‘Are sober living homes covered by insurance?’ is among the most common questions we field here at The District Recovery Community.
- TLDR: No, even with the enactment of the ACA (Affordable Care Act), sober living homes do not typically accept insurance.
Do Sober Living Homes Take Insurance?
Just like the cost of addiction treatment, the cost of sober living homes varies dramatically from facility to facility.
Some states regulate sober living homes, with the maximum number of residents capped at ten or fewer. This tends to drive the costs upward, but with superior service delivered.
The majority of sober living homes are situated in discreet and quiet neighborhoods. In cities with space at a premium, you’ll often find sober living communities in apartment buildings.
Given the independent nature of sober living homes, the cost will reflect the cost of rent and mortgage costs in the area. In California, you could be looking at anywhere from $750 per month for a very basic and small room to $10,000 and upwards monthly for a sober living home in an upscale West LA community.
In the state of California, sober living homes are not issued with any formal certification or licensing. What you often find is that some treatment centers – The District Recovery Community, for instance – can offer subsidized access to suitable local sober living communities for those engaging with outpatient addiction treatment. Specifics will vary from case to case.
Even though the ACA mandates that all insurance companies offer coverage for the treatment of mental health issues, here is the issue for sober living homes. A sober living home is not a course of treatment. Instead, it offers you a stable and supportive base from which to continue with your ongoing treatment for mental health and/or addiction. For this reason, the cost of a stay at a sober living home is not normally covered by insurance.
Understanding Sober Living
Sober living homes were previously known as halfway houses. These residences are standalone from treatment centers, and they act as a transitional point between inpatient rehab centers and the real world.
Some people step down from residential rehab to a sober living home rather than immediately returning home after treatment. For others, outpatient treatment is the best fit for alcohol use disorder or substance use disorder, but they lack the right home environment. Basing themselves at a sober living community allows these people to get the treatment they need without packing their bags and heading to inpatient rehab.
Many people temporarily relocate to sober living homes at different points on their recovery journeys, so what can you expect from one of these communities?
What to Expect from Sober Living Homes in California
You’ll find rules and regulations of sober living homes in California will vary slightly from location to location.
When you set about choosing a sober living community, you should look for one best tailored to your needs, just like you would when choosing the best addiction treatment.
Here are the most common shared characteristics of sober living homes in California:
- No alcohol or drugs tolerated
- Random testing for substance abuse
- Rent and other financial dues must be paid on time
- Curfews are usually in place
- Expect requirements for employment
- You need to be actively engaged in recovery in some form
- Attendance at house meetings is mandatory
- Most sober living homes expect you to share chores
- Guests are not allowed at the sober living home
Rather than viewing these rules with resistance, instead, embrace the structure and support that will help you to a sustained recovery with less chance of relapse.
Is Sober Living the Same as Rehab?
To clarify, sober living homes should not be confused with rehab.
You will be expected to engage in some form of addiction treatment – usually outpatient programs and/or 12-step support groups – but treatment is not delivered at the sober living home.
These communities serve as a stable base from which to pursue your ongoing recovery. Sober living homes are not the same as rehab.
How Do Recovery Houses Work?
With fewer than ten residents in most sober living homes, you can benefit from the peer support of others undergoing recovery while still retaining an intimate atmosphere that’s not too overwhelming.
You may find some 12-step groups take place in common spaces within the community, but there is no treatment delivered at the sober living home.
During the day, residents head to therapy, counseling, and outpatient programs – sometimes IOPs (intensive outpatient programs) and PHPs (partial hospitalization programs). Some residents pursue educational opportunities, while others return to work or seek employment.
One of the prerequisites for residency is establishing some form of regular routine, however, that is tailored to meet your circumstances. Sober living homes are not intended as a venue for hanging out. Rather, they are a springboard to actively use while you embrace your newfound sobriety.
Most sober living homes have a coordinator or manager living on the premises. Often, this will be someone in recovery, giving them a strong understanding of what you’re going through.
Perhaps you’ve been reading this today and decided that your home environment is the weak link in any attempt to engage with outpatient treatment for addiction or mental health issues. Fortunately, we can help you to get around that here at The District Recovery Community.
Sober Living at The District Recovery Community
Here at The District Recovery Community, we can help you access some of the best sober living homes. We can put you in contact with reliable communities in Huntington Beach, and further afield in Orange County.
Whether you live in the state of California and want to kickstart your recovery close to home, or you are from out-of-state and looking for a change of scene to help shatter the chains of addiction, we are here to help.
Beyond helping you relocate to a suitable sober living home, we can also help with personalized and evidence-based outpatient treatment programs for alcohol use disorder, substance use disorder, and co-occurring disorder.
To make all this happen, reach out to TDRC at 844.287.8506.
