Problems and service needs among ex-offenders with HIV risk behaviors entering sober living recovery homes

Abstract

There is currently a nationwide effort to decrease the number of persons who are incarcerated in jails and prisons. However, many ex-offenders on probation or parole do not have access to affordable housing and larger proportions have histories of HIV risk as well as substance abuse problems. In California, sober living houses (SLHs) are becoming an increasingly popular housing option for these individuals. Based largely on the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), SLHs require abstinence from alcohol and drugs and provide peer support for recovery. The current study examined the types of problems experienced among 330 ex-offenders with lifetime risk for HIV during the six months prior to entering SLHs. Nearly three fourths (74%) of all ex-offenders entering the houses had at least one HIV risk. The importance of housing was evident in the finding that housing status and participants' perceptions of their housing situation were associated with a variety of problem areas, including substance use, HIV risk, psychiatric severity, and legal problems. SLHs represent an important housing option for ex-offenders, but many residents may need additional services to address various problems.

“I have more support around me to be able to change”: a qualitative exploration of probationers’ and parolees’ experiences living in sober living houses

“…Most indicated they entered the SLH because had no place to stay. This finding is consistent with quantitative baseline assessment collected from the larger sample (N=330) (Polcin, Korcha, Mericle, Mahoney & Hemberg, 2017). Very few of these residents (4.2%) had stable housing before they entered the SLH and the majority (52.7) perceived their housing situation prior to entering the SLH to be unstable.…”

“…As described in more detail elsewhere (i.e., Polcin, Korcha, Mericle, Mahoney & Hemberg, 2017), recruitment of the 330 persons participating in the quantitative study followed a twostep process. First, we first recruited SLHs (N=50) and then residents within the houses.…”

Motivational Interviewing Case Management (MICM) for Persons on Probation or Parole Entering Sober Living Houses

“…As described in more detail elsewhere (Polcin, et al, 2017), recruitment of study participants followed a two-step process. First, we contacted house managers to ascertain whether their house might be interested in being part of the study.…”

“…SLHs are becoming increasingly popular referral sources for persons leaving criminal justice institutions (Polcin, et al, 2017). Nowhere is this shift more common than in in California, where state laws and voter propositions have been enacted to expand incarceration alternatives, reduce lengths of incarceration, reclassify drug possession as a misdemeanor offense, and eliminate mandatory minimum limits (Lofstrom & Martin, 2015).…”

Sheltering in place and social distancing when the services provided are housing and social support: The COVID-19 health crisis and recovery housing

“…Residents in recovery housing are some of the most vulnerable individuals in recovery, simply by virtue of needing additional recovery support or affordable housing. Studies of individuals in a variety of different types of residences consistently find that residents come into them with a host of co-occurring conditions, including psychiatric and chronic health conditions, histories of criminal justice involvement and homelessness, and under-employment ( Callahan et al, 2015 ; Majer, Komer, & Jason, 2015 ; Mericle, Hemberg, Stall, & Carrico, 2019 ; Mericle & Miles, 2017 ; Polcin, Korcha, Gupta, Subbaraman, & Mericle, 2016 ; Polcin, Korcha, Mericle, Mahoney, & Hemberg, 2017 ). Despite gains in recovery, residents will likely be among those hardest hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic if they are unable to work.…”