Outpatient Treatment & Recovery Residences: How Do Clients Do Over Time When the Services Are Offered Together?

“Outpatient treatment settings have surpassed inpatient and residential settings as the most frequently used level of care for substance use disorder. As a result, many clients face treacherous living environments that may increase relapse risk. This study examined the long-term outcomes for clients who used outpatient treatment services combined with recovery residences.” [Read Article]

​Oxford Houses Offer Both Recovery Benefits and Cost Savings

Oxford Houses are a type of abstinence-focused recovery residence that are democratically-run, where residents are entirely responsible for house decisions and maintenance. In this study, authors conducted the most rigorous evaluation of Oxford Houses – and recovery residences more generally – to date. [Read Article]

The Characteristics and Effectiveness of Oxford House Recovery Residences: 2010 Review

“A 2010 article examined the characteristics of the houses and participants and also reviewed two studies funded by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA).” [Full Article]

Peer-Delivered Recovery Support Services for Addictions in the United States: A Systematic Review.

“This systematic review identifies, appraises, and summarizes the evidence on the effectiveness of peer-delivered recovery support services for people in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction” [Read Article]

A Clean and Sober Place to Live: Philosophy, Structure, and Purported Therapeutic Factors in Sober Living Houses.

“The call for evidence-based practices (EBPs) in addiction treatment is nearly universal. It is a noteworthy movement in the field because treatment innovations have not always been implemented in community programs.” [Read Article]

Abstinence-contingent recovery housing and reinforcement-based treatment following opioid detoxification.

“To conduct a randomized, controlled trial of abstinence-contingent recovery housing delivered with or without intensive day treatment among individuals exiting residential opioid detoxification.” [Read Article]

Recovery from Addiction in Two Types of Sober Living Houses: 12-Month Outcomes

“Sustained abstinence for many alcohol- and drug-dependent persons might be enhanced by providing an alcohol- and drug-free living environment that supports recovery. Sober living houses (SLHs) are alcohol- and drug-free living environments for individuals attempting to maintain abstinence. ” [Read Full Article]

A Model for Sober Housing During Outpatient Treatment

“Finding a living environment that supports recovery is a major challenge for many clients attending outpatient treatment. Yet it is important because family, friends, and roommates who encourage substance use or discourage recovery can undermine the progress made in treatment.” [Read Article]

What did we learn from our study of sober living houses and where do we go from here?

“Lack of a stable, alcohol- and drug-free living environment can be a serious obstacle to sustained abstinence. Destructive living environments can derail recovery for even highly motivated individuals.” [Read Full Article]

Recovery Housing: Assessing the Evidence

“Recovery housing is a direct service with multiple components that provides supervised, short-term housing to individuals with substance use disorders or co-occurring mental and substance use disorders. It commonly is used after inpatient or residential treatment.” [Read Full Article]

The Role of Recovery Residences in Promoting Long-Term Addiction Recovery

“Addiction and the larger arena of alcohol and other drug (AOD) abuse and related problems exact an enormous toll on individuals, families, organizations, local neighborhoods, and whole communities in the United States.” [Read Full Article]

Supporting Students in Recovery on College Campuses: Opportunities for Student Affairs Professionals

“This is a literature review about a growing trend in meeting the needs of students in recovery who wish to attend an institution of higher education. The trend is campus-based recovery community programs and, more specifically, campus-based recovery houses.” [Read Full Article ]

Recovery Capital as Prospective Predictor of Sustained Recovery, Life Satisfaction and Stress among Former Poly-Substance Users

“This study builds on our previous cross-sectional findings that recovery capital (social supports, spirituality, religiousness, life meaning, and 12-step affiliation) enhances the ability to cope with stress and enhances life satisfaction.” [Read Article]

Social and Recovery Capital Amongst Homeless Hostel Residents who use Drugs and Alcohol

“Therapies that focus on promoting positive social networks amongst people experiencing addiction seem to offer a valuable way of working with homeless hostel residents who use drugs and alcohol.” [Read Article]

The Need for Substance Abuse After-Care: Longitudinal Analysis of Oxford House

“Results suggest that receiving abstinence support, guidance, and information from recovery home members committed to the goal of long-term sobriety may enhance residents’ abstinence self-efficacy and enable persons recovering from alcohol and other drug addiction to reduce the probability of a relapse.” [Read Article]

Substance Abuse Recovery Odds Increase in a Community Setting

“This news article discusses the research of Leonard Jason, a community psychologist at DePaul University, specializing in the study of Oxford Houses.” [Read Article]

Understanding What Motivates Recovery Residents

“There are many factors that research has shown are important to achieving and sustaining recovery. Among the most important factors is motivation to quit alcohol and other drugs.” [Read Article]

​Will Providing Housing for Homeless People With Mental Illness Reduce Daily Substance Use?

“Homeless individuals with substance use issues and a co-occurring mental health disorder face additional obstacles when attempting the break the cycle of homelessness and addiction. While recovery is possible, effective interventions designed with this specific population in mind are needed.” [Read Article]

​Do Young Adults Need Both Clinical & Non-clinical Continuing Care After Residential Treatment?

“Relative to adolescents and older adults, emerging adults (18-24 years old in the current study) face unique recovery challenges related to their social and contexts, such as lower availability of recovery-supportive peers and environments.” [Read Article]

​Addressing Unemployment & Addiction Through Recovery Housing

“Recovery residences for homeless people with substance use disorders is an emerging solution to a cyclical problem. Homeless individuals may have difficulty obtaining secure housing and in turn, lack of housing acts as a barrier to sobriety.” [Read Article ]

Housing Preferences and Choices Among Adults with Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders: A Qualitative Study

“Housing is a crucial issue for adults with severe mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders, as this population is particularly susceptible to housing instability and homelessness.” [Read Article]

Sense of Community within Oxford House Recovery Housing: Impact of Resident Age and Income

“The experience of psychological sense of community (PSOC) can play an important role in the substance abuse recovery process. This study explored the relationship between PSOC and setting level variables of age and income among residents living in Oxford House, a communal, self-governed recovery housing model.” [Read Article]

What about Sober Living Houses for Parolees?

“High recidivism rates for parolees might be reduced with the provision of a stable, drug-free living environment. This paper suggests that Sober Living Houses (SLHs) have been overlooked as housing options for alcohol and drug abusing parolees.” [Read Abstract]

Dynamic Social Networks in Recovery Homes

“Results suggest that confidant relationships are predicted by trust, while trust is affected by recovery behaviors and length of residence. Conceptualizing recovery houses as a set of independent, evolving social networks that can be modeled jointly appears to be a promising direction for research.” [Read Article]

Residents of Mutual Help Recovery Homes, Characteristics and Outcomes: Comparison of Four US Ethnic Subgroups

“This study compared the characteristics and outcomes of four ethnic groups living in mutual help recovery homes.” [Read Article]

Community Context of Sober Living Houses

“The success or failure of programs designed to address alcohol and drug problems can be profoundly influenced by the communities where they are located. Support from the community is vital for long-term stability and conflict with the community can harm a program’s reputation or even result in closure.” [Read Article]

Perceptions of Sober Living Houses Among Addiction Counselors and Mental Health Therapists: Knowledge, Views and Perceived Barriers

“Affordable alcohol- and drug-free housing that supports recovery is limited in many areas. Sober living houses (SLHs) offer a unique living environment that supports abstinence and maintenance of a recovery lifestyle.” [Read Article]

From Personal Tragedy to Personal Challenge: Responses to Stigma Among Sober Living Home Residents and Operators

“Sober living homes for people attempting to maintain abstinence from alcohol and drugs can act as a buffer against the high rates of substance misuse that are endemic to many urban environments. Sober living homes and other group homes for people with disabilities have faced persistent opposition from neighbourhood associations, which raises the question of stigma.” [Read Article]

The Evolution of Peer Run Sober Housing as a Recovery Resource for California Communities

“The purpose of this paper is to trace the evolution of sober living houses in California from the early influences of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) in the 1930’s to the establishment of current SLH associations, such as the Sober Living Network in Southern California.” [Read Article]

Attitudes Toward Recovery Homes and Residences: Does Proximity Make a Difference?

“The present study investigated the attitudes of neighborhood residents toward a particular type of substance abuse recovery home (i.e., Oxford House) . . . Findings suggest that well managed and well-functioning substance abuse recovery homes, such as Oxford Houses, elicit constructive and positive attitudes toward individuals in recovery and recovery homes.” [Read Article]

Counteracting “Not in my Backyard”: The Positive Effects of Greater Occupancy within Mutual-Help Recovery Homes

“Regression analyses using data from 643 residents from 154 U.S. Oxford Houses indicated that larger House size predicted less criminal and aggressive behavior; additionally, length of abstinence was a partial mediator in these relationships. These findings have been used in court cases to argue against closing down larger Oxford Houses.” [Read Article]