Programs at Casa Serena
Transitional Living
Destructive living environments can derail recovery even for the most highly motivated of individuals. Being with people who understand and are passionate about mental wellness and sobriety can make facing life after treatment less overwhelming. Millie’s House is Casa Serena’s signature transitional living program. Sober living homes (sometimes referred to as “halfway houses”) are an excellent stepping stone between addiction treatment in an inpatient facility and transitioning to the home environment after treatment ends.
Many inpatient treatment centers encourage participants new to recovery to spend time in a sober living environment before returning home. Many in recovery from addiction find they struggle with the adjustment period immediately after treatment. Sober living homes offer a safe environment between treatment and home where you can practice and reinforce the lessons you learned during rehab. For many, time spent in a sober living environment can make the difference between maintaining a path of sobriety and relapsing back to old habits.
How sober living can be the key to recovery
Benefits of Transitional Living in Santa Barbara
Sober living homes like Millie’s House are an excellent option for those who are new to recovery but may not feel comfortable returning to an "unmonitored" environment just yet. Inpatient treatment programs and some outpatient treatment programs are heavily structured, and for some leaving such a structured environment and openly exposing themselves to triggers can be scary. Time spent in a sober living environment provides a safe space to continue working on sobriety and relapse prevention.
Sober living homes are different from the treatment environment in that they do not provide the same level of structure as an inpatient treatment program. However, sober living programs can provide an intermediary environment to help encourage you to continue developing and practicing the healthy coping skills and habits developed during treatment. The sober living setting typically replicates everyday life situations while striving to instill healthy relapse prevention habits. While staying in a sober living home, you will work towards further healing and progress in your recovery.
Casa Serena's Sober Living for Women
Our Transitional Living Home in Santa Barbara, CA
While participating in an inpatient treatment program, you are immersed in the therapeutic environment and surrounded by support and constant care. Once you transition out of treatment, this is often not the case. In a sober living home, you are not bound by the confinement of the treatment environment and, therefore, can come and go as you please. The goal of sober living is to allow newly recovered addicts the opportunity to ease back into day-to-day tasks and activities without feeling unsupported.
While staying in our sober living home in Santa Barbara, you can expect opportunities to attend 12 step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, ongoing treatment and therapy, and depending on your specific needs, assistance with life skill development such as employment searches and educational opportunities. A significant benefit to a sober living environment is forging friendships with like-minded peers who will continue to help reinforce your desire to remain sober. Unfortunately, when people return home from inpatient treatment, they experience painful isolation. Many feel it is necessary to distance themselves from friends and family to reduce potential exposure to triggers and possible relapse. A sober living home provides a support system that not only helps residents avoid isolation but provides an environment of increased support during the early and often fragile stages of recovery and beyond.
While staying in our sober living home in Santa Barbara, you can expect opportunities to attend 12 step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, ongoing treatment and therapy, and depending on your specific needs, assistance with life skill development such as employment searches and educational opportunities. A significant benefit to a sober living environment is forging friendships with like-minded peers who will continue to help reinforce your desire to remain sober. Unfortunately, when people return home from inpatient treatment, they experience painful isolation. Many feel it is necessary to distance themselves from friends and family to reduce potential exposure to triggers and possible relapse. A sober living home provides a support system that not only helps residents avoid isolation but provides an environment of increased support during the early and often fragile stages of recovery and beyond.
We understand that wellness extends far beyond the boundaries of treatment. Millie’s House ensures a safe, comfortable and supportive environment to call home during this transitional stage of mental health and substance use recovery. Residents will find a collaborative home environment that honors the next step of structure in recovery, paving the way toward developing a resilient community.
We welcome women transitioning from any treatment program who are in need of a strong support system to maintain mental health along with sobriety. At Millie’s House, we provide the specific tools needed to build a strong foundation in recovery. Millie’s House also offers support for women who are reunifying with their children, including the opportunity to live together as they begin repairing the entire family unit.
If you would like to learn more about how transitional living homes in Santa Barbara can help you transition from addiction treatment to long-term recovery, talk to your treatment team at Casa Serena or contact our admissions team today.