Sober Living Homes in Massachusetts

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

A sober living home is shared, alcohol- and drug-free housing for people in recovery, and it is not treatment. Residents pay rent, follow house rules and usually attend outpatient care, work or mutual-help meetings away from the house. Many Massachusetts residents pair a sober home with intensive outpatient programs or standard outpatient rehab.

Residential rehab is different. It is licensed clinical care with treatment delivered on site. In Massachusetts, the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS) licenses treatment programs under 105 CMR 164.000, which is a separate system from sober home certification. If you need clinical care around the clock, see residential rehab in Massachusetts.

Correctional halfway houses also differ from sober homes. A halfway house is part of a sentence or parole supervision. A sober home is a private living arrangement, though some residents arrive through a Recovery Court session or another court-ordered pathway.

Are sober living homes in Massachusetts certified or regulated?

Massachusetts runs a voluntary certification program for sober homes, set up under M.G.L. c.17 s.18A and overseen by BSAS. A home can operate without certification. Since September 1, 2016, however, state agencies and treatment vendors under state contract may refer people only to certified homes.

The Massachusetts Alliance for Sober Housing (MASH) carries out certification. MASH is the state affiliate of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR), so a certified home holds certification through MASH, not directly from NARR. Before you sign an agreement, ask the operator for its current MASH certificate and look the home up with MASH or BSAS. The Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline at 800-327-5050 (call, or text HOPE) can help you find where to look. Certification measures how a home is run against a set of standards. It does not promise anything about a particular house or stay.

What the NARR support levels mean

Homes describe themselves using NARR levels, which tell you roughly how much staffing to expect.

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

Residents usually pay sober home rent themselves, often weekly. Amounts vary by house and town, so ask each home for its fees, deposit and refund terms in writing.

MassHealth and private insurance pay for treatment services. Do not assume either one will cover rent in a sober home. Ask your plan and the house directly, and see Medicaid-accepting providers for treatment you might attend while living there.

The state’s Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund holds the state share of opioid settlement money and supports recovery services, among other uses. Local programs funded this way can change, so the state helpline is the place to ask about current help. For low-cost care alongside housing, see state-funded rehab in Massachusetts.

What should you ask before moving into a sober home?

A short list of questions can save you trouble later.

• What are the house rules on curfew, guests, chores and meetings?
• How often does drug testing happen, and who does it?
• How long can residents stay?
• What is the discharge policy, and what happens to rent already paid?
• What happens after a return to use? Will staff help you reach care or a safe place to stay, rather than asking you to leave with nowhere to go?

Discharge right after a return to use carries real safety risk. Tolerance drops after a period without opioids, so using the same amount as before can lead to an overdose. Keep naloxone in the house and make sure housemates know where it is. Under a statewide standing order, any Massachusetts resident can get naloxone at a pharmacy without a prescription. Nasal naloxone is also sold over the counter, the You Can Save a Life website offers free home delivery, and MassHealth members pay no copay. The state’s 2012 Good Samaritan law protects both the person who calls for help during an overdose and the person overdosing from possession charges.

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

Some Massachusetts sober homes accept residents taking buprenorphine, methadone or naltrexone, and others do not. Ask each house directly how it handles medication storage and dosing schedules. To find prescribers, see Suboxone clinics and methadone clinics in Massachusetts.

How do you find a sober home in Massachusetts, and what are your rights?

The listings let you filter Massachusetts sober homes by gender, medication policy, populations served, location and languages spoken. Worcester Regional Airport is the most common nearest airport for these homes, at a median of 11.7 miles, which can matter if family will travel to visit. Browse the full sober living directory or every program type on the Massachusetts locations page.

Federal fair housing law generally protects people in recovery who are not currently using from housing discrimination, including some local decisions about group homes. If you believe a landlord, operator or town has treated you unfairly, the state helpline can point you to where to file a complaint.