Leaving treatment and entering back into daily life is not an easy process. Statistically people are at the highest risk of relapse when they initially leave treatment. Sober living programs are designed to help individuals transition from intensive addiction treatment to independent living. At The Healing Center we work with each of our patients to create an aftercare plan that continues to help them achieve long term recovery which often includes placement into a sober living in Fort Lauderdale.
What Is A Sober Living?
Sober Living Homes provide safe housing for those seeking recovery after addiction rehabilitation treatments. Sober living homes are also referred to as transitional living or recovery residence programs. Residents who stay in a sober living home are expected to remain abstinent from all substances and follow the structure and rules of the housing program. Sober livings are also supervised in order to ensure that the clients are following the rules, safe, and remaining clean.
Sober living helps residents transition through the difficult process of leaving intensive treatment to independence. Sober living is designed for individuals who:
- Are leaving treatment and require accountability while in early recovery
- Are currently attending or have just completed either an IOP or outpatient program.
- Do not have drugs or alcohol currently in their system.
Residents must be able to pass a drug and alcohol test and be working towards self-sufficiency in order to be admitted into a sober living home.
Sober living programs provide structured transitional programs in order to guide clients into independent living. Sober living homes are supervised environments and clients are expected to follow the house’s basic rules. An individual must be properly medically detoxed from all substances prior to entering into a sober living in Fort Lauderdale. Once admitted, clients are expected to follow a number of basic rules including:
- Each resident has to fulfill all assigned household duties
- Clients are expected to pay rent, either on a weekly or monthly basis
- Attendance is required for all house meetings and support group meetings.
- The intensity of the program’s structures and rules normally begins at a high level and adjusts dynamically as residents progress.
- Clients are expected to remain sober and consent to drug testing
- Residents must follow all house rules, such as curfews.
The recommended length of stay in a sober living in Fort Lauderdale is at least 90 days. However, normally most residents stay 6-9 months before leaving and moving out into a fully independent living environment. Of course, the rules and structure of each sober living program is relatively unique but generally the basic rules above tend to be somewhat consistent across most sober living homes.
Sober Living Programs VS Halfway Houses
Sober living and halfway homes both require sobriety but are different in a few ways. Sober living home clients are not required to have completed or be participating in formal rehabilitation. Clients in sober living homes are also not restricted to a limited length of stay, but they are required to maintain sobriety, make timely payments, and follow house rules. Unlike sober living homes, halfway house residents normally must complete or have active enrollment in rehabilitation addiction treatment programs. They also normally have restrictions on their length of stay, which is on average 12-months. Overall, generally sober living homes offer more flexibility than halfway house homes.
Benefits of Sober Living in Fort Lauderdale
Transitional sober living homes in Fort Lauderdale offer a multitude of benefits. Some of the benefits include gaining peer support and learning how to apply life skills in preparation for independent living in sobriety.
Residents learn some of these beneficial skills:
- Learning to live with others
- How to resolve conflict and compromise through house meetings.
- Budgeting and financial skills by being responsible to pay for essentials like rent and groceries.
- Learning time management through assigned chores, employment, and required meetings
- Accountability by staff and peers
- Learning to control behaviors and emotions through effective communication in support groups.
- Creating new goals and purpose by exploring new interests, obtaining employment, creating a healthy network, and building a long-term life plan.
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How to Choose a Sober Living Program
Not all sober living homes are created equal. In your search for the right sober living you should be aware of how to identify a safe and structured program that can create a healthy living environment and support your recovery.
Here are a few important things you should look for when deciding on a sober living:
- Certification from sober living coalitions/networks including CARF, NARR, or another credible agency.
- The level of support and structure in the sober living home.
- Does the program offer 24-hour supervision by clinically certified staff? Higher supervision promotes a better chance at long-term sobriety.
- Services offered by the program should fit the client’s needs.
- Specialized housing living if the client is of a specific or vulnerable population such as, groups like LGBTQ, veterans, and others.
- Are licensed clinical staff a part of the program?
- There should be phases of restriction which allow for more freedoms the longer the client maintains their sobriety.
- Mandatory support group attendance.
- Program size may be important depending on the individual’s needs.
These are just some of the core things to look for when searching for a sober living. There are many other questions that you may have depending on your particular expectations and needs. For this and other reasons, you should consider the sober living homes that treatment centers, like The Healing Center, suggest.
Sober Living In Fort Lauderdale
Here at The Healing Center our goal is to ensure that our clients leave with the proper form of aftercare that will continue to support them through the process of early recovery. Our main goal is to have every single one of our clients achieve long-term sobriety. During the aftercare planning phase of treatment we will help our clients decide which sober living in Fort Lauderdale is the right fit for their individual needs. To learn more about our treatment programs and how we can help you get started on your recovery journey contact our admissions team today.
