What Changes When You Open a Sober Living Home With a Team Behind You
Most people who open a recovery home do it alone, do it once, and learn everything
the expensive way. Mastery replaces that with speed, systems, and scale
starting from the first conversation.
Speed45days to launch
Most operators spend a hundred days or more solving zoning, entity, insurance, and
certification in the wrong order. We run all three workstreams at once.
Systems10years of operating history
You are not running an experiment. Every policy and workflow you inherit has already
been proven inside operating recovery homes, then rewritten each time reality demanded a better version.
Scale110+members nationwide
You join operators who have already stood where you are standing. Shared standards,
shared referrals, and people to call the first time you hit something new.
Mastery starts with an application.
Tell us where you are and we will tell you honestly whether this is the right fit. No cost, no obligation.
Mastery is an all-inclusive support package for opening a sober living home:
the training, the documents, the software, the certification work, and a team that does the heavy lifting
alongside you until your doors open.
What do you need help with?Pick any that apply, order does not matter
Showing all 23 features across four workstreams.
01
What’s included
Unlock the Full Sober Living Academy™
The complete training platform, built from ten years of operating recovery homes across the United States. Operators normally reach these courses through the VSL Launchpad program. With Mastery the whole library opens the day you join, including every course we add later.
Included in the VSL Launchpad program$1,199 valueIncluded with MasteryUnlimited seats for your staff and house mentors, plus every future course and update.
Click any cover to see every chapter and lesson in that course
Training & templates
Five State Blueprints, Yours at No Additional Cost
VSL Blueprints are state-specific, interactive research guides covering the certification pathway, zoning landscape, licensing requirements, and funding sources in a given state. Operators buy them one state at a time. Mastery members choose five.
$497 per state$2,485 valueIncluded with MasteryChoose the five states you are actually looking in, and change them as your search changes.
Training & templatesZoning, licensing & legalCertification
Buy the Property With a Team That Has Done It a Hundred Times
The Acquisition Desk is our done-with-you buying team, and it is included in Mastery from the week you join. Most first-time buyers learn underwriting, financing, and closing at the same time, on the largest purchase of their life, with an agent who has never heard of a NARR standard. Instead you get a buyer course, a written acquisition plan for your market, a local agent we recruit and train, underwriting on every property before you commit, a financing roadmap, and our team on the calls from accepted offer to recorded deed.
1% of purchase price, $4,997 minimum for standalone buyers$4,997 valueIncluded with MasteryBuyers outside the program pay the engagement fee. Mastery members do not.
The Buyer CourseRecovery housing real estate, start to finishYour Acquisition PlanA written buy plan for your marketA Trained Local AgentWe recruit them and teach them what to look forDeal AnalysisEvery property underwritten before you commitFinancing FeasibilityCredit, liquidity, partners, and loan placementClosing CoordinationOn the calls to the recorded deed
Finding a propertyFunding & startup costsOne-on-one supportTraining & templates
The VSL Marketing Engine, Built for You
A done-for-you marketing system built specifically for sober living, and sold on its own to operators outside the program. It captures attention, nurtures relationships, manages every lead, and turns resident results into referrals. The Custom Website, Social Media, and Referral Sources work in Business Engine is how we build it out with you.
$1,499 one-time setup for standalone buyers$1,499 valueIncluded with MasteryPlatform access is included for Mastery members.
Custom Site & FunnelsSEO built, application readyAI Social SchedulerWeeks of posts, queuedEmail & SMS PlatformAutomated follow-upSober Living CRMReferrals and applicantsIntake & Screening FormsBuilt into the systemReputation ManagementAutomated review requestsVideo Review CaptureTestimonials on your siteOccupancy AnalyticsWhat is actually working40 Local Referral SourcesMatched to your market
Every policy, agreement, notice, and form you need to operate, already written and aligned to NARR standards. You will not draft anything from scratch. Click any card below to see the real document:
Fully editable and brandable to your home, and revised on our side as standards change, so your paperwork does not go stale.
Training & templatesSystems & softwareStaffing & house mentors
Establish the Right Legal Foundation
You do not need a building to form a business. We set the legal foundation immediately: the right entity, the required filings, and the banking and payment systems that everything else plugs into.
What we do together
Select the right entity structure for your business model
File the documents needed to legally form the business
Review licensing requirements tied to your operations
What you walk away with
A formed entity and the EIN required for taxes and banking
Business banking and payment systems live
Key agreements structured to protect ownership and roles
LLC, nonprofit & insuranceZoning, licensing & legalTraining & templatesOne-on-one support
Sit Down and Build Your Launch Plan
Before anything else, we spend real time on your situation: what you have, what you are up against, and what you actually want this to become. Then we write the plan that gets you from here to there.
What we do together
Map where you stand today: capital, credit, property access, time, experience
Define what you are building, whether that is one home, a portfolio, or a legacy
Name the constraint most likely to stall you, and sequence the plan around it
Set target markets, a target opening date, and the budget to reach it
What you walk away with
A written launch plan with dates, owners, and decision points
A named next action in every workstream on this page
Direct answers to the questions you have been guessing at
One-on-one supportFinding a propertyFunding & startup costsLLC, nonprofit & insuranceTimeline to open
02
What’s included
Ensure Ongoing Demand to Fill Your Beds
We map the referral activity already happening in your market so you know where your residents will come from before you commit to a building.
What we do together
See who is actively referring to sober living in your community
Analyze demand using VSL’s proprietary network data
Identify treatment, corrections, and community referral sources
What you walk away with
Access to VSL’s national Referral Source Heatmap
A named list of referral sources in your market
Introductions to organizations that can help fund resident rent
Search any city, county or state. Los Angeles County returns 858 referral sources, ranked by tier and filterable by referral type.
Heat view shows where referral activity concentrates before you choose a neighborhood.
Click any source for its record, then download the full list as a spreadsheet. Contact details blurred here.
Finding a propertyFilling beds & referralsRevenue & profitability
Choose a Location That Supports Your Model
We help you evaluate communities and neighborhoods so you can choose a location that supports occupancy, operations, and long-term performance, not just what looks good on paper.
What we do together
Analyze neighborhood demographics and local community dynamics
Assess the strength of the local recovery community and support network
Review crime data and safety factors that impact operations
Evaluate property trends, appreciation, and long-term area performance
What you walk away with
A comprehensive written Neighborhood Analysis report
A go or no-go read on each location you are considering
We help you identify the legal and regulatory issues that can delay, restrict, or shut down a home so you can address them early and move forward with a clearer strategy.
What we do together
Review zoning, ordinances, and the local regulatory environment
Assess enforcement patterns and municipal risk factors
Identify code, fire safety, and life-safety requirements
What you walk away with
Reasonable accommodation positioning and templates
A written action plan addressing each key legal risk
Zoning, licensing & legalCertificationFinding a propertyOne-on-one support
Maximize Occupancy Without Compromising Safety
We help you optimize the layout and capacity of your home so you can increase revenue while maintaining safety, compliance, and a functional living environment.
What we do together
Identify opportunities to safely increase bed capacity
Evaluate unfinished or underused space for conversion
Align capacity decisions with safety and operational standards
What you walk away with
A full-to-scale floor plan of your home
Optimized room layouts that improve flow and usability
We help you secure the capital needed to move the project forward by strengthening your financing strategy, supporting due diligence, and connecting you with lenders who understand this asset class.
What we do together
Leverage VSL’s real estate experts throughout the financing process
Structure stronger offers with terms that improve deal viability
Complete due diligence by asking the right financial questions
What you walk away with
A capital stack using private, institutional, and alternative lenders
Access to VSL’s network of 110+ sober living lenders nationwide
Funding & startup costsFinding a propertyRevenue & profitability
03
What’s included
Secure the Right Coverage for Your Operation
We place your coverage with providers who actually understand recovery housing, so you are protected and compliant without overpaying for the wrong policy.
What we do together
Identify the coverage needed for property, liability, and operations
Coordinate vendor communication and manage the quoting process
Evaluate options to improve coverage while reducing cost
What you walk away with
Bound policies appropriate to recovery housing
Access to a network of specialized insurance vendors nationwide
LLC, nonprofit & insuranceOne-on-one support
Leverage Systems and Automations to Grow
We stand up the systems that keep the operation organized as it grows: the CRM, the phone system, and the accounting platform your home runs on.
What we do together
Configure a CRM built specifically for recovery housing operations
Set up a phone system with IVR, auto-attendant, and call routing
Implement a full accounting and management platform for your home
What you walk away with
A texting platform for lead follow-up and drip campaigns
Branded email tied to your own domain
One place where occupancy, leads, and books all live
www.app.vanderburghhouse.com
Systems & softwareLLC, nonprofit & insuranceStaffing & house mentors
Launch a Website That Drives Applications
We build and launch a real website for your home, on your own domain, designed to turn searches into applications rather than just look presentable.
What we do together
Build a custom website on the domain of your choosing
Optimize pages for search visibility and traffic
Provide ongoing support, or make edits on request
What you walk away with
A live site with an online application and lead capture
Full backend access to manage content and updates yourself
We launch and brand your profiles, produce the short-form video and graphics, set up the AI tools that draft your captions, and hand you a content calendar so you are never staring at a blank post. This is what your feed starts looking like:
VSLyourhome_recoverySouth Portland, ME
Men’s sober living in South Portland. MARR certified, applications open. #Recovery #SoberLiving
128 likes14 comments
VSLyourhome_recoverySouth Portland, ME
Beds open at Kismet Sober House. $200 per week, NARR certified. Link in bio to apply.
92 likes8 comments
VSLyourhome_recoveryWorcester, MA
Safe, structured recovery housing in Worcester. $200 per week, NARR certified.
203 likes26 comments
A full library of branded templates in Canva, plus a structured calendar and AI drafting, so posting stays consistent even in the weeks you have no time for it.
Filling beds & referralsSystems & software
Access 2,000+ Referral Sources from Day One
You start with relationships instead of a cold list. We introduce you into a national network that is already sending placements to VSL homes.
What we do together
Introduce you as a VSL Chartered Operator to build credibility
Connect you with treatment centers, corrections, and community partners
Start outreach with proven scripts, systems, and workflows
What you walk away with
A network of 2,000+ referral sources across the country
A consistent referral pipeline from the day you open
Follow a Clear Roadmap to NARR-Affiliate Certification
Certification is a sequence, not a stack of paperwork. We map your state affiliate’s exact requirements, put them in the order they have to be met, and hand you the binder that satisfies them.
What we do together
Map your state affiliate’s requirements and the order they must be met
Align your home with NARR standards and local certification rules
Walk through what inspectors actually look for before you apply
Reduce delays by preparing correctly the first time
What you walk away with
A written roadmap showing every requirement and its status
A complete certification binder with every required document
A home that is review-ready, not review-hopeful
CertificationTraining & templatesZoning, licensing & legalTimeline to open
Run the Final Stretch on a Schedule, Not on Instinct
The gap between having a property and having residents is where most first-time operators lose weeks. We plan that stretch with you, in order, on dates, and work it alongside you until the first resident moves in.
What we do together
Sequence inspections, certification review, and occupancy sign-offs correctly
Build the furnishing, life-safety, and supply checklist for your specific home
Time marketing and referral outreach so applications arrive before you open
Put intake, rent collection, and house rules in motion before the first move-in
What you walk away with
A dated pre-opening schedule, week by week
Your first residents lined up rather than hoped for
Revenue starting on opening day instead of thirty days later
One-on-one supportLLC, nonprofit & insuranceFilling beds & referralsTimeline to open
Get Hands-On Support Through Launch
A plan on paper is not the same as a person on the phone. We stay in it with you through the pre-opening phase: the calls, the surprises, and the decisions you have never had to make before.
What we do together
Give direct guidance through the pre-opening phase
Support setup, readiness, and launch decisions as they come up
Resolve issues fast, with people who have opened homes before
What you walk away with
Problems solved in days instead of discovered at inspection
An open home, and a team you can still call afterward
One-on-one supportTimeline to open
Build Your Team on a Budget
Trained support staff handle intake, admin, marketing, and bookkeeping, so you get the coverage of a full team without carrying the payroll of one.
Intake CoordinatorFirst voice every caller hearsInbound callsApplicationsWaitlistReferral follow-up
Administrative AssistantKeeps the paperwork movingResident filesSchedulingRent trackingCompliance logs
Marketing AssistantKeeps your home visibleSocial postingContent calendarReview requestsListings
BookkeeperKeeps the books cleanReconciliationAP and ARPayroll supportMonthly reports
Representative roles from the remote team we staff operators with. You choose the mix, and scale it up or down as the home grows.
What we do together
Match you with trained staff for intake, admin, marketing, and bookkeeping
Scale the team up or down based on your operational needs
What you walk away with
Support staffing starting at $7/hour
Day-to-day tasks off your plate so you can focus on growth
LLC, nonprofit & insuranceOne-on-one supportStaffing & house mentors
Leverage a Trusted Vendor Network
We connect you with pre-vetted vendors who understand recovery housing, so you source faster and at a discount, without trial and error:
Drug Screening SuppliersInsurance AgentsFurniture VendorsBuilding MaterialsPrint & MarketingService Providers
Network pricing negotiated across the VSL portfolio, so you buy at our rates instead of first-time-buyer rates.
Mastery is not theory and it is not a course. These are operators running homes under the VSL banner right now — in their own words.
415+Operators supported
10Years of operating history
2,000+Referral sources nationwide
4,000+Applications received a year
★★★★★
Independent, with a network behind him
“What I love about VSL is that I get to run Taylor Made Recovery my own way—as an independent operator who treats every resident as an individual—while still having all of their support and structure behind me.”
Rodney TaylorTaylor Made Recovery · TexasChartered Operator
★★★★★
One home to seven in Rhode Island
“I’ve been working with VSL since 2018, and in that time I’ve grown from my very first home to seven thriving recovery communities across Rhode Island. I couldn’t have done it without VSL.”
Frank MoreauKayaly Recovery · Rhode IslandChartered Operator
★★★★★
Answers on legal and resident issues, any hour
“I’m grateful for VSL’s support and how available they always are whenever I need help dealing with a legal issue or resident concern, any time of the day or night.”
Bee FloresZero Tolerance Sober Living · MassachusettsChartered Operator
Rodney Taylor · Taylor Made Recovery, Texas · on what changed once he had the blueprint.
Included with Charter Membership — at no additional cost
VSL Chartered Operators commit to meet the Vanderburgh Foundation’s operating standards. In exchange, the Foundation provides this complete stack of systems, infrastructure, and ongoing support at no additional cost—so your home operates at a professional standard from day one.
Operate Under a Brand Families and Referral Partners Already Trust
As a VSL Chartered Operator, you don’t build a brand from scratch—you operate under one that families, clinicians, and referral partners already know and trust. Every Chartered Operator earns the right to market their home as affiliated with Vanderburgh Sober Living, instantly signaling quality, accountability, and a standard of care that sets you apart from independent homes.
That reputation has been built over more than a decade of quality recovery housing. When you join the ranks of Chartered Operators, that credibility becomes yours—shortening the years it would otherwise take to earn trust in your market and opening doors with the partners who send referrals.
Market your home as an official VSL Chartered Operator
Use the VSL name, brand, and marketing assets
Build trust instantly with referral partners, treatment providers, and families
Join a respected national network of quality recovery housing
Leverage a decade-plus reputation instead of building one alone
The core value is simple: you are not building a brand—you are leveraging one.
The mark families and referral partners trust — now representing your home.
Inbound Referrals
Tap Into a National Network of Trusted Referral Sources
Chartered Operators meet the standards required to earn a Charter—which is exactly why our network of referral sources trusts VSL homes with their clients. Treatment centers, clinicians, interventionists, and recovery professionals across the country send the people they serve to the VSL network, confident they’ll land in quality recovery housing.
That trust turns into a steady stream of inbound referrals flowing to Chartered Operators—so your beds stay full without you having to build a referral pipeline from zero.
Access referrals from a nationwide network of trusted sources
Benefit from relationships VSL has built over more than a decade
Receive applicants who are actively seeking quality recovery housing
Keep occupancy strong with a consistent inbound pipeline
National
Coast-to-coast referral coverage
2,200+
Trusted referral sources across the U.S.
4,000+
Applications received every year
Intake Call Center
Never Miss a Bed with a Professional Intake Call Center
In recovery housing, a missed call is a missed bed. When someone reaches out ready to move in, they rarely wait—and factoring in the average length of stay, a single placement can be worth well over $2,000. Miss a handful of calls a month and you’re not losing phone calls; you’re losing thousands of dollars in occupancy.
VSL’s intake call center answers on behalf of Chartered Operators so you don’t have to be available around the clock. Trained staff field inbound calls, answer questions about your home, and direct applicants to apply—capturing opportunities you’d otherwise miss while you’re running the house.
Inbound calls answered by trained VSL intake staff
Questions about your home handled professionally
Applicants guided to the right application, every time
Coverage so a missed call never becomes a missed placement
Multi-channel intake: phone, online, email, and fax
Included at no additional cost: answering inbound calls, fielding questions about your home, and directing applicants to apply. Optional upgrade: having our team conduct full telephone screens on your behalf is available as a paid Intake Services add-on—ask a member of our team for details.
VSL Operating System
Run Your Home on a Complete, Adaptive Operating System
Membership isn’t just a folder of templates—it’s a complete operating system for your business. You get every form and document you need, and we work with you to build a business operating system tuned to your goals and engineered for impact and scale.
Adaptive Business Operating System
A business OS built around your goals and engineered for impact and scale—so your home runs on proven systems, not guesswork.
House Mentor Training System
Unlimited access to VSL’s House Mentor training—develop the people responsible for daily culture, accountability, and leadership, at no added cost.
Compliance, Records & Accounting
Integrated compliance, recordkeeping, and accounting systems that meet the best practices in the field, including NARR-aligned documentation.
Performance Tracking & KPIs
KPI tools, budgeting calculators, and benchmarks that let you measure your home against the best operators in the field and learn what actually works.
NARR-compliant forms & templatesState-specific document setsStandardized agreements & policies
Sober Living Software
A Fully Integrated Software Stack, Built for Recovery Housing
Chartered Operators get an integrated software system built for the way recovery homes actually run—powered by best-in-class platforms and configured specifically for sober living. Available exclusively to VSL Chartered Operators.
Custom Website
A professional website for every operator to showcase your home and capture applicants.
Operator CRM
Organize referral sources, manage inbound applicants and applications, and track occupancy in one place.
Electronic File Management
Cloud-based guest files, accessible anywhere with no user limit—aligned with NARR-3.0 recordkeeping standards.
Electronic Payments
Secure, convenient rent collection with processing fees under 3% per transaction.
Full-Suite Accounting
A cloud-based general-ledger accounting system, tailor-made for recovery housing, with unlimited users.
Room to Grow
Built to scale—tap added features like automations, pipelines, maintenance, and resident portals as you scale.
Digital Profile
Get Found Everywhere Applicants Are Searching
Mastery clients already have their own website built as part of the VSL Marketing Engine. On top of your own site, Chartered Operators gain a featured presence across the highest-traffic properties in recovery housing—so applicants find your home wherever they look.
vanderburghhouse.com/homes
soberhousedirectory.com
Featured on VanderburghHouse.com
Prominent placement on a trusted, highly-optimized platform that drives qualified applicants to your pages.
Spotlight on SoberHouseDirectory.com
A featured listing on one of the most-visited sober living directories—seen by people actively seeking recovery housing.
Social & Directory Management
Professional upkeep of your profiles across Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and key directories—kept current and engaging.
AI Operator Agent
Your Recovery-Housing AI, Trained on a Decade of Operating Experience
VSL has developed a proprietary AI Operator Agent built specifically for recovery housing. Unlike general-purpose AI tools, it’s trained on more than a decade of real operating knowledge, documents, workflows, and field experience—so its guidance is far more relevant to the actual issues operators face.
It’s built with recovery-housing–specific standards, guardrails, and instructions, giving members a practical tool they can use every day to move faster, get stronger drafts, and solve problems with more consistency.
Policies & Notices
Draft and revise house policies, notices, and formal documents in minutes.
Resident Communications
Write clear, compassionate emails and messages to residents and families.
Marketing & Web Copy
Generate landing pages and SEO-focused website content that converts.
Checklists & Role Guides
Build operational checklists and role guides tailored to your home.
Training Materials
Create internal training content and onboarding materials for staff and mentors.
On-Demand Answers
Get instant guidance grounded in recovery-housing operating standards.
The value is simple: instead of generic AI that misses the context, members get a purpose-built tool trained for this exact model.
Paying for Mastery
You May Not Be Paying for This Yourself
Cost is the obstacle for most people who want to do this, and it usually has a solution nobody has told them about. Eight routes fund a sober living startup. Most operators fit more than one, and two of them are open to everybody.
Available now
Vocational Rehabilitation
If you are in recovery, start here. A substance use disorder is a qualifying condition for your state Vocational Rehabilitation agency, and it has nothing to do with SSI or SSDI. You can be working today and still be eligible.
Coming soon
VA Chapter 31
Veterans have their own route. Chapter 31 carries a self-employment track that pays for training and business planning. Our vendor registration with the VA is in progress, so it is not open yet.
Available now
Employer Education Assistance
Anyone with a job can ask. Section 127 lets an employer put up to $5,250 a year toward your education, tax free on both sides, and the course does not have to relate to your work.
Also on the list: payment plans, a personal loan, a sponsored campaign through The Vanderburgh Foundation, free buy-side representation on the property, and in Massachusetts the Workforce Training Fund.
Eligibility for the VA and Vocational Rehabilitation routes is decided by a government counselor, not by Vanderburgh Sober Living. Nothing here is an application or a promise of funding.
Learn from people who do this every day
Meet Your Development Team
Mastery members work directly with the people below: operations, real estate, facilities, and community development, backed by more than a decade of building recovery housing across the United States.
Dr. Hunter T. Foote
Founder & Executive Director
Founded VSL in 2015. Author, educator, and policy witness on recovery housing.
The things operators ask us most before they apply. If yours is not here, ask it on the call.
What is the VSL Mastery Program?
Mastery is an all-inclusive program for opening and operating a recovery residence. It combines the training platform, the document library, the software, the certification work, the property and funding support, and a team that works alongside you until your doors open. It is the most complete of the ways Vanderburgh Sober Living works with new operators.
What is included in Mastery?
The full Sober Living Academy training platform with unlimited seats for your staff and house mentors, five state Blueprints, the Acquisition Desk, the VSL Marketing Engine, the template library of 130+ ready-to-use documents, business entity formation, and Charter Membership.
How much does the Mastery Program cost?
Mastery is application-based rather than off-the-shelf. What it costs depends on your state, the scope of your launch, and how much you already have in place, so we price it once we understand your situation. That conversation happens on the strategy call after your application. The application and the call are free, with no obligation.
Do I need a license to open a sober living home?
In most states a recovery residence is not licensed the way a treatment facility is, because no clinical care is being delivered. What usually applies instead is voluntary certification through your state’s NARR affiliate. The rules are state-specific, and mapping the ones that govern your state is one of the first things we do together.
Is certification required?
In most states certification is voluntary rather than legally required. It matters anyway, because certification is what referral sources, courts, treatment providers and insurers look for before they will send anyone to your home. Mastery walks you through your state affiliate’s requirements in the order they have to be met.
Will zoning stop me from opening a recovery home?
Usually not. Recovery residences generally receive protection under the federal Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, and reasonable accommodation is a well-established route when a municipality pushes back. Zoning is one of the workstreams Mastery is built around, so you are not researching it alone. This is general information rather than legal advice about a specific address.
How much can a sober living home make?
It depends on your bed count, your rent, your occupancy and your cost base, so an average figure would be misleading. Rather than quote one, we would rather you run your own numbers. The Sober Living Calculator estimates revenue, expenses and break-even occupancy for a home in your market.
How long does it take to open a home?
Mastery is built around a 45-day launch. Most first-time operators take a hundred days or more because they solve zoning, entity formation, insurance and certification one after another. We run those workstreams at the same time and work the final stretch on dates rather than on instinct.
Do I need to own a property already?
No. Many members apply before they have a building. The Acquisition Desk helps you find, evaluate and secure the right property, and buy-side representation costs you nothing because we are paid on the transaction.
Do I have to run the home day to day?
No. Some members run their homes themselves, others hire a house manager or use trained remote support staff for intake, admin, marketing and bookkeeping. The application asks which you plan to do so the launch plan is built around the answer.
NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
Build on a Stronger Foundation
1
Submit a short 5-minute online application
2
Discuss your property, goals, and readiness
3
Receive a clear recommendation and next steps
Launch with a proven system, experienced guidance, and a national network.
