Section I: Recovery Housing

There are many terms that can be used to talk about recovery housing such as Sober House, ¾ House, Halfway House, etc. This is in addition to a wide variety of definitions for treatment or residential treatment. However, recovery housing is something very specific. For the purposes of this training and for using the ORH outcomes tools, we use the definition of recovery housing that is in the Ohio Revised Code.

In the Ohio Revised Code there is an official legal definition of recovery housing, which states:

Recovery Housing means housing for individuals recovering from alcoholism or drug addiction that provides an alcohol and drug-free living environment, peer support, assistance with obtaining alcohol and drug addiction services, and other alcoholism and drug addiction recovery assistance. (Ohio Revised Code, Ch. 340.01 (A)(3))

Recovery Housing as three critical elements:

  1. Alcohol and Drug free living environment
    1. This means that your home has defined policies, procedures and practices that help ensure that residents are not actively using illicit drugs or alcohol. Your home also has policies, procedures and practices that monitor the physical environment to ensure an illicit drug and alcohol free living environment.
  2. Person-Driven Length of Stay
    1. Residents of recovery housing may stay in the housing as long as they need to. Residents of recovery housing do not automatically loose their housing if their treatment ends. Residents of recovery housing are considered tenants and the recovery home is a landlord.
  3. Community of Recovery
    1. Recovery homes offer services and supports for individuals living in recovery housing that are separate from any services and supports that are offered by a treatment program. Each resident has their recovery discussed in individualized and meaningful way. There are defined policies, procedures and practices that promote both formal and informal peer support and recovery planning.

Recovery housing is NOT a treatment setting. If an organization offers both treatment and recovery housing there must be separation between the treatment component and the recovery housing program.

While we understand that all housing types are critically important, and that it is possible for people with substance use disorders to live and thrive in many housing types, the outcomes tools were only designed for use in recovery homes. They can not be used for residents of other housing types or residential treatment programs.