Sober Living Homes
By Art Boudreault, Board President, NCADD Silicon Valley
Sober living homes are one of manysources of ongoing treatment offered to those who have abused drugs and/oralcohol. It is not their first step towards recovery. By the time they haveselected a sober living home, they already are aware of the costs that thedisease has done to their own bodies
and minds and are also aware of the effects on their families. They have alreadybeen through more intense treatments and are now willing to take the next steptowards continuing their recovery.
Those who go to a sober living homerealize that they are not yet ready to face the questioning of parents, spousesand their friends. The ignorance of those of us who haven’t faced this diseaseis part of the problem. We may tell them, “It’s not so bad”, I can putthe drink down”, “All you need is willpower”. These statementsare not conducive to their recovery. The family
‘s lack of knowledge often causes the drinker to postpone their treatment. Newlysober persons need the continuing encouragement of others who have preceded themin recovery. The sober living environment provides peer influences, teaching andcamaraderie while they keep each other focused on how to live without drugs andalcohol. As stated in the mission statement of one sober living home’s web page,“Our mission is to provide a sober living environment to our residentswhich will lead to a life free of drugs and alcohol. This will be accomplishedby structure, education and mutual support. Our friendly homes work in a familytype environment. We all work together supporting each other emotionally andspiritually while sharing our responsibilities. After sharing and experiencingour program you will be equipped with the necessary skills to meet life’sdemands alcohol and drug free.” [1]
We may think that the majority of thosewho are in a sober living home are criminals, but most don’t have any criminalhistory at all. Many individuals go to a sober living home voluntarily after acourse of intense in-patient or outpatient treatment – as suggested by a medicalprofessional and/or a
counselor. Others who have entered through the court system are criminals onlybecause they have violated laws dealing with possession or related to beingunder the influence. Patients of certified sober living homes are screened bythe district attorney’s office for violent individuals and sex offenders. Thesepeople are not eligible for sober living homes in neighborhoods.
Those who led the fight for Proposition36 noted that a majority of those who are arrested for possession of drugs orfor driving under the influence are not otherwise breaking the law. The solutionproposed in proposition 36 is to require that these people have the alternativeof treatment, including sober living homes, rather than jail sentences. Giventhat we, the people,
overwhelmingly voted for this proposition, it seems necessary to increase thenumber of sober living homes to handle the increase of these patients. Treatmentis effective and successful. One year after treatment, 53% are completelyabstinent and an additional 35% have reduced their use of alcohol and drugs.Interestingly, these statistics are similar to diabetics who
fully adhere to their medication schedule (60%) after one year. [2] In a speechin Phoenix on November 1st at a national conference of the affiliates of theNational Council of Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD), the President,Gordon Scheinhauer, stated that treatment outcomes are quite
predictable. “The longer the treatment is, the higher the chance ofcomplete recovery.”
Should a sober living home be in myneighborhood? I think the answer is yes. The people attending the treatmentoffered by a sober living home could include my spouse, my parents, my children,my neighbors and my friends, maybe even me. Almaden Valley residents are notimmune from the disease of alcoholism or drug abuse. Our relatives and friendsneed to recover where
they live, not be driven to other neighborhoods or communities. I have a friend(a long-time math teacher in San Jose) whose wife abused medical prescriptions.She was judged a criminal by the courts, but instead of sending this 65-year-oldperson to jail, she received the option of treatment and long-term living in asober living home. Because of the gentle treatment by a sympathetic judge, thisproductive neighbor has successfully returned to society. Can we not help ourneighbors recover?
[1] Sober Living Homes: www.wcrecovery.com
[2] Just the Facts – The Effectivenessof Addiction Treatment, published by
Hazelden Butler Center for Research. www.naatp.org
NCADD Silicon Valley
255 North Market St Suite 175
San Jose, CA 95110
408-292-7292
www.ncaddsiliconvalley.org