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 believe that Oxford Houses and other community-based support system provide social scientists with rich opportunities to explore a vast array of psychological and sociological constructs. Clearly, psychologists with interests in community based support networks for substance abusers have ample research topics worthy of exploration, and this research may have public policy implications.

oxford recovery house

Many individuals who lived a block away did not even know that a recovery home existed in their neighborhood, and the attitudes of these individuals who did not know the Oxford House members was less positive in general about these types of recovery homes. In addition, property values for individuals next to recovery homes were not significantly different from those living a block away. 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.

Thinking About Returning To Oxford House?

Oxford House participants earned roughly $550 more per month than participants in the usual care group. Annualizing this difference for the entire Oxford House sample corresponds to approximately $494,000 in additional benefits to those in the Oxford House condition. The lower rate of incarceration (3% versus 9%) in the study among Oxford House versus usual care participants corresponded to annualized savings for the Oxford House sample of roughly $119,000. Together, the productivity and incarceration benefits yield an estimated $613,000 in savings accruing to the Oxford House participants.

The benefit of Oxford Houses is they are a very inexpensive housing resource for people in recovery. The average cost in Atlantic County New Jersey for someone to move into an Oxford House is $480. Rent is paid weekly and covers the cost of the bed and basic bills, such as utilities and cable. The present article addresses the primary outcome studies conducted on one form of recovery home called Oxford House.

Self-run, Self-supported Recovery Houses

Now that you have the contact information for the house you have chosen, call them and set up an interview. The houses are self-supporting and democratically run so every house does their own interviews and votes on new member admittance. Though founded in 1975, Oxford House underwent a transformation in 1997 during a comprehensive restructure. The national non-profit organization created an independent Board of Directors and World Council by electing residents and alumni from around the United States.

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. As of 2008, there were 321 women’s Oxford Houses with 2,337 women, and 982 https://ecosoberhouse.com/ men’s Oxford Houses with 7,487 men, for a total of 1,303 houses serving 9,824 people (Oxford House, 2008). Of the residents, 18% were veterans, and 91% were working with average monthly earnings of $1,480. Most residents had been addicted to drugs or drugs and alcohol (73%) whereas 27% had been addicted to only alcohol. Regarding marital status, 45% had been never married, 18% were separated, 33% were divorced, and only 4% were married.

Oxford House of Colorado

Limited research, however, is available regarding how Oxford House settings compare to other treatments. Using cross sectional data, Ferrari, Jason, Davis, Olson, and Alvarez (2004) compared the operational policies of 55 Oxford Houses oxford house rules to those of 14 Therapeutic Communities (TCs). Neither type of facility permitted self-injurious behaviors (e.g., physical self-harm or misuse of medication) or destructive acts (e.g., destroying site property or others’ possessions).

  • Information regarding participants’ substance use history, including substance use disorder diagnosis, was not reported.
  • Other general community activities reported by participants included working with youth (32%), fundraising (30%), and volunteering time with community organizations (23%).
  • Oxford House participants earned roughly $550 more per month than participants in the usual care group.
  • In its simplest form, an Oxford House describes a self-run, self-supported recovery houses.