People who live in a halfway house come from various levels of economy, different cultures, and long-term environments. Halfway house clients can be of all age levels, from older teenagers to seniors who may have been in long-term treatment, rehabilitation centers, and completed addiction programs but are not ready to exist in mainstream society.
Other people may have been in jail or prison for the long-term, served their sentence for non-violent crimes, and are ready to be discharged but need help in their transition back into mainstream society.
Some people find themselves living in a homeless shelter due to many different circumstances, economic levels, educational levels, and cultures. Bad things certainly do happen to good people, and they had no alternative but to rely on a homeless shelter but are ready to transition back into society.
No matter the situation, a halfway house serves as a transition between rehab and mainstream society and quickly becomes part of their wellness journey.
What is it Like to Live in a Halfway House?
Some clients opt to transition to a halfway house, while others must do so because it is court-ordered. A good experience comes from a quality halfway house. If the home is less than quality, the experience of living in a halfway house is not suitable or has lasting success.
The infrastructure of a quality halfway house will have ample private or semi-private bedrooms, more than one bathroom, deliciously fresh and well-balanced meals, activities, counseling as needed, and licensed, certified staff. A less than perfect halfway house is the complete opposite.
What is the Daily Routine?
Clients can bring with them personal care items, including a cell phone. Quality halfway homes have private bathrooms within each bedroom, and the bedrooms house no more than two people.
Clients can leave a halfway house at will to run errands. All must obtain an ID, usually at the DMV. Clients are urged to get a job as soon as possible. Those coming from prison find all of these sudden freedoms strange indeed. Although the halfway house must issue clients a pass, the pass is very flexible and can cover early morning to an early evening away.
New freedoms included using an iPhone at any time, the freedom to explore the Internet, setting up an email account, watching videos, and more. Each client has different experiences. A recovering substance abuse client may less awestruck because they are used to having them in their life before rehab.
A daily routine may differ between a person set free from prison and a person set free from substance abuse. The recovering addict is always working towards no relapse. A post-prison inmate works towards absorbing all the freedoms allowed in a halfway house. Both should set a goal to be law-abiding citizens. The main focus is to keep busy by creating a healthy daily routine and follow this routine every day.
A standard individualized and personal routine may include the following,
Attend therapy sessions and family therapy sessions.
Attend structured exercise programs and individualized workout sessions.
Attend 12-Step meetings.
Attend house meetings.
Show up for job interviews.
Eat well-balanced meals.
Create an adequate sleep schedule.
Arriving to work as agreed and be an excellent employee.
Almost everyone in a society has an individual lifestyle of living. Although, that is not saying that everyone in a community has a healthy and fit lifestyle. A halfway house eases client back into society by teaching healthy living. Schedules provide goals in life. If there were no goals in life, individuals would eventually die. Healthy plans offer clients a purpose in life and how to handle stressors. Stress should never become so bad that it drives the recovering addict back to drugs and alcohol. Daily routines help to reduce anxiety. Schedules allow the client to take on responsibilities and stick to them through an individualized healthy routine that accommodates each client's needs.