Halfway Houses Defined
In earlier centuries, resting stops and inns that were located
half-way between metropolitan areas became known as halfway houses.
The
term is
still used as
such in England. In the United States, halfway houses serve as
safe houses for persons with various problems or traumas. Persons
living in these houses have experienced life outside of the norm. Some
may be coming from the prison system, others may be battered wives
and many others have a history of repeated substance abuse. In
most cases, a halfway house offers a structured living program
to aid the individual in his or her effort to re-enter society
as a responsible and productive citizen.
For the purpose of this article, the focus in on halfway houses
for persons recovering from some form of substance abuse
such as alcoholism or drug addiction. In this context, individuals
entering half-way houses usually arrive
from substance abuse treatment centers or are court ordered through
drug courts and correctional facilities. In some cases the halfway
houses, also referred to as recovery houses or sober houses, are
owned and operated by treatment centers or commissioned by state
governments,
but
in
Tennessee
most are
privately owned.
The recovering alcoholics and drug addicts that reside in halfway
houses are expected to abide by certain rules and codes of conduct.
They are required to obtain employment
and remain drug free. Most have curfews and time limits on such
things as phone use and television viewing. Some halfway houses
have formal programs of recovery, but regretfully, not all. Some
require attendance at recovery meetings such as AA and NA, but
others just require abstinence from alcohol and drugs.
Regretfully, many halfway houses of this type go only half-way
for their residents. They end up being little more than flop houses,
and the clients eventually leave without a solid base in recovery.
That is why concerned organizations such as A Friend of Bill's prefer
the name Recovery Homes. They emphasize a permanent
recovery plan. This usually involves participation in a 12 step
program
such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. Residents
are expected to attend daily AA meeting, get a sponsor, work the
12 steps and become involved. This is an action program for individuals
who are serious about their recovery and want more than a half-way
solution.
If you want to learn more about A Friend of Bill's Recovery
Homes in Lebanon, TN and Hendersonville, TN,
please examine the other pages of this site. If you need additional
information, please feel free to contact
us.
Other Sources for Halfway Houses and Recovery Houses
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Sober living home directory for halfway houses , recovery homes, transitional
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... Directory of quality recovery residences and sober living
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