Sober Living Program in Massachusetts

While sober living programs might not be as rigidly structured as most rehab programs in MA, they are quite effective in re-instilling a sense of responsibility in the patient. This is because in sober living homes, there are no counselors or therapists checking up on the patient’s progress and activities every so often. In sober living homes, each person is held accountable for their actions and is given a set of responsibilities that they need to fulfill. This is so that they are given a sense of value and of being a contributing member of the community.

Sober living homes have an on-site manager that functions as the moderator, authority, and primary support provider. While these on-site managers will check up on the residents, they will not be constantly over their shoulders, which is what many in rehab complain about the counselors. These on-site managers, however, hold each member of the community accountable for their actions and progress. These on-site managers will provide as much support as needed, but only to a certain extent because the purpose of the exercise is to prepare the patient for life outside of rehab and build in them the resilience needed to maintain a sober life. Constantly providing support will only serve to make the patient very dependent on others, which is counterproductive to the sober lifestyle.

People who went through a period of serious substance abuse had their lives put on hold for a while. This is a time when they were not able to work, properly communicate, or even maintain personal hygiene. Their lives were mostly centered on getting their substances, using their substances, and being out of their heads most of the time. Sober living programs are environments where people in recovery could learn to become fully functional members of society once more. This is where things that many people take for granted are learned and practiced again, such as being able to do the laundry, going to the grocery, finding work, continuing studies, and being clean and presentable once more.

Independence is part of being sober. A person who went through substance abuse tends to transfer one kind of dependence to another source, which is why most people who have one form of addiction or another tend to depend on others for resources and other necessities. This is a habit that is not tolerated in sober living homes.

Each member of the community is expected to pull their own weight, do their responsibilities, and help out wherever they could. Instilling independence also reinforces accountability and responsibility, as the people are made to think for themselves and decide on things, and later on, abide and live with the results or consequences of their decisions.

Many who come out of rehab end up doing nothing for several months. This is mainly due to the stigma that comes with being a person in recovery from substance abuse. Finding work would be difficult, and many would prefer not to socialize with the person. This would create unnecessary stress and pressure on the person, which could eventually lead to a relapse as the person find it progressively difficult to live a normal life.

This is a fact that is addressed in sober living programs. On-site managers have a network of people who could provide the support that transitions to the time when the person is ready to leave the sober living program. As such, they have a job or are already continuing their studies, which they got into while they were in the sober living program. This is the kind of support that may appear to be passive, but in reality, is a massive benefit to anyone who is in recovery.

In many cases, the shift from being in rehab and finally going back to normal life is not always a smooth one. This is true even in instances where a person goes from inpatient treatment to the various outpatient treatments that prepare a person for life outside of rehab. The difference could lie in the fact that sober living home environments are intentionally crafted to be as close as possible to the normal life outside of rehab.

Add to that the fact that everyone who participates in a sober living program is made accountable for his or her actions, as it is with life outside of rehab, and it is quite understandable why the participants in sober living programs appear to be better equipped for the transition to normal life.

Some of the strongest bonds between people are typically those that are forged during trying moments that people go through together. This is partly the reason why bonds built in support groups are deeper and more meaningful than most others. These are people who went through very similar things and experienced similar hardships.

Life inside a sober living home may not be defined by hardship, but it is defined by work and a lot of effort. It is this effort that builds the strong determination of a person to stay sober. People who go through this together are better able to resonate with each other, which is why their relationship is more meaningful and enduring than most.

The people who stay at a sober living home are there voluntarily to complete their recovery from a substance abuse disorder. They might require the environment found within the premises to facilitate faster recovery and learn vital skills for their eventual re-introduction into normal life. There is an on-site manager at a sober living home to facilitate the day-to-day tasks and responsibilities of the residents.

The people who stay at a halfway house are usually there because they were mandated by a court. As such, these are people who could have come straight from a correctional facility. These people are typically completing a condition of probation before they are fully released into society. While not as controlled and rigidly structured as a penal institution, there are still stringent rules and requirements that residents need to adhere to, including attendance of required programs, observation of curfews, and other policies.

Sober living homes are typically privately-owned or are associated with addiction treatment centers where the residents come from to continue their recovery.

Halfway houses are funded and run by the government or by the state and are operated by agencies associated with correctional facilities and law enforcement.

For all intents and purposes, sober living homes are built like private residences. This is because the intent is to prepare the residents to go back to the comforts of home following the completion of their substance rehabilitation.

Halfway houses are built like dormitories, and many believe this is to serve as a reminder of what it was like inside a penal institution, so that the residents remember the conditions of their release and so that they remember to follow the law.

As halfway houses are run by the state, it is funded with taxpayer money. This is also quite evident with the perfunctory facilities and furnishings typically found inside halfway houses. These institutions were not intended to provide luxury to residents, but rather serve as part of the court-mandated procedure for completing the conditions of their probation.

Sober living homes cost more than halfway houses, although this is rarely a concern as insurance companies could cover a portion of the expense. As such, sober living homes are furnished much better, providing better services and facilities.