Questions you Should Ask a Sober House before Deciding on One
According to a study published by the National Library of Medicine, a sober living house helps to prevent you from relapsing into drug or alcohol use particularly if your home environment is unstable. Since there are a wide variety of sober living residences, it is important to know what to ask when looking for one that will best help you recover.
What Programs do they Offer?
It is extremely important to know what programs they offer to help you. Many sober residences offer both drug addiction and self-improvement programs. A few of these programs are:
- Education and GED programs
- Vocational training
- Help with job skills
- Help with finding a job
- Medical assistance
- Life skills training
- Counseling
- Other forms of therapy
Sober houses are not only a place to remain sober, they also are a place to recover your life.
What is their Program Length?
Usually programs last between 30 and 90 days depending on the severity of your addiction and the type of program you are in. There are longer programs available. You want to make sure that the program that they offer is long enough to recover from your addiction.
Do they Accept your Insurance?
Although not the first question you want to ask, if you have insurance for long term care, you will want to see if the sober house accepts it. If not there are many low cost and free sober houses.
Who can use the Facility?
Some sober facilities allow people with mental illnesses or who have been convicted with a crime. When you make the decision as to which sober facility you want to be in, you need to consider who your fellow residents will be.
How Many People to a Room?
Some sober houses do not have private bedrooms. Before deciding on a sober residence you might want to know if you will have a private room or if you will share with other people.
How Many People to a Bathroom?
Some sober houses have only one or two bathrooms for several residents. You will want to make sure that you won’t be uncomfortable with sharing a bathroom with someone else.
Do you have Access to Medical Staff?
It is a good idea to know if you have access to medical staff or a doctor while you are in a sober living facility. This is particularly important if you have other medical issues. Not many sober residences are capable of medical care but many have emergency supplies and a doctor that supervises treatment.
Who will be Making the Treatment Decisions?
In sober houses certain people make treatment decisions. Sometimes it is a psychologist other times it is a therapist or medical doctor. It is important to know who will be deciding what services your receive and who makes the decisions about your treatment.
Help finding a Sober Living Residence that Meets your Needs
Choosing a sober house is a difficult decision and if you have difficulty choosing we can help. We have access to a vast variety of information on the different sober houses across the country. Call us at 800-953-3913 (Who Answers?). We can help you with this difficult decision.