For What Reasons Can you Be Kicked Out of Sober Living?

As you near the end of the rehab recovery phase of your substance abuse treatment journey, you have some important things to consider. How will you stay sober in the long term? How will you ease back into your home and work life? How will you find new friends who don’t abuse drugs or alcohol? How will you resist the future temptations that are sure to come your way? You have many things to think about and solutions to find. One way to do this all in one place is to locate and attend a good sober living home. Since you’ll need to live at a sober living facility for an extended period of time, usually between six and 18 months, you will need to understand what will be expected of you. This article will answer this question: For what reasons can you be kicked out of sober living?

What is Sober Living Exactly?

Sober living is a kind of transitional housing for people wanting to learn how to remain sober in the real world. Sober living provides a supportive, nurturing, drug-free environment while you learn how to conduct your everyday life without drugs or alcohol. The only real requirement for sober living is the powerful desire to stay sober on a permanent basis; however, most people in this kind of housing will have attended some kind of substance abuse rehab at some point.

You can find sober living by looking for some near you or in your desired area, should you want to be in a completely new area as you continue to recover. Most drug rehabs maintain a list of approved sober living homes. Others may actually be affiliated with one or more. Some homes are unisex; others are co-ed. However, even co-ed places will still have living quarters segregated by sex. Some facilities accept women with children, but there are age limits involved for the kids.

Sober Living and Halfway House: What’s the Difference?

Some sober living places are actually converted motels, where you share a room with one or more residents of your sex. Others are rooms in a regular house on a residential street. Others may be actual small apartments shared with other same-sex residents. There is a wide array of choices when it comes to sober living. Unlike a halfway house, sober living has a specific purpose regarding sobriety. Halfway houses are generally associated with a state or county department of corrections. Inmates who have served a certain amount of their sentenced time for a nonviolent offense may be offered the opportunity to complete their remaining time at a halfway house in lieu of jail or prison. These inmates may or may not have a substance abuse problem. Many do, but halfway houses are not specifically intended for the treatment of drug abuse and the maintenance of sobriety.

Sober living homes are generally private-run facilities that exist solely for the purpose of living a drug-free life permanently. They usually charge some kind of rent, while halfway houses are generally free for the resident. Sober living homes are typically much nicer and offer more amenities. They’re not affiliated with law enforcement as halfway houses often are.

House Rules: Will Sober Living Kick you Out?

If you’ve been accepted into a sober living home, you must be prepared to follow their rules. These are typically simple, reasonable, easy to understand and to follow. Failure to comply can and likely will result in expulsion from the program. The program will usually warn you first for most transgressions, but there are a few rules with a zero tolerance policy that will get you expelled for the first offense:

  • Possession of drugs or alcohol, even including some legal ones like CBD or kratom
  • Being intoxicated
  • Smoking outside of designated areas (if smoking is allowed on the premises at all)
  • Violent behavior and possession of weapons
  • Threats against other residents or staff
  • Illegal behavior of any kind
  • Theft or destruction of facility or residents’ property

Other things that can get you kicked out of sober living after a warning would include disrespecting staff or other residents, foul language, possession of pornography, clothing that exposes private areas, clothing with racial or sexual slurs or other offensive slogans on it, sexual harassment of staff or other residents, failure to return before the curfew and refusal to perform assigned duties or chores.

If you Need More Information

Sober living is a great way to get on the right path to lasting sobriety. Call us at 732-392-7311 anytime, and our professional staff will be happy to help you choose the best sober living facility for you.

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