Disability & community health organization

Oxford House, Inc.

Oxford House, Inc. supports a network of self-run recovery homes through training, technical assistance and charters. The Oxford House model provides shared living environments in which residents support one another while maintaining a home free of alcohol and illicit drugs.

Official website ↗

Organization profile

Organization type: Disability & community health organization
Headquarters / base: Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
Geographic scope: National

Medical focus

Recovery housingAlcohol use disorderSubstance use recoveryPeer support

Activities

Patient supportEducation & training

Population served

People in recovery from alcohol and drug use

The organization and the houses it supports

Oxford House, Inc. is a nonprofit organization based in Silver Spring, Maryland. It is distinct from the individual houses, which are run by their residents. The organization provides technical assistance and training, supports expansion of the model and issues charters to houses that agree to follow its operating principles.

Local houses may form chapters, and chapters may participate in state or regional associations. These structures provide additional support and opportunities for training and connection. Louisiana appears in the organization’s directory of state associations, within the broader United States network.

Sources: [1], [3], [4].

A shared and self-governed home

Residents make decisions democratically, elect house officers and share household responsibilities and expenses. The model is built around self-management and mutual support, rather than an outside house manager. Residents are expected to maintain sobriety and meet the house’s financial and behavioural responsibilities.

A person can remain in an Oxford House while meeting those requirements; the model does not impose a standard treatment-length stay. This makes recovery housing a different part of the support system from a time-limited inpatient programme. The national organization’s role is to support the housing model rather than manage each resident’s clinical care.

Sources: [1], [2].

Finding a house and applying

The official website links to a vacancy locator for individual houses. Prospective residents contact a house or use the online application process, and current residents interview applicants and decide on membership. Household costs and available places are specific to each house, so the national office address does not identify a local vacancy or guarantee admission.

Sources: [2], [3].

Further health reading

Alcohol use disorder