The Language and Ethos of Recovery Housing
“Focusing on the subtle meaning of words—rejecting some while embracing others—is far more than a matter of shallow political correctness. It is about changing the way addicted and recovering people see themselves and are seen by others. It is about changing the language that affects social policies and is in turn affected by those policies. Changing language is a way to personally and culturally close one chapter in history and open another.”1 William L. White
“William (‘Bill’) White, Emeritus Senior Research Consultant at Chestnut Health Systems, has worked in outreach, clinical, research, and teaching roles in the addictions field since 1969. Bill has authored or co-authored more than 400 articles, monographs, research reports and book chapters and 21 books. His work has focused on mapping the prevalence, pathways, styles, and stages of long-term addiction recovery.”2 He is one of many experts in the field of addiction recovery who is a resource and champion for the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR).
In 2011, NARR brought together the expertise of 48 thought leaders in the field of addiction recovery from California to Pennsylvania, Florida to Michigan, and from Tennessee to Texas “in response to a call for residential providers across the service spectrum to create a uniform language and standards for all types of recovery residences... A seminal event of 2011 for the association was the adoption of a national standard for recovery residences, to include universal nomenclature.”1
In 2012, Mr. White wrote an essay to provide an overarching understanding of the need for “uniform language and standards” to identify recovery residences as a genre in distinction from the many different terms used to describe these residences: “A New Understanding of Recovery Residences, The Rhetoric of Recovery Advocacy: An Essay on the Power of Language.”
Terms like “halfway house, extended care, three-quarter house, sober living, etc.”1 have many meanings depending on the context in which these terms are used. “These monikers lack uniformity and clarity, and the meaning of each often depends on the system or area of the country in which one operates.”1
When these terms are used, the person using them assumes that people understand their meaning. However, this may not be true. For example, an individual that was previously involved in the criminal justice system may be required to reside in a “halfway house” through a court-ordered reentry program, while in transition in becoming a productive and self-sustaining citizen. There are several other usages for the term “halfway house”: A house for individuals that are victims of domestic violence, seeking refuge and shelter; a house for individuals with AIDS; or individuals living in a halfway house that receive rehabilitation treatment and intensive individual therapy, and/or group therapy for a substance use disorder, while establishing social supports, and a recovery support network.
The distinction between a halfway house and a recovery residence is in part determined by the primary purpose or function of the house. In Tennessee, a halfway house that provides clinical, or treatment services within the house must be licensed. On the other hand, recovery residences are “safe, healthy, family-like substance-free living environments that support individuals in Recovery from addiction.” (SAMHSA)
William White’s essay: “A New Understanding of Recovery Residences, The Rhetoric of Recovery Advocacy: An Essay on the Power of Language,” provides a powerful narrative for establishing language that replaces the enigmatic obscurity and confusion of language commonly used to describe recovery housing. Archaic and antiquated language promote confusion. However, as William White Suggests, “Common language creates a precise framework for communications about critical issues.”1
According to Mr. White, “Recovery Housing is the basic service provided by recovery residences that includes, at a minimum, recovery peer support. ‘Recovery Residence’ is an all-encompassing term that accurately describes the residential modality of recovery support, and provides a bridge for a field that historically has been fragmented.”1
It is important to note that the “Social Model” (Social Experiential Recovery Paradigm -- SERP) in recovery housing is the basis for recovery, rather than an individualized clinical approach, treatment plan, or treatment protocol administered by a treatment practitioner. Residents residing in recovery housing provide peer-to-peer support to encourage personal responsibility and accountability for their own recovery journey, pathway to recovery, and wellbeing.
“Social Model is the dichotomy of medical-clinical models. Recovery happens in the community of residents, culture, atmosphere and mutual support. The family-like living environment of support nurtures healing and strength, empowering and enabling residents to return to society as a whole, and become contributing members of society.”3
The “Social Model” recognizes a peer-to-peer approach to recovery. Residents (not patients) are encouraged to engage in interpersonal actions, share their personal “lived-experience” in recovery, and seek social supports to encourage “life-skills” development, personal growth, and dividend returns invested in “Recovery Capital” (sponsor-mentor support, recovery meetings, supported employment, transportation assistance, financial management classes, educational opportunities, and social supports: Food stamps, legal assistance, and the list goes on, etc.).
The National Alliance For Recovery Residences (NARR) is the most “nationally recognized recovery residence standards organization.”4 The Tennessee Alliance of Recovery Residences (TN-ARR) is the only NARR state affiliate in Tennessee, and as such complies with Tennessee’s “Stopping Addiction and Fostering Excellence in Recovery Housing (SAFE) Act,” as an official certification organization for recovery housing operators in the state of Tennessee.
“The NARR Standard 3.0 is the only nationally recognized standard for quality recovery housing. The NARR Standard provides guidance for certifying recovery residences as effective and safe environments that support each individual’s recovery goals: Implemented in over 30 states; basis for residence certification; over 7,150 certified residences; consumer information and protection [with] 250,000 people served, annually.” 5
TN-ARR, Tennessee’s NARR state affiliate, is at the forefront in providing training and technical assistance in the language and ethos of recovery housing. TN-ARR promotes and certifies high-quality recovery residences based on The NARR Standard, ethics and four levels/types of recovery residences for individuals who suffer from substance use disorder and/or co-occurring mental health conditions. “Among recovery housing organizations that adopt nationally defined ethical standards through TN-ARR certification, there are roughly one and a half male placements for every one female placement. For actively certified affiliates, this equates to 1,279 male beds and 862 female beds across the state. Additionally, over 900 beds represented by organizations currently seeking TN-ARR certification strongly mirror this ratio.” 6
For more information about the Tennessee Alliance of Recovery Residences (TN-ARR), please visit https://www.tnarr.org/.
The journey continues!
Kyle D. Duvall I Advocacy Committee Co-Chair
References
1. William L. White. A New Understanding of Recovery Residences, The Rhetoric of Recovery Advocacy: An Essay on the Power of Language
2. William L. White. About the Author. Amazon
3. Susan O. Binns. Co-Founder, the National Alliance For Recovery Residences (NARR) & Founder of the Tennessee Alliance of Recovery Residences (TN-ARR).
4. State of Tennessee. Public Chapter No. 309. Stopping Addiction and Fostering Excellence (SAFE) Act. May 4, 2021
5. National Alliance for Recovery residences (NARR): https://narronline.org/about/
6. Garrison Nuckols, Executive Director, TN-ARR: https://www.tnarr.org/
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