By MindWise HealthTransitional Living (Halfway House Services)
1 treatment center 8 services offered
1 treatment center on Curivya lists Transitional Living (Halfway House Services), across Tennessee. The same location also lists Family Program, Supportive Housing Services, Continuing Care, Intensive Residential Treatment and Co-Occurring Disorder Treatment.
Transitional living, often called a halfway house, sober living or recovery residence, is a shared, alcohol- and drug-free home for people in recovery from substance use. It is housing with structure and peer support, not a hospital, and residents typically work, attend school or go to outpatient treatment during the day.
People usually move in after detox, residential treatment or another structured setting, when going straight home would mean returning to the same pressures. It is a bridge: more support than living alone, more independence than residential treatment. Homes range from resident-run houses to staffed programs, so it pays to ask exactly what each one provides.
What a recovery residence is
SAMHSA describes recovery housing as a safe, healthy, family-like, substance-free living environment centered on peer support and connection to services that promote long-term recovery. The National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR), which sets national standards, uses recovery residence as the umbrella term for homes once called sober living, halfway houses or three-quarter houses.
Homes differ widely, so NARR defines four levels of support, mainly by how much staffing and structure they provide.
- Level I, peer-run: no paid staff; residents govern the house together. Oxford Houses are the best-known example.
- Level II, monitored: a house manager or senior resident, house rules and drug testing.
- Level III, supervised: paid staff, life-skills programming and coordination with outside treatment.
- Level IV, service provider: run by a licensed treatment provider, with clinical services in house.
Daily life and house rules
Expect clear rules: staying substance-free, curfews, chores, house meetings, and often required recovery meetings or treatment attendance. Residents usually pay rent or a program fee and are expected to work toward employment or other daily structure. Rules exist to protect everyone's recovery, and breaking them can mean being asked to leave.
How it fits with treatment
Most recovery residences do not provide treatment themselves, except Level IV homes run by a treatment provider. Residents typically keep seeing an outpatient counselor or prescriber, attend an intensive outpatient program, or go to mutual-help meetings while living in the home. The house supplies the stable, substance-free setting; treatment happens alongside it.
If you take medication for a mental health condition or for substance use, plan who will prescribe it after you move in, and talk to your prescriber before making any change.
What to ask before moving in
Quality varies, so ask direct questions and visit if you can.
- Is the home certified by the state or a NARR-affiliated organization?
- Which level of support does it provide, and who is on staff?
- What does it cost, what is included, and what are the house rules?
- Does it allow medications for opioid use disorder? Ask how it handles prescribed medication.
- What happens after a relapse?
Common questions about Transitional Living (Halfway House Services)
What is the difference between a halfway house and sober living?
The terms overlap, and national standards now group both under recovery residence. Historically halfway house often meant a more structured, staffed home, sometimes linked to treatment or the justice system, while sober living often meant a more independent home. Ask any home what level of support it actually provides.
How long do people stay in transitional living?
It varies by home and by person. Some have a maximum stay and some do not. Ask the home about its expectations and how residents move on.
Does insurance pay for a halfway house?
Room and board in a recovery residence is often paid by the resident, though some homes run by treatment providers bill for clinical services. Ask the home what it charges and check your plan for any treatment it covers.
Is a halfway house the same as residential treatment?
No. Residential treatment provides round-the-clock clinical care. A recovery residence is primarily supportive housing; residents get any clinical treatment through separate outpatient care, except in Level IV homes run by a treatment provider.