The Characteristics & Effectiveness of Oxford House Recovery Residences: 2010 Review Recovery Research Institute

Houses are encouraged to have bedrooms large enough for roommates so that people have extra support in their sobriety commitments. If someone consumes alcohol or uses drugs, they will be immediately what is an oxford house expelled from the Oxford House. Oxford Houses are built upon the principle of mutual support among recovering individuals, wherein they help each other in achieving a sober lifestyle.

The best facilities employ compassionate staff and enforce strict rules that support the recovery process. All of a sober house’s residents are expected to pursue better health and a substance-free life. Since Oxford Houses are self-supported, they are the most cost-effective way to deal with recovery from alcoholism, drug addiction and co-occurring mental illness. Rent and the various utilities paid by residents vary by location, but the cost of living in an Oxford House is usually no more than what it would cost to live elsewhere. Plus, this option may actually be cheaper than other housing environments given the fact that residents split the household costs among several residents.

How to Stay Sober

Some sober living homes are covered by private insurance, government funding or Medicaid. Some residents also pay for sober housing through scholarships, loans or credit cards. Recovery residences are less expensive than living at a rehabilitation facility or detox center because fewer services are offered. But many sober homes require residents to attend support group meetings or participate in 12-step programs or outpatient treatment, which may be an additional cost for residents to consider. Sober living homes are maintained through fees, and residents can usually stay as long as they want.

These rented homes are helping to deal with drug addiction and community re-entry by providing stable housing without any limits on length of stay, a network of job opportunities, and support for abstinence. An exploration of the research on these unique settings highlights the strengths of such a community-based approach to addressing addiction. New roles for psychologists in working with these types of support systems are identified. Limited research is also available comparing Oxford Houses versus more traditional recovery homes, which also tend to have supervising staff and less democratic self-governing principles. This study did not provide outcome data regarding residents’ experiences living in these recovery communities. Few methodologically sound studies have emerged in the area of traditional recovery homes.

How Much Does an Oxford House Cost?

In one of the few recovery home longitudinal studies, Polcin (2006) found that 51% of recovery home residents were abstinent from drugs and alcohol at a six-month follow-up. Regrettably, there are few studies reporting differential outcome data contrasting recovery home and therapeutic community residential treatments for substance abuse. In part, this is due to the fact that it is hard to provide systemic long-term outcome data on these hard to reach, highly recidivist populations. Oxford House provides a supportive and sober living environment for individuals recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. As a democratically run, self-supporting, and drug-free home, it has helped many people in their journey towards sobriety. By comparison to other facilities, Oxford House is unique in its approach by offering structure and accountability without the supervision of professional staff.

• These testimonials highlight the positive impact that Oxford Houses can have on individuals in the early stages of recovery from substance addiction.
• Those who have benefited from an Oxford House have acquired enthusiasm for the Oxford House concept.
• An Oxford House is a democratically self-run home focused on recovery, abstinence, sobriety, and self-efficacy.
• The average length of jail time is about one year, with a range of few days to more than ten years.
• During the last days of our drinking or using drugs, most of us ceased to function as responsible individuals.

A halfway house is often for people recovering from addiction or people returning to society after time served in prison. Halfway houses are also helpful for people looking for stable housing after a mental health treatment program. They are called “halfway” houses because those living in this sort of environment are transitioning halfway between a full-care facility to permanent living in society.

Biden’s visit likely to consist mostly of private meetings with victims’ families

However, it does the next best thing by utilizing and enforcing its Charter concept. An important part of why Oxford House has been so successful is that accountability and responsibility are given to the recovering individuals themselves. As a group they behave responsibly and out of that “group responsibility” the individuals develop a new responsible lifestyle free of alcohol and drug use.

• All Oxford Houses have been careful to avoid undo dependence on government or other outside funds.
• That was an important change because recovering individuals take different lengths of time to become comfortable enough in sobriety to avoid relapse.
• Too often, newly recovering alcoholics and drug addicts are faced with the necessity of living alone and of relying solely on contacts with Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous to stay sober.

Oxford Houses cater to individuals in early recovery seeking a drug-free and safe environment that encourages personal responsibility and growth. Residents must abide by rules prohibiting alcohol or drug use, demonstrating financial responsibility, and participating in house management. Compared to other facilities, Oxford Houses are self-run and provide a structured, cost-effective option for maintaining sobriety with a supportive peer network. Individuals living in an Oxford House learn or relearn values, responsible behavior and slowly, but surely, develop long-term behavior to assure comfortable sobriety forever. Together, these individuals develop each Oxford House into a place to learn to live a responsible life without the use of alcohol and drugs. As of 2008, there were 321 women’s Oxford Houses with 2,337 women, and 982 men’s Oxford Houses with 7,487 men, for a total of 1,303 houses serving 9,824 people (Oxford House, 2008).

Q. What is the philosophy behind Oxford House?

No Oxford House can tolerate the use of alcohol or drugs by one of its members because that threatens the sobriety of all of the members. Neither can an Oxford House function if some do not pay their fair share of the costs. Therefore, the landlord and the founding members give form to substance by structuring the lease as a rental agreement between the landlord and the Oxford House as a group.

• When trying to decide where to live, there are several different factors to consider.
• That would defeat the whole principle of establishing a system that teaches recovering individuals themselves to be responsible.
• In contrast, Oxford Houses are self-run with democratically-established rules by the residents themselves, and they are self-supported through the residents’ pooled finances.
• They found that children provided the only type of relationship that was able to affect both substance use and recovery in a positive direction.
• The FY2021 Annual Report provides an overview of the work of Oxford House, Inc.
• Sober living homes don’t require accreditation, a state license or oversight from a behavioral health care provider.

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