Oxford House: Definition, Usages, Benefits, Rules, and Effectiveness

The self-governing nature of Oxford Houses, combined with their supportive community environment, contributes to lower relapse rates and better overall success in maintaining sobriety compared to conventional sober living homes. Residents benefit from the shared experiences of others who understand the challenges of recovery, which fosters accountability and motivation. To ensure a productive living environment, each house adheres to specific guidelines that are integral to the recovery process.

What are the long-term benefits of staying in transitional housing?

Oxford Houses indicated that larger House size predicted less criminal and aggressive behavior. These data were used in 5 court cases, which were successful in arguing against closing down Oxford Houses that had more than 5 or 6 non-related residents. Yes, transitioning between different types of transitional housing is possible if your recovery needs change.

Drug and alcohol free

• This was a learning experience in itself because I was unaware that Oxford House had operated on different levels.
• I’m glad I did because when I was finally able again to be an Outreach Worker, a position that was only an hour away from my son, became available in a new area in Alabama.
• Before I even knew I was being given a discharge date, I started getting phone numbers for the women’s Oxford Houses here in Pensacola.

For many individuals with substance abuse problems, entry into the existing continuum of services begins in a detoxification program. Detoxification program readmission represents a potential indicator that services received have not facilitated sustained recovery. It has been suggested that for a substantial portion of addicted persons, detoxification does not lead to sustained recovery. Instead, these individuals cycle repetitively through service delivery systems (Richman & Neuman, 1984; Vaillant, 2003). Recidivism rates within one year following treatment are high for men and women, and 52–75% of all alcoholics drop out during treatment (Montgomery et al., 1993).

The transformation in people’s lives during the life-long journey of recovery is miraculous.

• Q. What is the “ideal” number of individuals to make a self-run, self-supported recovery house work?
• There is considerable evidence for the effectiveness of TCs (DeLeon, & Rosenthal, 1989).
• I was leaving my relationship and my life all behind, which for any addict seems impossible, but I knew it was time.I spent just shy of 2 months in treatment before I got an interview with Oxford House Ski Valley and was accepted.

Their support includes evaluating the level of care provided by different homes and matching residents with the appropriate setting based on their specific recovery criteria. Oxford Houses are self-sustaining, democratically operated sober living homes for individuals recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. These residences are characterized by their self-run structure, ensuring a drug-free environment where each resident contributes to the management and upkeep of the home. As described by Oxford House, drug addiction treatment Inc., a non-profit organization, this model promotes recovery by fostering an environment of mutual support and responsibility. Alcoholism and substance abuse affects over 20 million Americans, and thus is the most prevalent mental disorder facing our nation (Jason, Ferrari, Davis, & Olson, 2006). Many psychologists are involved in the delivery of services to those with substance abuse addictions.

• The easiest way to find an Oxford House is to use our vacancy locator at oxfordvacancies.com.
• It provides quality control by organizing regional Houses into Chapters and by relying heavily upon the national network of mutual aid organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous groups.
• I so wish I would’ve found it sooner but God has a plan and times it right so now I am in a great part in my life, thanks to Oxford House.
• The Betty Ford Foundation highlights these homes as critical in helping individuals develop new routines and habits essential for long-term recovery.
• Relapse policies are strict in most transitional housing environments, particularly in sober living homes and halfway houses.
• Flynn, Alvarez, Jason, Olson, Ferrari, and Davis (2006) found that African Americans in Oxford House maintain ties with family members yet develop supportive relationships by attending 12-step groups and living in Oxford House.
• Jason, Groh, Durocher, Alvarez, Aase, and Ferrari (2008) examined how the number of residents in Oxford House recovery homes impacted residents’ outcomes.

What Is it Like To Live In A Sober Living Home?

We believe that selecting multi-level, multi-methods approaches allowed us to better clarify complex phenomena that we were studying. There appear to be considerable standardization of locations of Oxford Houses as well as what occurs in these settings (Ferrari, Groh & Jason, 2009). These results, in fact, were replicated in Australian Oxford Houses (Ferrari, Jason, Blake et al., 2006). The cost of living in an Oxford House varies depending on location and house size, but it is generally affordable due to shared expenses and the self-sustaining nature of the model. Oxford Houses have successfully expanded to form a network of over 2000 homes across the United States and internationally, thriving in diverse communities such as New York City, Washington D.C., Hawaii, Canada, and Australia. Each house operates under a set of traditions that prioritize democratic governance, financial independence, and the collective welfare of all members, ensuring no member is expelled without cause related to relapse or disruptive behavior.

Learn about Oxford House

Overall, peer recovery in sober living environments provides a supportive framework where individuals in recovery can learn from and lean on each other. It offers a sense of camaraderie, validation, and shared wisdom that can be instrumental in maintaining sobriety, building life skills, and fostering long-term recovery. These homes provide the necessary community support to help residents implement the life skills and coping strategies learned during rehabilitation into their daily lives. One of the greatest threats to the sobriety of a recovering alcoholic or drug addict is loneliness. At a time when we acquired a serious desire to stop drinking or using drugs, many of us had lost our families and friends because of our alcoholism and/or drug addiction. Too often, newly recovering alcoholics and drug addicts are faced with the necessity of living alone and of relying solely on contacts with Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous to stay sober.

What Happens if You Relapse in a Sober Living Home?

So now I’m an Outreach Worker and completely love what God is doing in my life. Group homes like Oxford House sometimes face significant neighborhood opposition, and municipalities frequently use maximum occupancy laws to close down these homes. Towns pass laws that make it illegal for more than 5 or 6 non-related people to live in a house, and such laws are a threat to Oxford Houses which often have 7–10 house members to make it inexpensive to live in these settings. Jason, Groh, Durocher, Alvarez, Aase, and Ferrari (2008) examined how the number of residents in Oxford House recovery homes impacted residents’ outcomes. The Oxford House organization recommends 8–12 individuals residing in each House (Oxford House, 2006). Homes that allow for 8 or more residents may reduce the cost per person and offer more opportunities to exchange positive social support, thus, it was predicted that larger Oxford Houses what is an oxford house would exhibit improved outcomes compared to smaller homes.