MASH Sober House Directory Massachusetts Recovery Coach Hub

During that time, Desrochers said, he’d had a good experience at a well-run sober house in Falmouth. Clearly it was not enough to break his addiction. Caleb Bethoney, who was 24 when he died of an overdose in March 2017, had been through detox, then residential treatment, then was referred to a sober house in Falmouth. The brick building next to the Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish at St. James Church used to be a convent; then it was a women’s shelter. This year it became the city’s largest sober house, with room for 33 men. Like Traci’s Home, it’s run by There Is a Solution.

• Drug use was common in the house, she said.
• The MASH-certified list includes 190 houses statewide.
• Massachusetts sober houses are certified by the Massachusetts Alliance for Sober Housing, or MASH.

How MASH Certification Ensures Safe, Supportive Sober Housing in Massachusetts

• After completing residential treatment at High Point in Plymouth, then a stay in a halfway house in New Bedford, Newell arrived in February at Rivet Street, a house that can accommodate 18 women on three floors.
• If you would like to add a listing to our sober house directory, please let us know.
• Lucia Freitas on Rivet Street in the South End appears as convinced that a sober house does not belong in her neighborhood as the people in Moreland Terrace are about theirs.

As we say often at MASH, “Home is not a place. It is a feeling.”  Our certified sober homes take pride in offering a home-like environment that supports recovery. Certified sober homes have comfortable spaces for living, sleeping, and engaging with peers, all of which make them valuable and safe spaces for recovery. Vanderburgh Sober Living (VSL) is a network of independently operated sober homes organized and supported by The Vanderburgh Foundation, a registered 501(c)3 Charitable Foundation.

Certification Application Steps

Evidence that residents increase recovery capital through such things as recovery support and community service, work/employment, etc. Job descriptions require staff to facilitate access to local community-based resources. We are active from the local to the state level, continuously advocating for the rights of sober home residents and operators.

» Steps to Certification

And these are very different neighborhoods. In the Moreland Terrace National Register Historic District, west of downtown New Bedford, a sober-house operator bought a grand historic house on Ash Street in July, raising fears of a sober house to come. Neighbors have banded together, posted protest signs along their streets, pinned on protest buttons, and taken their concerns to the New Bedford City Council. Bishop Wendy A. Toon smiled when she heard that description of the Ethel Rose House of Refuge at 95 Willow, a sober house that can accommodate up to six women. The Bouchers estimate that of about 50 women they have accommodated at both houses, they’ve asked about half to leave, usually for breaking the sobriety rule. Of those, two or three have been allowed back after going through detox.

These homes allow for independence while guided by a set of recovery-focused house rules, standards, and expectations. Visit the Vanderburgh House website to learn more about their sober homes. In Massachusetts, sober homes and recovery residences are different models for substance abuse recovery.

MASH Pillars

27.e Documentation that resident and staff engage in community relations and interactions to promote kinship with other recovery communities and goodwill for recovery services. A weekly schedule details recovery support services, events and activities. Peer support interactions among residents are facilitated to expand responsibilities for personal and community recovery. Grievance policy and procedures, including the right to take grievances that are not resolved by the house leadership to the operation’s oversight organization for mediation. Policies and procedures that keep residents’ records secure, with access limited to authorized staff. Policies and procedures regarding collection of resident’s information.

The Massachusetts Alliance for Sober Housing (MASH) plays a critical role in supporting individuals in recovery by ensuring access to high-quality sober living environments across Massachusetts. Established in 2007 by a group of sober home operators, MASH was mash certified sober homes founded to address the need for consistent standards and accountability within the sober housing community. Today, MASH oversees more than 180 certified sober homes. The organization’s core values emphasize health, home, purpose, and community, aligning closely with NARR’s principles to foster environments that promote long-term recovery and personal growth.

• These standards ensure that sober homes provide safe, structured, and supportive environments crucial for long-term recovery.
• Today, MASH oversees more than 180 certified sober homes.
• The range of management and the lack of regulation worry people who say they do not want sober houses in their neighborhoods.
• For recovery resources in Massachusetts, please visit the Massachusetts Sober House Recovery Resources page for more information.
• The Bouchers estimate that of about 50 women they have accommodated at both houses, they’ve asked about half to leave, usually for breaking the sobriety rule.

Evidence that mechanisms exist for residents to inform and help guide operations and advocate for community-building. Policy regarding smoke‐free living environment and/or designated smoking area outside of the residence. Policy and procedures that address residents’ prescription and non-prescription medication usage and storage consistent with the residence’s level and with relevant state law. Verification that laundry services are accessible to all residents. Evidence that residents’ recovery progress and challenges are recognized and strengths are celebrated. Evidence that residents have opportunities to be heard in the governance of the residence; however, decision making remains with the operator.

Certifying a sober house with MASH

Documentation that the owner/operator has current liability coverage and other insurance appropriate to the level of support. Guests feel safe, comfortable and supported at all times. He relapsed there, and soon after died of an overdose at a friend’s house in Falmouth. “We’ll lose our city if we let people come in here and tell us what to do,” Lang said.