Many substance abuse programs across the country operate sober living houses as part of their continuum of care. A sober living house is commonly defined as an alcohol and drug free living environment for individuals attempting to maintain abstinence from alcohol and drugs. Sober living houses typically do not offer formal treatment programs. Most individuals living in sober living houses are enrolled in PHP or IOP programs as they transition from rehab to living independently.

As substance abuse programs apply for TJC accreditation, the question arises regarding how sober living fits into the framework of accreditation; i.e. should it be included in the scope of the survey?

Over the years, TJC has grappled with questions from the field on this topic and now they have come out with specific guidelines regarding sober living houses. We recently discussed these with Megan Marx Associate Director for Behavior Health Care Accreditation and she encouraged us to share these guidelines with our readers so we are summarizing them below.

The following are the criteria for sober living housing to be included in the scope of the TJC survey. If any of these criteria are met, the sober living housing falls within the scope of the on-site survey:

• The sober living housing is staffed by the applicant organization OR
• The individuals served are required to live in the sober living housing as a condition of receiving care, treatment, or services OR
• The sober living housing is located on the property/campus of treatment OR
• Medication is stored and/or administered/monitored by staff within the sober living housing structure

The following are the criteria for sober living housing not to be included in the scope of the TJC survey. If all of these criteria are met, the sober living housing falls outside of the scope of the on-site survey:

• The sober living housing is not staffed or it is staffed only with security staff AND
• No individuals served are required to live in the sober living housing as a condition of receiving care, treatment, or services AND
• The sober living housing is not located on the same property/campus as the care, treatment, or services AND
• Medication is not stored and/or administered/monitored by staff within the sober living housing structure

As with any questions regarding your application for survey or expansion of your existing programs, it is always best to discuss this with your TJC account representative so he/she can understand all of the details and the context of your program. Hopefully, the guidelines issued by TJC help clarify this topic for organiztions who want to include this type of housing in their continuum of services.