How to Open a Sober Living Home

There are a variety of different residential options available for people who battle with substance abuse issues. There are residential treatment centers, halfway houses and sober living homes. Sober living homes generally are self managed, supportive living environments. A sober living home provides a residence to men and women working on maintaining their sobriety. The underlying concept is that by providing a safe, substance free living environment shared with similarly situated people, a person dealing with substance abuse and addiction issues will have a better opportunity of sustained sobriety. There are a variety of factors to take into consideration when establishing a sober living home.

Things You'll Need

• Comprehensive business plan and budget Purchased or leased facility for the sober living home Policies and procedures handbook Application and screening documents

Instructions

1. Create a comprehensive business plan. As is the initial requirement when starting any business enterprise, if you are interested in opening a sober living home in your community, you need to develop an appropriate, thorough business plan. You need to pay particular attention to the budget to ensure that residents of the home pay an appropriate amount for rent and any other charges that will be assessed.

2. Investigate different real estate options, paying particular attention to zoning restrictions. While in theory you will be establishing a residence, the reality is that a sober living home likely will not comply with restrictions in an area with a single family zoning. Typically, sober living facilities are established in business zones although technically speaking they would be suitable in areas zoned for multi-family use in many communities.

3. Identify a potential house or other type of residential facility that can both be outfitted for use as a sober living facility for the most affordable amount of money. Consider both leasing and purchasing a property. You simply cannot risk putting too much money into the remodeling of a sober living facility initially. You need to approach this project conservatively, understanding that the targeted population of residents can be highly transient and face economic problems with considerably frequency.

4. Purchase or lease an appropriate facility for your sober living home. If leasing, you need to make sure that you fully educate a potential landlord so that he or she has a clear picture of what is involved with a sober living facility.

5. Confab with the neighbors before you make a final decision to lease or purchase a site for the sober living home. Even though your endeavor fits perfectly with zoning laws, you do not want to "get off on the wrong foot" with the neighbors. By informing them up front what you intend to do with the property and the benefits to the community as a whole, you will lessen the prospect of conflict amongst the neighborhood.

6. Network with recovery specialists and professionals. Get to know the men and women who are on the staff of treatment centers and addiction based halfway houses. These people will be your primary resources for referrals for your own sober living home. As appropriate, make contact with recovery support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous.

7. Develop a policies and procedures handbook for residents of the sober living home. While this type of facility is self governed and managed by the residents, that effort is undertaken around a pre-determined set of policies, procedures and rules.

8. Establish an application and screening process for prospective residents. This needs to include making decisions as to what types of factors will preclude an individual from being accepted into the sober living home.

Tips & Warnings

• Because a sober living home does not provide therapeutic services, a person interested in starting such a facility normally does not have to obtain any type of special licensing or certification.

Resources

• Sober Living, Sober Recovery