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

Abstract

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. However, other types of community-based services that may be essential to sustained recovery have received less attention. This article suggests that sober living houses (SLHs) are a good example of services that have been neglected in the addiction literature that might help individuals who need an alcohol-and drug-free living environment to succeed in their recovery. It begins with an overview of the history and philosophy of this modality and then describes our five-year longitudinal study titled, “An Analysis of Sober Living Houses.” Particular attention is paid to the structure and philosophy of SLHs and purported therapeutic factors. It ends with the presentation of baseline data describing the residents who enter SLHs and six-month outcomes on 130 residents.