When Charlie Sheen turned his house into a sober living facility, plenty of people questioned its legitimacy. Fact is, not every residency dedicated to rehabilitating addicts requires licensing and a staff of certified professionals. According to the National Institute on Chemical Dependency, "You do not need a license, permit or any other document to open a halfway house. If any person, government official, government agency, zoning commission, etc. tells you otherwise, they are engaging in illegal and unfair practices." Keep this in mind as you launch your facility.
- Skill level:
- Moderately Challenging
Instructions
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1
Decide whether you'll go the bureaucratic route and file for licenses and permits from local health and zoning boards. You'll be given a long list of requirements from municipal authorities that must be met before you can open your doors. You may be asked to remodel to bring the place up to code, and you'll also be given a list of the credentials your staff members must posses to meet federal, state and local laws.
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2
Solicit contributions of cash and in-kind donations. If you've decided to license your sober living home, you can take advantage of grants and loans earmarked for facilities in the business of rehabilitating people with drug and alcohol addictions. If you have no license, it will be up to you to find private donors to underwrite expenses associated with your sober living facility. These funds can't be written off as charitable deductions unless you declare yourself a nonprofit corporation and receive 501(c)3 credentials from the IRS.
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3
Assess your house for size and functionality. The amount of floor space, kitchen facilities, furnishings, bathrooms and staples -- linens, cooking utensils and laundering equipment -- must be adequate for your sober living facility's population. If you're not taking the licensing path, you can house two, even three, people per bedroom, so while you'll need more cash to maintain the facility, you'll be able to assist more recovering addicts thanks to bedroom sharing.
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4
Develop a sober living facility operations manual outlining household and client rules and regulations. Include guest responsibilities (e.g., no drinking, no entertaining guests, must help with household tasks) and sanctions for rule infractions and violations. Make clear your responsibilities as well, including an acknowledgement of and willingness to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Act Amendment and other laws that apply to mental health residency programs.
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5
Provide mental health assistance to residents. If you're a licensed sober living facility, you have already complied with requirements for licensed counselors on staff and can schedule group and individual counseling sessions. As an unlicensed facility, you can still provide mental health counseling but this must be done via referrals to local churches or nonprofit mental health agencies willing to donate these services pro bono.
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6
Give residents structure and encouragement to help them recover from their addictions. You can stock the living room with AA literature, books encouraging sobriety, and set rules and regulations, but if you also promote hobbies, stage workshops and involve clients in the day-to-day operation of the facility, you'll give them the responsibility they need to stay sober once they leave your facility and re-start their lives.
