A halfway house can provide a transitional living environment for people after leaving a residential treatment center, before returning back home. It can offer additional time and support to continue with recovery while beginning to integrate back into a less structured environment.
It is also important to have a full continuum of care after leaving rehab. Staying in a treatment program for three to six months can be essential to a lasting recovery, and staying at least 12 months can be even better. But what happens after exiting a program is essential to ongoing recovery.
A halfway house usually has strict rules about community involvement, chores, and lifestyle choices. Each house has a schedule that must be followed, including attendance at therapy sessions and support group meetings. This differs from a more general sober living community that often does not have as structured expectations.
The Boca Recovery Sober Living Home in Delray Beach can offer a comfortable private home environment, allowing individuals freedom and independence to support their recovery in their own way. Delray Beach is only about a half an hour away from the bustling and vibrant Fort Lauderdale community, which offers a wide range of recovery resources as well.
What Is a Halfway House?
Traditionally, a halfway house has often been a condition of parole or a court-ordered situation in which an individual must live there and carry out the terms of the mandate. A study on groups of parolees showed that successful completion of a halfway house program also lines up with successfully completing parole.
A halfway house can be an in-between living environment for people who have completed a residential drug or alcohol addiction program. It can provide additional services and a sober environment in which to practice the life skills and habits learned in rehab before returning home to a less secure environment.
Benefits of Living in a Halfway House
A person’s social network is an important support pillar during recovery. Staying in a halfway house after rehab can help to further this positive environment while continuing to build on the skills and coping mechanisms learned during treatment. Essentially, a halfway house is a sober environment that can foster positive sober social skills and outlets.
Specific benefits include the following:
- A drug- and alcohol-free living space
- Promotes accountability for relapse prevention
- Provides structure and a schedule
- Transportation for treatment services and appointments
- Often offered as part of a full continuum of care
While in a halfway house, individuals will still attend treatment services and sessions on an outpatient basis, and they will be responsible for house chores and following the house rules. Drug testing is also regularly administered, and the house is staffed with professionals to offer continued support and supervision.
Difference Between a Halfway House & Sober Living
A halfway house has many positive aspects. Since addiction is a chronic and relapsing disease with relapse rates between 40 percent and 60 percent, transitional living environments can offer continued support to sustain recovery and minimize relapse.
A sober living home is another form of transitional living that offers support in recovery, but there are some key differences between the two.
- Halfway houses often require individuals to attend formal treatment programs first, while sober living environments generally do not.
- Sober living homes do not mandate specific treatment services while living on site and allow individuals to recover at their own pace.
- Residents of sober living homes are often allowed to remain as long as they continue to pay rent, do their chores, and follow the house rules, while halfway houses usually have time limits on stays.
- Halfway houses are often government funded, while sober living homes are usually privately financed.
Rules in a Halfway House
A halfway house has specific expectations and rules that residents are required to follow as a parameter of living there. Residents are expected to remain sober; absolutely no drugs or alcohol are allowed.
There are rules on visitors and visiting hours. A set schedule may be in place with curfews. Residents all work together to keep the house running, and everyone is responsible for helping out with chores around the house.
Halfway houses mandate that residents continue to attend formal treatment services, such as support group meetings as well as counseling and therapy sessions when required.
Each house can differ on rules about phone and computer usage. Some do not allow residents to have them, while others allow phones that are not smartphones with internet capabilities.
Residents are required to be working toward securing and maintaining their independence, such as looking for a job and finding a place to live after the program ends.
Daily Schedule
A typical day at a halfway house can look like this:
- 7 am: wakeup time and breakfast
- 9 am: attend counseling, therapy, or group sessions, or go to work, depending on individual and program
- 12 pm: lunch and recreational programming
- 2 pm: life skills training, such as applying for jobs and interviews (if not already at work)
- 5 pm: dinner
- 6 pm: house chores
- 8 pm: house meeting and time for social interactions among residents
- 10 pm: lights out
Daily schedules can differ based on the house, where the person is at in their recovery, and specific and individual needs.
Boca Recovery Sober Living Home in Delray Beach
The sober living residence at Boca Recovery Center in Delray Beach offers the comforts of being at home in a sober and staffed environment. Individuals will have their own private room with comfortable furnishings, including a smart television.
Independent living is encouraged. The environment is less structured to allow the freedom to learn to make positive choices to support a long-term recovery.
These are some of the features of the Boca Recovery Sober Living home in Delray Beach:
- Residents can have individual phones.
- The home is staffed 24/7.
- Transportation is included for appointments and meetings.
- Individuals are open to attend recovery meetings of their choice.
- The house has a gym, barbeque area, and game room.
- Individuals are encouraged to be active participants in the surrounding community.
- Scheduled weekend entertainment offers sober social opportunities.
What to Look for in a Halfway House
A halfway house should cater to the specific needs of the person. They are not a one-size-fits-all solution, and it should feel good when you walk in.
Tour the residence beforehand in person to get a feel for it. Also, check reviews and testimonials to see what others’ experiences have been.
When looking for a halfway house, consider the following questions:
- How much structure and supervision are provided?
- What amount of privacy is given? Are there private rooms and adequate space for all the residents?
- How many residents are on site at once?
- What does a daily schedule look like?
- What programs are offered, is there transportation, and what programs/meetings are required for residents?
- Are there sober social opportunities and events?
- What are the rules and visiting policies?
- What is required of residents in the form of chores?
- How long are residents allowed to stay?
- What are the payment options?
Recovery Resources in Fort Lauderdale
Delray Beach is just under 40 miles from the picturesque city of Fort Lauderdale, which has a lot to offer individuals in recovery. There are many resources for both transitional living and recovery support within the community.
Psychology Today provides a list of addiction support groups in the nearby area. Additional resources include the following:
- Broward County Intergroup: This group offers 315 different AA groups across Broward County in 132 locations for 12-step recovery peer support.
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Broward County: NAMI provides mental health support and resources for individuals and families within Broward County.
- Gold Coast Area of Narcotics Anonymous (NA): NA offers peer support recovery groups around central and north Broward County.
- FindTreatment.gov: This national treatment locator is provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to help individuals find local treatment services.
References
The Effectiveness of Residential Treatment Services for Individuals with Substance Use Disorders: A Systematic Review. (August 2019). Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
The Impact of Halfway Houses on Parole Success and Recidivism. (August 2015). Journal of Sociological Research.
How Effective Is Drug Addiction Treatment? (January 2018). National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
Addiction Support Groups Near Fort Lauderdale, FL. (2021). Psychology Today.
Broward County Intergroup, Inc. (2021). Broward County Intergroup.
NAMI Broward County. National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
Gold Coast Area of Narcotics Anonymous (NA). Narcotics Anonymous (NA).
FindTreatment.gov. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).