avenue
Dayton KY 41074
Transitions Inc (Droege House) located at 925 5th Avenue, Dayton, KY 41074, United States is a drug treatment program providing substance abuse treatm...
362 Sunset Road
Skillman NJ 8558
Crawford House Inc (Skillman) located at 362 Sunset Road, Skillman, NJ 08558, United States is a drug treatment facility providing substance abuse tre...
343 East Bonneville Street
Pocatello ID 83201
Road To Recovery Inc (Residential) located at 343 East Bonneville Street, Pocatello, ID 83201, United States is an alcohol rehab center providing subs...
566 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston MA 2118
Victory Programs Inc (Victory House/Recovery Home) located at 566 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02118, United States is a drug treatment center pro...
146 Communications Drive
Hannibal MO 63401
Hannibal Council on Alc/Drug Abuse Inc (Hannibal) located at 146 Communications Drive, Hannibal, MO 63401, United States is a drug rehab facility prov...
200 Daruma Pkwy
Dayton OH 45417
Project CURE (Dayton) located at 200 Daruma Parkway, Moraine, OH 45439, United States - is a poly-substance rehab center providing substance abuse tre...
203 Williams Street East
Glastonbury CT 6033
Located in Glastonbury, CT, Intercommunity Recovery Centers maintains their focus on Substance Abuse Treatment Services within a Long-term residential...
56 Mt Kemble Ave
Morristown NJ 07960
Mrs. Wilson’s Halfway House was founded as a private, non-profit organization in 1976 by three visionary women; Judy Knowlton, Ethel Finley and Dori...
365 East Street Tewksbury Hospital
Tewksbury MA 1876
CAB Health and Recovery Services Inc (TSS) located at 365 East Street Tewksbury Hospital, Tewksbury, MA 01876, United States is an alcohol rehab progr...
401 N 39th St
Omaha NE 68131
Santa Monica is grounded in the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. Our program boasts the benefits of working the program by having the women participa...
334 E New St
Lancaster PA 17602
7606 Antoine Dr
Houston TX 77088
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What Is Transitional Housing?

Transitional living programs assist individuals in rebuilding their lives after they have graduated from a drug or alcohol rehabilitation program or a treatment center. It is a transittion from intensive treatment for addiction towards living in the real world while maintaining structure in a persons life.

In many transitional housing centers, people with addiction are offered a place to live for a temporary duration while they continue to get a handle on any issues of addiction. This is also a place for those in recovery from addiction to pursue an education or employment as a means to develop real-life skills for whene leave treatment.

In addition, these individuals can use this time to mend any relationships that may have been damaged due to addiction, and learn relapse prevention strategies in order to better ensure that addiction is left in the past, and not something that can hurt anyone in the future. Transitional living centers generally focus on attainable and realistic post-treatment goals to ensure that clients are equipped with the skills and tools to maintain a life of recovery.

Differences for Men & Women?

Men Only: Men only sober living homes allow for males to heal in a well-structured environment without distraction. Typically, men struggle with the expression of emotions and being in touch with their feelings. It is also common for them to face difficulty with asking for help and being able to identify problems or specific weaknesses. Men only sober living environments decrease the need for their competitive nature and potential aggression while in early recovery.

Women Only: Women only sober living homes cater to the healing and needs of females. Women new to recovery are able to feel more open and freer to talk about painful issues or topics. Often times, women who are impacted by drug or alcohol addiction live in an unhealthy and chaotic environment. Unfortunately, this only acts as a reinforcement to her addiction, which commonly results in relapse. Women only sober living houses allow females to develop trust in their peers and build a positive support network.

Co-Ed Sober Living: Co-Ed sober living environments are known to be effective in a lasting recovery from addiction. Although there is not a gender-specific atmosphere, there is still much healing that takes place. In early recovery, having peer support, encouragement and being able to identify with others is important to be successful and prevent relapse.