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Seventy-five of these participants were randomly assigned to live in an Oxford House, while the other half were randomly assigned to receive standard, traditional aftercare services. Finally, Mortensen, Jason, Aase, Mueller, and Ferrari (2009) studied this national sample of Oxford Houses for six years following the completion of our study in order to investigate factors related to whether the Oxford Houses remained open or closed. Results indicated a high sustainability rate (86.9%) during a six year period of time. Houses that remained open had significantly higher incomes of residents than houses that eventually closed.

These findings suggest that well-managed and well-functioning substance abuse recovery homes elicit constructive and positive attitudes toward these homes and individuals in recovery (Ferrari, Jason, Sasser et al., 2006). In a National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) supported study, we successfully recruited 150 individuals who completed treatment at alcohol and drug abuse facilities in the Chicago metropolitan area. Half the participants were randomly assigned to live in an Oxford House, while the other half received community-based aftercare services (Usual Care). We tracked over 89% of the Oxford House and 86% of the Usual Care participants throughout two years of the study.

DePaul University Research on Oxford House

Once that application is completed and received by Oxford House, Inc., a “Conditional Charter” will be granted to the house at no cost. Yes, each state has in place a revolving loan fund that can make loans to cover the first month’s rent and security deposit (up to $4000) to rent a house in a good neighborhood. Any recovering alcoholic or drug addict can apply to get into any Oxford House by filling out an application and being interviewed by the existing members of the House. The application is then considered by the membership of the House and if there is a vacancy and if 80% of the members approve, the applicant is accepted and moves in. Depaul University has a team of researchers that have been studying the Oxford House model for more than a decade.

Additionally, over the course of the study, increases were found in the percentage of their social networks who were abstainers or in recovery. Finally, latent growth curve analyses indicated that less support for substance use by significant others and time in Oxford House predicted change in cumulative abstinence over the course of the study. Unfortunately, there have not been any outcome studies comparing TCs with Oxford Houses, although the first author currently has a NIDA funded study that is exploring this issue. There is considerable evidence for the effectiveness of TCs (DeLeon, & Rosenthal, 1989). Substantial reductions in recidivism rates have been found when in-prison Therapeutic Communities (TCs) are combined with community transition programs (Hiller, Knight, & Simpson, 1999; Wexler et al., 1996).

Main Outcome Studies

Fifty-three percent of residents reported prior homelessness for an average time of 6 months. Having time to become comfortable in sobriety might be the single most important part of the Oxford House success story. Using this cost-effective method to improve the chances of recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction, may be the best way to show the community that recovery works and that recovering individuals can become model citizens. Clearly, it is important to improve the quality of the data for outcomes research with residential substance abuse treatment. Both NIDA and NIAAA have health services research study sections that are willing to review these types of applications. It is hoped that more researchers will consider developing grant proposals in this area, particularly as research focusing on the solution of applied problems is becoming a larger priority area for the federal government.

• In 2007, the Oxford House organization received about $1.6 million in grants from state and local governments to pay outreach workers to develop and maintain networks of individual Oxford Houses in nine States and the District of Columbia.
• We also designed a study to assess the types of contributions that Oxford House residents report making to their neighborhoods and communities.
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• Each house represents a remarkably effective and low-cost method of preventing relapse and encouraging emotional growth.
• Self-governed settings may offer several benefits as they require minimal costs because residents pay for their own expenses (including housing and food).

Kim, Davis, Jason, and Ferrari (2006) examined the impact of relationships with parents, significant others, children, friends and co-workers on substance use and recovery among this national sample of Oxford House residents. They found that children provided the only type of relationship that was able to affect both substance use and recovery in a positive direction. D’Arlach, Olson, Jason, and Ferrari (2006) found that the children residents had a positive effect on the women’s recovery, and this positive effect was identical for both mothers and non-mothers. It is possible that these positive effects are due to the fact that having children present leads to increased responsibility among all House residents, aiding in recovery. Women also reported that Oxford House residents helped one another with child care. Less than 4% of our sample with Hispanic, and this led us to examine possible reasons for this under-representation.

Oxford House

Oxford House, which began in 1975, is different from the traditional recovery home model. Oxford Houses are self-run and residents can stay as long as they pay their weekly rent, follow the house rules, and remain abstinent from drugs and alcohol. Over 25,000 people have lived in these homes over the past year, making them the largest oxford house rules network of residential recovery self-help homes in the country. Oxford Houses are rented family houses where groups of recovering individuals live together in an environment supportive to recovery from addiction. Each house is self-run and financially self-supported following a standardized system of democratic operation.

• Investment in abstinence-specific social support was reported to be one of the best post-treatment prognostic indicators of recovery (Longabaugh et al., 1995; Zywiak, Longabaugh & Wirtz, 2002).
• Alternative approaches need to be explored, such as abstinence-specific social support settings (Vaillant, 2003).
• In one of the few recovery home longitudinal studies, Polcin (2006) found that 51% of recovery home residents were abstinent from drugs and alcohol at a six-month follow-up.
• In addition, property values for individuals next to recovery homes were not significantly different from those living a block away.

Individuals early in their recovery or with particular interpersonal characteristics might need more of a structured and professionally-led milieu in order to maintain abstinence given the freedoms that are provided in Oxford Houses. In the past 90 days, the sample had an average of 1 day of residential treatment for psychiatric problems and an average of 3 sessions with a counselor for psychiatric problems. Certainly, it is clear that the https://ecosoberhouse.com/ sample of Oxford House residents do have significant mental health problems and that they do utilize mental health services outside of their Oxford Houses. One of the largest examples of a community-based, mutual-help residential community for high risk substance abuse individuals is Oxford House. In the U.S., over 9,800 people live in these self-run dwellings where they obtain jobs, pay utility bills, and learn to be responsible citizens.

Adopted Children Get Abused Too

For many individuals with substance abuse problems, entry into the existing continuum of services begins in a detoxification program. Detoxification program readmission represents a potential indicator that services received have not facilitated sustained recovery. It has been suggested that for a substantial portion of addicted persons, detoxification does not lead to sustained recovery. Instead, these individuals cycle repetitively through service delivery systems (Richman & Neuman, 1984; Vaillant, 2003). Recidivism rates within one year following treatment are high for men and women, and 52–75% of all alcoholics drop out during treatment (Montgomery et al., 1993). We also designed a study to assess the types of contributions that Oxford House residents report making to their neighborhoods and communities.

• There is considerable evidence for the effectiveness of TCs (DeLeon, & Rosenthal, 1989).
• Both NIDA and NIAAA have health services research study sections that are willing to review these types of applications.
• The case involved a town trying to close down the local Oxford House, claiming that there could be no more than five unrelated individuals living in one home.
• Also, therapeutic community residents may stay only for a limited time before many return to former high-risk environments or stressful family situations (Goldsmith, 1992).