For many people, access to a safe and supportive living environment is necessary to help them sustain recovery and avoid return to use, particularly in the early days of recovery. Recovery housing is intended to provide drug and alcohol free living spaces that also help residents build recovery skills and resilience and improve their well being. In this collection, we include the following resources:
- A toolkit from the National Council for Behavioral Health designed to help state and local leaders create effective oversight and regulation of recovery housing services
- A link to the website of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences and several documents:
- National Standard 3.0 compendium
- Frequently asked questions about recovery residences
- A guide for supporting the use of medication assisted treatment in recovery housing programs
- A guide for operators of recovery residences on supporting people using medication assisted treatment for opioid use disorder
- A 2014 report from the national convening of the Substance Use and Housing National Leadership Forum that discusses how best to provide housing and service integration for people with substance use disorders and homelessness or housing instability
- SAMHSA’s best practices for operating recovery housing
- The State of Ohio’s guide for people operating or creating a sober living environment recovery house that conforms to Ohio rules and regulations
- A guide to best practices for LGBTQ+ inclusion in recovery housing from Ohio Recovery Housing
- 2019 legislation from West Virginia that creates a certification program for recovery residences in the state
Note: If you are aware of other recovery housing materials we should include in the library, please let us know through our submission page.
Building Recovery – State Policy Guide for Supporting Recovery Housing
Source: National Council for Behavioral Health
This toolkit provides policy makers with guidance on how to create effective regulations, oversight policies, and financial support for recovery housing services in their community. The toolkit is divided into three sections including a discussion of recovery housing standards, incentives and
National Alliance for Recovery Residences
Source: National Alliance for Recovery Residences
Website for the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR), a national nonprofit that works to expand the availability of “well-operated, ethical and supportive recovery housing.” NARR works with 30 state affiliate organizations. Funding Source: Membership dues, grants and conference fees.
National Standard 3.0 Compendium
Source: National Alliance for Recovery Residences
This 23 page guidebook’s purpose is to name and describe the standards required for recovery residences to meet the NARR Standard. This standard encompasses core principles and individual standards in four domains: administrative and operational, physical environment, recovery support, and good neighbor.
A Primer on Recovery Residences: FAQs from the National Association of Recovery Residences
Source: National Association of Recovery Residences
This 2012 document from the National Association of Recovery Residences (now known as National Alliance of Recovery Residences) is a primer on recovery residences answering 39 frequently asked questions on such topics as what are recovery residences and how are they regulated and governed? What do people
MAT-Capable Recovery Residences: How State Policymakers Can Enhance and Expand Capacity to Adequately Support Medication Assisted Recovery
Source: National Alliance for Recovery Residences
The National Alliance for Recovery Residences published this guide to supporting the use of medication assisted treatment (MAT) in recovery housing programs in 2019. Directed at state and local policy makers, the report describes the challenges of adding MAT to recovery residence programs and proposes strategies for expanding recovery housing overall and specifically housing programs that can support residents on MAT.
Helping Recovery Residences Adapt to Support People with Medication-Assisted Recovery
Source: National Alliance for Recovery Residences
The National Alliance for Recovery Residences published this guide for operators of recovery housing on how to incorporated medication assisted treatment for opioid use disorder into their programs.
Substance Use and Housing National Leadership Forum
Source: CSH & National Council for Behavioral Health
In 2014 leaders were convened in Washington to discuss strategies to bring housing and service integration for people with substance use disorders. This report describes the discussions held and the convening and provides recommendations for creating a continuum of housing and services to
Recovery Housing: Best Practices and Suggested Guidelines
Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration published these guidelines for best practices in operating recovery housing as directed by the 2018 SUPPORT Act.
Recovery Housing Development Guidebook
Source: Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services
The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services prepared this step-by-step guide for people operating or creating a sober living environment recovery house that conforms to Ohio rules and regulations. The guide additionally provides information about administrative and operational considerations, developing
Best Practices for LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Recovery Housing
Source: Ohio Recovery Housing
This guide details considerations for providing safe, sober recovery housing for members of the LGBTQ+ community. It includes information to reduce stigma, information about common experiences of discrimination and lack of access to supportive care, and specific LGBTQ+ focused recovery supports.
Recovery Residence Legislation
Source: West Virginia Legislature
In 2019, the West Virginia legislature passed this bill requiring certification of recovery residences in the state. Funding Source: West Virginia Legislature