Sober living that allows medication for addiction
Medication for opioid and alcohol use disorder is one of the best-supported treatments in addiction medicine. Some sober living homes still won't accept residents who take it, so finding the right home means asking directly.
What counts as medication for addiction
| Medication | Used for | How it is usually taken |
|---|---|---|
| Buprenorphine (often with naloxone) | Opioid use disorder | A daily film or tablet, or a monthly injection |
| Methadone | Opioid use disorder | Dispensed only by a federally certified opioid treatment program, daily at first, with take-home doses possible over time |
| Naltrexone | Opioid or alcohol use disorder | A daily tablet or a monthly injection |
| Acamprosate | Alcohol use disorder | Tablets several times a day |
| Disulfiram | Alcohol use disorder | A daily tablet that causes a strong reaction to alcohol |
Buprenorphine and methadone reduce cravings and withdrawal and lower the risk of overdose death. Naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram help people cut cravings or stop drinking. After stopping naltrexone, a person's tolerance to opioids is lower, so the risk of overdose from a relapse is higher. All of these are prescribed and monitored by a clinician, and taking them as prescribed is part of recovery, not a break from it.
Why some homes say no
Many sober homes grew out of an abstinence-only tradition, and some operators still treat buprenorphine or methadone as “not sober.” Others worry about medications being misused or shared in the house. Those concerns are usually better handled with clear rules, such as locked storage and count checks, than with a blanket refusal.
What the law says
For housing, the main protection is the federal Fair Housing Act, which treats people in recovery from addiction as having a disability and bars housing discrimination against them. The Americans with Disabilities Act applies to services and programs, and the U.S. Department of Justice has said it protects people taking prescribed medication for opioid use disorder. Neither law protects someone who is currently using drugs illegally. Many states also require certified or state-funded recovery residences to accept residents taking these medications.
If a home refuses someone only because they take a prescribed medication for addiction, ask why, and ask whether the home is certified or receives state funding. Your state's recovery residence certifying body or substance use services agency can tell you what rules apply.
- Do you accept residents taking buprenorphine, methadone, or naltrexone?
- How are medications stored? Is there a lockbox or a locked cabinet?
- Do you do medication counts, and who does them?
- Can residents get to a daily methadone clinic from here, and does the curfew allow it?
- Are any other residents on MAT now?
- Is the home certified, and does the certifying body require MAT access?
Finding a MAT-friendly home
Start with homes near your loved one's prescriber or opioid treatment program, since a long commute to a daily dose is hard to keep up. Call each home and ask the questions above, and get the medication policy in writing with the rest of the house rules. Insurance often covers the medication and the prescriber visits, even though it rarely covers rent. Our insurance guide explains the difference.
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