All About Oxford House: Self-run, Self-supported Recovery Homes

The Oxford House Model: Peer-Supported Recovery and Independence

The Oxford House concept is to sustain self-run and self-supported recovery homes for men and women in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. An Oxford House is a sober house democratically run and financially supported by its residents alone. The Oxford House organization is a publicly supported, non-profit 501(c)3 corporation, providing a network connecting all Oxford House homes and working to help fund and support growth in terms of new homes when needs arise.

Oxford House sober houses accommodate varying numbers and cohorts of residents; some homes are for men, some for women, and some even offer services to women with small children. Oxford House locations exist across the United States. Their recovery homes are typically very reasonable in cost and do an excellent job in promoting long-term resident recovery. Established in 1975 and continuing to this day, Oxford House boasts over 2,500 homes in the United States, and is continually growing!

Oxford House Structure

From the Oxford House website:

Three or more Oxford Houses within a 100 mile radius comprise an Oxford House Chapter. A representative of each House in the Chapter meets with the others on a monthly basis, to exchange information, to seek resolution of problems in a particular House, and to express that Chapter’s vote on larger issues.

The World Council is comprised of 12 members: 9 of which presently live in an Oxford House, and 3 alumni. Members are elected each year at the Oxford House World Convention. The primary mission of the Oxford House World Council is to facilitate adherence to Oxford House Traditions’ concept and system of operations, by providing effective means of communication and mission focus between the various organizational structures of Oxford House as a whole. In carrying out its mission the Council always keeps a focus on expansion of the network of individual Oxford Houses, to provide all recovering alcoholics and drug addictions the opportunity to develop comfortable sobriety without relapse.

The Board of Directors maintains the sole right to Charter, and to revoke the Charter of, individual Oxford Houses and exercises authority over the policies and officers of Oxford House, Inc. In this way, Oxford House, Inc. remains responsive to the needs of the population it serves.

Revolutionizing the Recovery Housing Field

Community Engagement:

Oxford Houses often participate in local community service projects, helping to strengthen community ties and provide positive contributions.
Residents are encouraged to engage in outreach and education about addiction recovery in their local areas.

Innovative Practices:

Oxford House is continually adopting new practices to improve the recovery environment, such as peer mentoring and advanced relapse prevention programs.
Residents receive regular training sessions on leadership, financial management, and effective communication skills.

Research and Development:

Oxford House promotes ongoing research into best practices for recovery homes, contributing to the broader field of addiction treatment.
Academic institutions develop partnerships with Oxford House to study the efficacy of the Oxford House model and publish findings.

Global Outreach:

There have been efforts to establish Oxford Houses internationally, adapting the successful model to different cultural contexts where sober living is necessary.
Global recovery organizations collaborate with Oxford House to share knowledge and support the establishment of new sober living environments worldwide.

A History of the Oxford House Organization

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. These boards recruited experienced leadership to work with these resident-committees to develop new strategies for growth and program excellence.

Over the following decade, Oxford House added hundreds of sober houses. In Washington State alone, nearly one million dollars were lent to help start new Oxford House recovery homes. To date, these funds have supported over 1,000 new beds for men and women in recovery. Even some 50 years after its founding, Oxford House still has a profoundly positive effect on providing national addiction treatment options.

Oxford House has paved the way towards a new model of sober living which has revolutionized the addiction recovery landscape. Similarly committed to upholding high living standards, Vanderburgh Sober Living is also revolutionary in its uniquely interactive home ownership and residency practices. If you want to get involved in sober living— either as someone in recovery or as a home operator— consider furthering your journey with VSL! See below for more details.

Levels of Support in Recovery Housing

Recovery Residence Levels define the range of recovery housing, providing alcohol and substance-free environments with a social model recovery approach. These residences vary in staffing, governance, and recovery support services, guided by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) categorization. Levels and Types are used interchangeably.

Level I (Type P, Peer-Run) are democratically run homes like Oxford Houses, which are alcohol and substance-free, using house rules and peer accountability. These houses have the highest level of flexibility, and more of them exist

Level II (Type M, Monitored) homes, often called sober homes, maintain safe environments with house rules and peer accountability, with senior residents acting as House Managers. Some provide additional support services for specific populations, such as youth with opioid use disorders.

Level III (Type S, Supervised) residences offer weekly structured programming, including recovery support services and life skills development, with trained or credentialed staff, often graduates of recovery programs. They are designed for individuals needing more intense support and are required to be licensed in some states.

Level IV (Type C, Clinical) integrates social and medical models with both peer and professional staff, offering clinical addiction treatment alongside recovery support services. These licensed treatment programs implement social model care in a therapeutic community setting.

Different levels cater to varying needs, providing tailored support to individuals in recovery, allowing participants to explore multiple recovery pathways through diverse peer models. For more information about NARR, check out our article titled The National Alliance for Recovery Residences, which offers more insight into its system of standards and policies.

Join the Vanderburgh Sober Living community!

Continue your recovery journey in a Level II home!

Are you looking for a structured and supportive environment to continue your recovery journey? VSL Chartered Homes comply with the National Alliance for Recovery Residences’ (NARR) standards and occupy level II of NARR’s four-step sober living ladder. While Oxford Houses are peer-run, VSL homes have house mentors and more daily structure. If you would prefer this style of sober living compared to a peer-run system, consider VSL! Our homes operate across the northeast, extending as far south as North Carolina and as far west as Illinois. If you or someone you know would benefit from our first-class structured and peer-focused sober living program, look no further than Vanderburgh Sober Living!

Apply now to live in a VSL recovery home.

Operate your own sober home!

Are you passionate about helping others in their recovery journey and interested in operating your own sober home? Become one of our Chartered Operators and unlock access to a support system that can help you grow your impact. Many Mission focused entrepreneurs have the goal of opening a sober house as a business, and VSL’s position in the recovery housing community allows us to offer that. Our Chartered Operators have three things in common: a passion for serving individuals in recovery, a desire to offer these individuals sober living, and the capacity to operate their own business and homes. Opening a sober home with VSL contributes a valuable addition to the sober living community, complementing both peer-run Oxford homes and more regimented halfway homes, all the while reinforcing NARR’s standards. If you or someone you know would like to join the Vanderburgh team as a Chartered Operator, reach out to us!

Get more information about running a sober home with VSL.