Halfway House Support For Reintegration In Society
Friday, September 3, 2010 11:24:59 PM
Halfway house, also called sober house or recovery house is a program that allows people to start the process of reintegration with mainstream society and still provides support and monitoring. Some facilities are meant for chronic mental health disorders and other are for people who have been recently freed from prison and to help them find their way into life in society, and most of others are for individuals with substance abuse issues. It isn’t necessary for the people that are placed in that kind of house to have a criminal record so everybody can enter voluntarily. Unfortunately in the places where houses like these attempt to locate there is often opposition from the neighborhoods. The monitoring and the support are important because there is a possibility of a relapse when they are released directly into society however, with the care and support provided at the halfway houses, they have a better chance of success.
In United Kingdom there are places where persons with mental disorders, victims of child abuse, orphans, and teenage runaways have an opportunity to reclaim their lives or have a safe haven for a while. It is often run by charities such as Church of England and community groups or other churches. Known as bail hostels, they function as residential places for offenders on bail and also function as probation supervised accommodation for offenders post-release.
In the United States of America there is a great difference between a halfway house and a sober/recovery house. In the recovery houses or sober houses, residents are only asked to remain sober and comply with a minimal recovery program for people with substance abuse problems. Apart from this, residents pay for their own stay. Whereas these residents have an active rehabilitation treatment program run throughout the day where the residents are constantly involved in personal and group support through counseling sessions for their substance abuse conditions while they are established in a sober support network, secure new job, and ultimately, find a new home.
In certain areas residents like these employ a faculty that includes a clinical treatment team and is much different from a Recovery House or Sober House. In these areas, a Drug and Alcohol Halfway House is licensed by the Department of Health and the staff coverage in these facilities are 24 hours a day.
The most important factor in these facilities is sober living environment (SLE). It is in a great help for their rehab and returning to society life. The purpose of SLE is to have a place for persons to live while they were in recovery. The main intent to create housing for people who have just recovered and the need for a place to live with support for those in recovery. Anyway it is not necessary to come from rehab. Many of these recovery programs have incorporated 12-step programs and efficient recovery methodologies. Residents are often required to be part of 12-step meetings and take drug test. Each of them have a different requirements but the most common are: No drugs or alcohol; Mandatory AA or NA meeting attendance; Random drug tests; On-time bill payments; General acceptance by peer group at the SLE.
SLE provides a lot of support to people with various kinds of addiction. Most effectively are for cocaine, amphetamine, and cannabis addicts. For many people staying in SLE is important and helps with support and understanding help bring change into their lives.
Before you make a decision on getting substance abuse treatment, be sure to check out a Sober House and ask them questions so you may make an informed decision on which place is right for you. During your recovery process in a Sober Houses you will not only learn about the disease of addiction and alcoholism and how to overcome addiction, you will also learn about God and the loving relationship He desires to have with you.
