Sober Living Homes in Connecticut

What is a sober living home and how is it different from rehab?

A sober living home, also called a recovery residence, is alcohol- and drug-free shared housing in Connecticut where residents pay rent, follow house rules and support each other without receiving clinical treatment on site. Rehab, by contrast, delivers clinical care in a licensed setting.

The Connecticut Department of Public Health licenses facilities that treat substance use disorders, and a stay in residential rehab comes with clinical staff, assessments and a treatment plan. Many sober home residents attend outpatient treatment or an intensive outpatient program during the day. A sober home is also not a correctional halfway house.

Connecticut does not license sober homes, and certification is voluntary. The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services publishes a voluntary list of homes that the Connecticut Alliance of Recovery Residences or another recognized body has certified, but it does not oversee the homes itself.

Rent is usually paid by the resident, so get every cost in writing from the house, with deposits, fees and testing charges included. Ask too whether residents taking methadone or buprenorphine are accepted, and what happens after a return to use, since a sudden discharge can leave someone without housing.

Are sober living homes in Connecticut certified or regulated?

Connecticut does not license sober living homes, and certification is voluntary. Under Public Act 18-171, the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) keeps a public list of homes certified by the Connecticut Alliance of Recovery Residences (CTARR). CTARR is the state affiliate of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR). The list also includes homes certified by other bodies DMHAS recognizes, such as New Life II, a National Sober Living Association affiliate, and the National Coalition of Recovery Residences. DMHAS posts the list but does not certify or oversee homes itself.

Connecticut residents can look up a house on the certified sober living homes page of the DMHAS website.

What the NARR support levels mean

NARR standards describe four levels of support. The level a house holds tells you roughly how much staffing to expect.

How much does sober living cost in Connecticut, and who pays?

Connecticut residents usually pay sober home rent themselves. No state source publishes a typical price, so ask each house for the full cost in writing, including deposits, fees and drug testing charges. Counseling and medication visits may be billed to HUSKY Health, the state’s Medicaid program, or to private insurance. The Medicaid guide explains coverage in general.

Public recovery funding in Connecticut runs through a few channels. The Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee was created by Public Act 22-48 and is co-chaired by DMHAS. The committee directs settlement money to prevention, treatment, recovery and harm reduction. A federally funded State Opioid Response grant also lists DMHAS alongside partners including the Department of Correction and the Judicial Branch. For the treatment side, see court-ordered rehab and state-funded rehab.

What should you ask before moving into a sober home?

Ask for the house rules in writing, including curfew, guests, chores and meeting requirements. Also ask:

• How often drug testing happens and who pays for it
• How long residents usually stay
• Whether prepaid rent and deposits are refunded if you leave or are asked to leave

Some homes ask a resident to leave the same day after a return to use. Ask where people go after a discharge, whether staff help arrange detox or treatment, and whether rent is returned. A sudden discharge can leave someone without housing at a time of higher overdose risk, so a plan agreed in advance is worth having.

Can you live in a sober home while taking medication for opioid use disorder?

Some Connecticut homes accept residents taking methadone or buprenorphine, and some do not. DMHAS publishes the state’s list of opioid treatment programs. This site lists methadone clinics and Suboxone clinics.

Rights and safety in the house

Federal fair housing law generally treats recovery from a substance use disorder as a disability. That protects people in recovery from housing discrimination, but the protection does not cover current illegal drug use. If you were refused a room for being in recovery or for taking prescribed medication, a fair housing organization or attorney can explain your complaint options.

Naloxone belongs in every house. Most Connecticut pharmacies dispense it without a prescription. DMHAS-funded Regional Behavioral Health Action Organizations and syringe service programs give it out free, with training. Tolerance falls after time without opioids, so a return to use carries a higher overdose risk. Connecticut’s 2011 Good Samaritan law offers some protection to people who seek help for an overdose in good faith.

How do you find a sober living home in Connecticut?

Start with the DMHAS certified list. Then filter these listings by gender, medication-friendly policies, populations served, location and languages.

Two in three listed homes sit within 25 miles of the coast, a median of 6.6 miles from the shore. Elevations run from 20 to 1,180 feet. The nearest airports are Bradley International, Tweed New Haven and Westerly State Airport, a median of 17.1 miles away.

If treatment needs to come first, call the Substance Use Services Access Line at 1-800-563-4086. The line answers 24 hours a day and refers callers to assessment, detox and residential beds.

For more options, see the Connecticut overview and the national sober living homes guide. The rivers page covers waterways near listings.