Three models of residential recovery houses for addiction: One year outcomes

For many individuals with serious addiction problems, establishing abstinence can be enhanced through provision of an alcohol and drug free living environment supportive of recovery. This presentation reports on 323 individuals who entered 3 different types of recovery houses for addiction: 1) An 8-week residential treatment program (n=23), 2) Sober Living Houses (SLHs) associated with an outpatient treatment program (n=55), and 3) Freestanding SLHs not affiliated with any formal treatment (n=245). The houses differed in the types of individuals served and their roles in community recovery systems. A repeated measures design examined problem areas at baseline, six months, and one year. Seventy five percent (n=242) of the sample was interviewed at six months and seventy two percent were interviewed at one year (n=233). Mixed model regressions assessed the aggregate sample over the 3 time points and showed significant improvement on Addiction Severity Index scales (i.e., drug, alcohol, employment, family and legal), psychiatric symptoms on the Brief Symptom Inventory, and substance use over a 6-month time period. Although sample sizes were relatively small for two of the recovery house models, several interactions suggested individuals in the different types of houses entered with different problems and made different types of improvements. Although there were limitations in the sampling, it is suggested that addiction recovery systems more closely examine the types of recovery houses needed to meet addiction needs within specific communities.