A sober living environment, or SLE, is a group home for people in recovery from substance abuse. Newly sober alcoholics who live in such homes benefit from an environment that supports the goals of their alcohol treatment, helps build the necessary behaviors for lasting recovery, and assists with the transition to a non-drinking life.
History
According to an overview of sober living environments prepared by the Alcohol Research Group of the non-profit Public Health Institute, SLEs can trace their history to the "dry houses" run by religious organizations such as the YMCA and Salvation Army in the early 1800s. The modern SLE concept first emerged on the West Coast in the 1970s as the decline of low-cost housing in urban areas, coupled with the closing of public psychiatric hospitals, left many newly recovering alcoholics and addicts homeless.
Names
Sober living environments go by a number of names, among them "sober houses" and "recovery houses." SLEs may occasionally be referred to generically as "Oxford houses," although Oxford House is a specific network of SLEs that has more than 1,200 locations nationwide.
Function
Though an SLE can play an essential role in supporting an alcoholic's treatment, SLEs themselves are not "halfway houses" or treatment centers. They do not have medical staff, and they do not offer addiction-treatment or counseling services. Rather, they provide a structured environment conducive to recovery. Sober houses are usually democratically run, with each resident having a say in house matters and sharing responsibility for enforcing house rules, evicting residents who repeatedly relapse or break rules, and helping newcomers get acclimated to life in the house. Residents can usually stay as long as they like.
Requirements
The No. 1 rule for residents in an SLE is that they must completely abstain from alcohol or drugs--if even one person is "using," then the sober house isn't sober. To that end, the house rules may require regular or random breathalyzer tests or drug screens. Residents are required or at least strongly encouraged to attend recovery meetings, particularly Alcoholics Anonymous, and to work the AA program, including following the AA "12 steps" and working with a sponsor. They're expected to pay rent and their share of the bills, stay out of trouble with the law and share in the housework.
Effectiveness
Since SLEs merely support treatment rather than actually provide it, it's somewhat misleading to ask whether they "work," as even the best recovery house may be only as effective as the resident allows it to be. Even so, the Alcohol Research Group team noted that successful recovery strongly correlates with behaviors encouraged by SLEs, particularly regular attendance at recovery meetings, and it concluded that more people in recovery could benefit from living in an SLE.
