What is a halfway house?
A halfway house is a temporary residence for those who have completed treatment but are not yet ready to return to their home. These people find it helpful to have daily support in restructuring their lives. Often, this includes assistance with finding a job and gradually living more independently.
Why is a halfway house a helpful next step after treatment?
After treatment, many people aren’t ready to return to independent living situations—settings where they may be exposed to the using environments or triggers that could lead to a relapse or eventual return to use.
A halfway house is often a good alternative, bridging the gap between intensive drug treatment and sober independent living. Halfway houses enhance the recovery process by helping residents
- maintain abstinence from alcohol and other drugs
- gain access to a recovery support system (programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous) and other community services such as health, mental health, legal support, and so on
- acquire and practice social and living skills such as personal hygiene and grooming, communication skills, problem solving, and so on
- engage in a program of educational/vocational training, volunteer work, and/or employment
- learn and engage in sober recreational activities
- develop healthy community ties