I want to open a sober living home in Rhode Island. Should I get certified with RICARES or should I become an OSCRH member?
Rhode Island has an unusual situation in that there are two organizations that complete inspection and uphold NARR standards for sober living homes in the state. In most states, either the NARR affiliate and/or some type of state health department subdivision will oversee certification of sober living homes. Instead, in Rhode Island, a completely separate nonprofit, which is not affiliated with NARR, oversees the process.
The Ocean State Coalition of Recovery Houses, or OSCRH, is the official NARR affiliate in Rhode Island. In Rhode Island, OSCRH represents NARR, completes inspections and grants memberships to sober living homes in the state. However, it does NOT do so on behalf of any state organization. Instead, Rhode Island chose a different organization, RICARES, to oversee the state’s certification process.
So, in Rhode Island you can choose to be certified with RICARES, and/or choose to maintain a OSCRH membership. You may also choose to not affiliate with either of these organizations. However, only sober living homes that elect to get certified with RICARES are eligible for state referrals and funding.
Who oversees the state certification process of sober living homes in Rhode Island?
Ultimately, the Rhode Island’s Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals oversees certification of sober living homes, which they call “recovery residences.” The state sometimes refers to homes using the acronym “RR.” They contract the certification work out to a non-profit organization called RICARES.
Is certification voluntary for sober living homes in Rhode Island?
While certification for sober living homes in Rhode Island is voluntary, only homes that have gone through the state’s certification process, care of RICARES, are eligible to receive state referrals and state funding.
Where can I find the application materials I need to complete the certification process for my sober living home in Rhode Island?
RICARES’ Recovery House certification application steps can be found here. The organization also provides a pre-inspection checklist to help you prepare and organize your application.
What additional pieces of information must I provide in order to open a certified sober living home in Rhode Island?
Your sober living home will need to provide many different pieces of documentation to RICARES in order to be considered for certification. The amount of documentation is on the high side when considering what the certification process looks like in other states.
Some of the pieces of documentation you’ll need to provide are typical of such applications. These expected items of documentation include:
Application forms
Grievance policy and procedure
Good neighbor agreements
Staff handbook
Photos of the home
Documentation of house rules
Code of ethics documentation
Some pieces of information that RICARES asks for are atypical of state certification applications. For example, in addition to your basic application, RICARES asks that you provide such documentation as:
Medication count logs
Rent tracking documentation
Training protocol for your house manager
Proof of Independent Contrator’s Worker’s Compensation Insurance for your house manager (this is very unusual)
Staff payment structure and agreements
Proof of resident financial transactions
“Proof of alcohol and drug free environment”
How can I learn about the pre-existing sober living home landscape in Rhode Island? What documentation is available for market research?
RICARES maintains a list of all certified sober living homes in Rhode Island. This list includes helpful information for market research, such as target populations (men’s facility, women’s facility), location, contact information, number of beds, and weekly rent. The listings also include the closest bus line and the date in which the home was first certified by RICARES. Ocean State Coalition of Recovery Houses also maintains a list of homes with OSCRH membership.
You may also want to consider using the state’s overdose-related 911 call “heat maps.” These maps provide very detailed information on hot spots for illicit drug activity in the state and help predict where help is most needed.
Helpful Links for Rhode Island Sober Living Home Operators
Rhode Island is the Perfect State for Opening an Addiction Treatment Center. Here’s Why.
List of Addiction Treatment Centers in Rhode Island - Behave Bridge
Regulations on Sober Living Homes in the United States - Part 1
Regulations on Sober Living Homes in the United States - Part 2
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