Sober living
Sober living, also called a recovery residence, is shared, substance-free housing where people in recovery live together with peer support and house rules, usually without clinical treatment on site.
Also called recovery residence, sober home, recovery housing
- Last reviewed
- 5 sources, linked
- 4 related terms
What it means
The National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) describes four levels of support, from peer-run homes to clinically focused settings, and SAMHSA's 2023 best practices for recovery housing use that framework. Level I homes, such as Oxford Houses, are entirely peer-run with no paid staff on site; Level IV settings have paid, licensed or credentialed staff and clinical supervision.
Federal law defines a recovery home as a shared living environment that is, or claims to be, free from alcohol and illicit drug use and centered on peer support and connection to recovery services. EKRA covers referrals into recovery homes just as it covers treatment facilities.
The fourth edition of the ASAM Criteria adds recovery residences to its continuum of care for the first time.
Why it matters for your website
LegitScript says sober living homes without licensed clinical services do not meet its certification requirements, and Google does not allow addiction services ads from US providers that are not certified. Most homes therefore cannot use paid search for those terms, so organic search, a Google Business Profile and referral relationships carry the load.
Families want the house rules, the cost, what is included, who manages the house and real photos of it. Publish them. A home that hides its rules or its price reads like the ones families have been warned about.
Sources
The facts on this page about a law, a regulator, a clinical standard or a platform come from these sources. Each link opens the original in a new tab.
- SAMHSABest Practices for Recovery Housing (PEP23-10-00-002) (opens in a new tab)
- National Alliance for Recovery ResidencesNARR home page and mission (opens in a new tab)
- Cornell Law School, Legal Information Institute18 U.S. Code § 220, Illegal remunerations for referrals to recovery homes, clinical treatment facilities, and laboratories (opens in a new tab)
- LegitScriptAddiction Treatment Certification (opens in a new tab)
- Google Ads HelpHealthcare and medicines policy (addiction services) (opens in a new tab)
Last reviewed
This entry explains a clinical term so you can describe your care accurately on your website. It is not medical advice, and clinical decisions belong with your clinical team.
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