Is there a big demand for sober living homes in Alabama?
In a word, yes.
Alabama has one of the worst state-wide drug addiction problems in the entire United States. This is often blamed on the abundance of “pill mills” that were allowed to flourish in the area during the peak of the Oxycontin scandal, but the real story is likely a confluence of social and economic factors. Despite the reduction of overprescription in Alabama, opioid overdose deaths are still over 31% higher than the national average.
While it does require homes to follow fire code and obtain a business license like any other business, Alabama does not require sober living homes to get certified by the state. However, operators may now opt to get certified by the Alabama Alliance for Recovery Residences, which is the newly chartered local NARR affiliate for Alabama.
Read on for more information about how to successfully open and operate a sober living home in Alabama.
Alabama Does Not Require Sober Living Home Operators to Seek Certification
There is no incentive, requirement or - indeed - legal mechanism for getting sober living homes certified by the state in Alabama at present. While addiction treatment centers have stringent requirements for certification in Alabama, sober living homes are free to operate without much oversight. The Office of Certification at the Alabama Department of Mental Health issues certifications to mental health facilities and addiction treatment centers, but it does not have an equivalent program for recovery residences.
This means that the state does not maintain a list of the number of sober living homes in Alabama, nor does it have a good understanding of the condition of those homes.
That said, this is likely to change in the near future, as most states are beginning to adopt voluntary certification programs that bar states from funding or referring to uncertified sober living homes. It’s likely that a law of that nature is on the horizon for Alabama, as well, although the timeline on that change is unclear at this time.
Alabama Has a Very Large Need for Addiction Treatment and Recovery Services at Every Level, Especially for Underserved Populations
For several years, Alabama has been called “sadly lacking” by experts who say that there are not enough resources for those with SUD in the state. Every level of care - from detox to residential to IOP to transitional living - is in short supply in Alabama. Some areas have no detox services available for many hundreds of miles.
The Alabama Alliance for Recovery Residences Began Offering a Completely Optional Certification Program for Sober Living Homes in 2021
The Alabama Alliance for Recovery Residences was certified as the NARR affiliate in the state of Alabama in the summer of 2021. Since then, they have been issuing certifications for sober living homes in the state.
AARR holds training events for new operators who are interested in seeking certification. The latest training event was held in Birmingham and cost $30 to attend. This fee includes lunch!
AARR also holds monthly open calls the first Friday of every month to go over news and changes in the law that might apply to local sober living home operators. In a similar vein, NARR hosts monthly learning calls to promote education and discussion around best practices and strategies for effective sober living home management. You can request an application packet from AARR by filling out their request form online here.
Not One More Alabama’s List of Recovery Homes Helps with Market Research for New Sober Living Homes
Not One More Alabama maintains a list of recovery residences in the state. Each listing contains information about how the program is run, resident expectations as well as contact information. The homes are organized by gender.
This list is a valuable tool for the market research phase of opening a new sober living home. Would-be operators can use this list to identify holes in the market and learn what resources are needed and where. You can access that list here. The United Way of Alabama also maintains a directory of sober living homes on its 211ConnectsAlabama.org site. This is another good resource for market research in the area.
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