What is Sober Living?

Alcohol- and drug- free houses (also known as sober living) play an important role in supporting treatment and recovery services in a community by helping recovering persons to maintain an alcohol-and drug- free lifestyle. Residents are free to organize and participate in self help meetings or any other activity that helps them maintain sobriety. The house or its residents do not and cannot provide any treatment, recovery, or detoxification services, do not have treatment or recovery plans or maintain case files, and do not have a structured, scheduled program of alcohol and drug education, group or individual counseling, or recovery support sessions. Persons typically become residents of an alcohol- and drug- free house after being in a licensed non medical residential alcohol or other drug recovery or treatment facility. However, participation in a licensed facility is not necessarily a prerequisite for residency.

Alcohol- and drug- free houses are not required to be licensed nor are they eligible for licensure. By definition, they do not provide alcohol or drug recovery or treatment services and are, therefore, not subject to regulation or oversight by the State Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs.

What is important about these houses is that all have three things in common. First, they make sure that a person who is in recovery lives in a place that is free from alcohol and drug use. Second, the residents themselves reinforce their recovery through support with other recovering persons.

Finally, the residents are free to voluntarily pursue activities to support their recovery, either alone or with others.

Source: CA Dept. of Alcohol and Drug Programs