Vanderburgh House works closely with MASH to develop standards and ensure that their sober houses offer the strongest community and recovery environment in service of their residents. Certified sober homes in Massachusetts are designated by the Massachusetts Alliance for Sober Housing (MASH). Legislation in 2014 created voluntary certification of Massachusetts sober houses, and MASH began managing voluntary statewide sober home certification in 2016.

These standards were developed using a collaborative approach with input from regional and national recovery housing organizations. MASH is an affiliate of NARR and used these standards to create Massachusetts standards for certified sober homes. NARR has since released two updates to the standards, first in October 2015 and then in 2018. The third version of the NARR standards provides more explicit guidance to providers, including metrics for evaluating the peer support components of a residence’s recovery environment. MASH’s recovery values emphasize health, home, purpose, and community. Successful sober homes establish and reinforce healthy lifestyles, provide a safe and stable place to live, conduct meaningful activities, and build relationships and social networks for support.

Sober Living and Substance Abuse Treatment Near Me in Massachusetts

All persons enter into the Massachusetts sober living program willingly on completion of a rehab or detox program. On the other hand, residents of halfway houses are typically parolees or persons mandated to live there per court order or as a sentencing alternative. Also, most sober living facilities take in residents‘ who may not be actively involved in rehab. However, it is mandatory for residents entering a halfway house to be in a rehab treatment program or to have completed one. Residents who abide by these guidelines have a higher chance of avoiding a relapse while living in a sober home. Generally, residents need to participate in house meetings, attend therapy and counseling sessions, and report for 12-step meetings while living in a Massachusetts sober living home.

• Massachusetts sober living homes refer to any substance-free, structured group living arrangement for persons recovering from addiction.
• NARR has since released two updates to the standards, first in October 2015 and then in 2018.
• However, halfway houses may also accommodate persons mandated by a court order or persons in recovery for drug or alcohol addiction.
• The restrictions may include no access to a phone or computer, no contact with family members, and a curfew during this phase.
• The restrictive phase focuses on removing substance triggers around the resident while concentrating on learning the basics of sober living.

MASH is affiliated with NARR and helps promote these standards at sober houses across Massachusetts. (f) The bureau shall prepare, publish and disseminate a list of alcohol and drug free housing certified pursuant to this section; provided, however, that the list shall be updated bimonthly. The list shall be disseminated to the director of the division of drug rehabilitation and to each state agency or vendor with a statewide contract that provides substance use disorder treatment services. The commissioner of probation shall inform all district and superior court probation officers and the chief justice of the trial court shall inform all district and superior court judges on how to access the list.

News A federal grant helps extend sober housing for probationers

Residents in a sober living program can live in the sober home for as long as they choose. Residents stay until they are confident in their ability to thrive in the real world without a relapse. However, residents can only live in a halfway house for an agreed number of months, usually 12 months. Boston Sober Homes is a M.A.S.H certified sober housing company for those who are serious about their recovery and sobriety.

(v) verify good standing with regard to local, state and federal laws and any regulations and ordinances including, but not limited to, building, maximum occupancy, fire safety and sanitation codes.

Daily Life in Massachusetts Sober Living Homes

A contract was awarded to the Massachusetts Alliance for Sober Housing (MASH) to be the certifying body, and the training and technical assistance vendor. Vanderburgh House Operators are the largest providers of MASH Certified sober houses in Massachusetts. We work closely with MASH to develop standards and ensure that our sober houses offer the strongest community and recovery environment in service of our residents. Visit the for a list of all sober houses, including certified sober houses, in Massachusetts and throughout the United States. In Massachusetts, state agencies and vendors are only allowed to refer clients to MASH Certified sober houses.

• Residents of sober homes are expected to abstain from alcohol and drug use, other than prescribed medications, and to refrain from prescription misuse.
• Sober living homes are private residences typically operated by individuals or an addiction treatment center.
• The evening consists of activities, such as group or individual meetings, 12-step meetings, therapy, or house meetings.
• Certified sober homes have comfortable spaces for living, sleeping, and engaging with peers, all of which make them valuable and safe spaces for recovery.

However, if a resident relapses at this stage, the resident goes back to the restrictive phase. (b) The bureau shall establish and provide for the administration of a voluntary training and accreditation program for operators of alcohol and drug free housing seeking certification under subsection mash sober housing (d). Sober living homes are private residences typically operated by individuals or an addiction treatment center. The government funds and administers the daily operations of a halfway house through its agencies. Work, school, volunteering, and rehab treatment continue in the afternoon.

MASH Certified Sober Homes

During the day, the sober living home management encourages residents without a job to seek employment and pick on a new hobby or sport. Sober homes support various abstinence-based pathways to recovery, and each residence focuses on one or more particular pathway. All MASH sober homes meet national standards based on the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) model. The Massachusetts Association for Sober Housing (M.A.S.H) is committed to the provision of safe sober living to a community of people in recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs. A list of all sober houses in Massachusetts on Sober House Directory is available here. If you are looking for recovery resources in Massachusetts, please visit our Massachusetts Sober House Recovery Resources page.

It is not compulsory to obtain certification to operate a Massachusetts sober living home. However, the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS) ensures that sober living homes in Massachusetts maintain https://ecosoberhouse.com/ the standards set for recovery residences in the state. Recovery houses are transitory substance-free, peer-supported, stable, and safe living environments for persons in recovery from substance abuse.