What sets Oxford Houses apart from traditional sober living homes is their democratic model, where residents actively participate in decision-making processes, fostering a oxford house traditions sense of accountability and community. Unlike many traditional sober living homes, Oxford Houses do not have a staff presence or formal treatment programs; instead, they rely on residents to manage the house and support one another. Residents benefit from the shared experiences of others who understand the challenges of recovery, which fosters accountability and motivation. Yes, there are Oxford Houses in Canada, Australia and Ghana with active interest in England, Bulgaria and other countries. Alcoholism and drug addiction are international problems and Oxford Houses can provide recovering individuals the opportunity to become comfortable enough in sobriety to avoid relapse.

Directory of Connecticut Residences

The members of the new house agree to utilize the Oxford House Model’s system of operations and Oxford House, Inc. issues a no-cost charter. Oxford House members share the house responsibilities and pitch in to do the chores. Explore how each house is supported by the broader Oxford House network.
Manuals & Forms
- The Oxford House concept is to sustain self-run and self-supported recovery homes for men and women in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.
- As our recovery progressed, the supervision and dependency on a half-way house created dissatisfaction.
- For more information about NARR, check out our article titled The National Alliance for Recovery Residences, which offers more insight into its system of standards and policies.
- Focusing on peer support and personal responsibility allows individuals to concentrate on their recovery while developing essential life skills in a supportive atmosphere.
- They are designed for individuals needing more intense support and are required to be licensed in some states.
- Additionally, having 8 to 15 members helps maintain a balance in house responsibilities, ensuring that tasks such as financial management and house chores are distributed fairly among residents.
This structured management approach fosters a sense of responsibility and ownership among residents, contributing to their recovery journey. In its simplest form, an Oxford House is a shared residence where people in recovery from substance use disorder can live together and support each other in a drug and alcohol-free environment. Since Oxford Houses are self-supported, they are the most cost-effective way to deal with recovery from alcoholism, drug addiction and co-occurring mental illness. The average length of jail time is about one year, with a range of few days to more than ten years. This is understandable since as many as 80% of the current jail/prison population are alcoholics and drug addicts. Oxford Houses seem to stop the recycling in and out of jail or treatment facilities.
- Chapters are important links in making the democratic system of organization underlying Oxford House™ work.
- Since then courts have found that the same protection applies with respect to fire safety standards and rates charged property owners for property insurance coverage.
- In Oxford House, each member equally shares the responsibility for the running of the House and upholding the Oxford House tradition.
Q. How long can one live in an Oxford House?
Oxford House, Inc. is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that employs both office and field staff to provide technical assistance to the network of houses to foster the expansion of the Oxford House Model. The Oxford House Model provides a unique and successful system of operations that differs from traditional sober living homes and halfway houses. Oxford House, Inc has provided recovery (aka “sober”) and reentry housing for women and men since 1975, with over 4,000 locations world-wide serving over 29,000 residents. Our sober houses have been cited by the United State Surgeon General as “the gold standard” for Level 1 care.
Some houses collect EES from its members on a monthly basis while many houses choose to collect EES on a weekly basis. This monthly or weekly amount varies from state to state and house to house and can range anywhere from $125 a week to $250 a week. When you call a house to set up an interview you can ask them how much their EES is.

Starting new Houses through the mutual assistance of existing Oxford Houses is a tradition because each House was started with the help of existing Houses and tends to pass on to others that which they received. Once more applications are received than there are beds available, the members of any Oxford House will begin to look around for another suitable house. When they find such a house they will bring it up with the other existing Houses and if there is a consensus they will attempt to find the start up money and members to fill the new house. Often several members of an existing House will move into the new House to provide a core group of new members who already know how an Oxford House works. Oxford House should rely on democratically-chosen leaders, but the leaders must always be but trusted servants. To discourage an excessive dependence on leaders, it is a principle of Oxford House that no member should serve in the same office for a continuous period of longer than six months.
Different levels cater to varying needs, providing tailored support to individuals in recovery, allowing participants to explore multiple recovery pathways through diverse peer models. For more information about NARR, check out our article titled The National Alliance for Recovery Residences, which offers more insight into its system of standards and policies. Level IV (Type C, Clinical) integrates social and medical models with both peer and professional staff, offering clinical addiction treatment alongside recovery support services.
In Washington State alone, nearly one million dollars were lent to help start new Oxford House recovery homes. To date, these funds have supported over 1,000 new beds for men and women in recovery. Even some 50 years after its founding, Oxford House still has a profoundly positive effect on providing national addiction treatment options.
- Every member has an equal vote regardless of how long they’ve been there.
- Even some 50 years after its founding, Oxford House still has a profoundly positive effect on providing national addiction treatment options.
- In its simplest form, an Oxford House is a shared residence where people in recovery from substance use disorder can live together and support each other in a drug and alcohol-free environment.
- Each house operates democratically, where residents share responsibilities, pay household expenses, and collectively make decisions, fostering a sense of community and accountability.
There is no reason to believe that society as a whole had the responsibility to provide long-term housing within a protected environment for the alcoholic and drug addict. However, there is every reason to believe that recovering alcoholics and drug addicts can do for themselves that which society as a whole has no responsibility to do for them. Oxford House is built on the premise of expanding in order to meet the needs of recovering alcoholics and drug addicts. This principle contrasts sharply with the principle of providing the alcoholic or drug addict with assistance for a limited time period in order to make room for a more recently recovering alcoholic or drug addict. During our drinking and drug use years, and even before, many of us found it difficult to accept authority. Many individuals in society are able to abide by the strict letter of any rule, regulation , or law.
Oxford Houses of Texas, established in 1990, is a state-wide network of addiction recovery homes chartered by Oxford House, Inc., the 501c3 umbrella corporation. The success of Oxford House is well documented and has resulted in the inclusion of the Oxford House Model into the SAMSHA National Registry of Evidence Based Programs and Practices https://casper123.net/signs-of-alcohol-intoxication/ (NREPP). In 1975, a tight budget in Montgomery County, Maryland led to a decision to close one of the four county-run halfway houses. The thirteen men living in the halfway house rented the building and decided to run it themselves. That was an important change because recovering individuals take different lengths of time to become comfortable enough in sobriety to avoid relapse.
Oxford House alcoholism gave me the opportunity to practice the principles and action. Rent your home as an Oxford House and become a vital part in our mission to save lives. Call the contact person for each house you’re interested in to set up an interview. Oxford House, Inc. is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that employs both office and field staff.
Find documents, templates, and everything residents need while living at an Oxford House. Their role is to help keep the house and its finances organized, and to help the house operate effectively under the guidelines of the Oxford House Model. There are six house officers in each Oxford House, elected by the members to support the operations of the house. While research on AA has been limited by the role of anonymity in recovery, the willingness of the Oxford Houses to open their doors to academic research gives us an opportunity to see recovery from addiction in action.
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