# Evidence Based Sober Living Houses: A Multi-level Analysis

> **NIH NIH R01** · PUBLIC HEALTH INSTITUTE · 2021 · $587,434

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Treatment for drug dependence is undergoing a paradigmatic shift that recognizes the limitations of acute care
interventions. There is a growing consensus that drug dependence represents a chronic disease process that
requires ongoing attention beyond formal treatment. Long-term professional treatment is prohibitive in part
because reduction of cost continues to be an important goal among private and public funders. There is
therefore an urgent need to identify non-professional interventions that can help sustain recovery after
treatment, or in some cases, serve as an alternative to it. This application builds upon our ongoing and previous
research assessing longitudinal outcomes of individuals residing in sober living houses (SLHs). The essential
characteristics of SLHs include an alcohol and drug free living environment and social support for abstinence.
SLHs are primarily financed through resident fees and residents in most houses can stay as long as they wish.
There are over 800 SLHs in California alone, yet there are few studies assessing outcomes. Our research on
SLHs shows that residents make significant, sustained (18-month) improvement on a variety of outcomes,
including alcohol and drug use, arrests, employment, and other areas of functioning. This application proposes
to study contextual factors neglected by our research to date, including how physical, social, and organizational
characteristics among a heterogeneous sample of SLHs and the neighborhoods where they are located affect
outcome. Factors assessed will include the social environment of houses, organizational and leadership
characteristics, and architecture (e.g., size, spatial layout, proximity to neighbors, safety, use of rooms, and
upkeep of the facility). We also examine the influence of neighborhood characteristics such as alcohol outlet
density and proximity, activity spaces, crime, socioeconomic status, density and proximity of 12-step meetings,
density and proximity of treatment services, and interactions between neighbors and SLH residents. Focus
groups with residents and house managers will inform implementation of study procedures and understanding
of quantitative findings. Procedures will include recruiting a sample of 600 individuals entering 40 purposively
selected SLHs in Los Angeles County. Primary outcomes will include substance use, HIV risk, arrests, and
employment. Multilevel modeling will parse out relative influences of individual, house, and neighborhood
factors on outcome at 6 and 12 months. Results will provide new data on house and neighborhood
characteristics that are critical for describing evidence-based SLHs and developing new standards based on
scientific findings. Current recovery house organizations, such as the National Alliance of Recovery Residences
(NARR), have standards primarily based on practical experience and anecdotal reports. There is therefore an
urgent need for research that can help them develop evidence-based house envi...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10224153
- **Project number:** 5R01DA042938-05
- **Recipient organization:** PUBLIC HEALTH INSTITUTE
- **Principal Investigator:** DOUGLAS L POLCIN
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $587,434
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-01 → 2023-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10224153

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10224153, Evidence Based Sober Living Houses: A Multi-level Analysis (5R01DA042938-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10224153. Licensed CC0.

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