Creating a Communicable Disease Policy Overview

It is important that recovery residence operators know and understand the importance of having a communicable disease policy in recovery housing.

Recovery housing is a safe, healthy and supportive environment for individuals in early recovery. This includes providing appropriate support for physical health, such as basic, common-sense steps to help to prevent the spread of any communicable disease within the recovery housing environment.

According to the OhioMHAS Recovery Housing Development Guidebook, a recovery house organization should have their policies and procedures document on hand and easily accessible, and this document should include, among other policies, the communicable disease policy.

Also, ORH requires certified recovery housing organizations to have a communicable disease policy that contains the following elements:

• Residents are notified of what behaviors may increase the spread of infectious disease.
• Residents are encouraged to take precautions for the spread of infectious disease, including hand washing, regular cleaning of the common areas of the home, practicing physical distancing of at least six feet, not sharing personal items and eating utensils, and wearing face coverings.
• The house must provide the supplies needed for residents to take precautions (such as soap, paper towels, gloves, face coverings and cleaning supplies).
• Visitors to the home must wash their hands, only visit in designated areas, wear a face covering and maintain appropriate physical distancing.
• The house may have a separate policy related to COVID-19 or a combined communicable disease/COVID-19 policy.

A recovery home should encourage a resident who has an illness to speak with their health care provider and follow their medical advice.

But just as important, these policies must be supportive of recovery and allow the residents to make and enforce rules themselves (depending on the house level).