When Does Oversight Get In The Way Of Recovery Housing?
As sober living homes and recovery houses continue facing scrutiny nationwide, where is the balance between oversight and recovery?
If you happen to work or be otherwise involved in the back channels of addiction treatment and sober living & recovery housing, you’re probably aware of the growing numbers of issues facing communities nationwide. Maybe not so much here in Pennsylvania, but there are certainly other states and municipalities around the country that are seeing the need for imposing greater oversight on sober living homes and other such addiction recovery houses.
It seems that, as is the case in any industry, unscrupulous business owners exist in our industry just as they do elsewhere. Just as we read about shady brokerage houses on Wall Street, such is the case when dealing in the world of addiction recovery services. However, the surprise tends to be a bit more profound in the recovery industry, given the expectation that operators often abide by more altruistic motives. While this is often the case, it is unfortunately not an across-the-board occurrence.
When the concept of sober living and aftercare recovery housing first emerged, it was done so through the belief that traditional inpatient treatment did not provide an effective transitional experience for the newly sober addict/alcoholic. It was usually the case that such residences were opened and operated by those affiliated within the industry, in one capacity or another, be it personal, professional or both. Of course, as is the case in any capitalist society, with success there followed many opportunists who wanted to cash in on this. And though Pennsylvania has largely averted this wave, other states, California for instance, have unfortunately seen massive expansion in sober livings and other recovery residences, many of which have spawned controversy due to their reported unscrupulous tactics.
With so much talk and controversy over regulations and oversight, Newfound Freedom remains committed to operating above the fray. We believe that our industry must self-regulate and employ standards which coincide with the process of recovery in general. We absolutely support maintaining the integrity and careful balance that is crucial to any prospering residential development. We support neighborhood associations in their missions and commit to maintaining the same gold standard in sober living operations as we did back in 2003 with our very first location in Bristol, PA.
It is our hope that, as the industry evolves and new standards & oversight are implemented, the addiction recovery industry and all its players will continually strive to do it better than the rest. We commit to leading this hope by example, and by instilling the values of “Integrity in Sobriety” in each of our residents as we have done so on an organizational level. It is our unwavering goal to help the State of Pennsylvania continue to remain on the forefront of addiction treatment, sober living and recovery housing services…
The staff at Newfound Freedom remains enormously proud of the affordable and effective transitional housing opportunities we create for those in need. As a matter of fact, many of us faced the same personal battles years ago and were able to overcome our inner obstacles in much the same way, through the help and grace of others before us. That is how it works, and as long as motives remain pure and objectives remain unwavering, we all win!
For more information on this article or on Newfound Freedom Sober Living & Recovery Homes, please reach out to us 7 days a week at (855) 587-2329.