What Is a Halfway House?
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Halfway House, Explained
What is a halfway house?
“Halfway house” is a general term for transitional housing for people moving from a more restrictive setting — incarceration, inpatient treatment, or crisis care — back into independent life. Historically it's most associated with corrections-run reentry housing, but the term is also used loosely for recovery housing in general conversation.
Halfway house vs. sober living — what's the difference?
There's no single legal line between the two terms, and usage varies by region. What matters more than the label is whether the residence is independently certified against a real standard. In Tennessee, that standard is TN-ARR (the state NARR affiliate), which certifies recovery residences at one of four levels of structure and support.
Is a halfway house the same as treatment?
No. Treatment programs (detox, residential, PHP, IOP) provide licensed clinical care. A halfway house or sober living home provides housing and structure — residents typically work, attend outpatient care, or continue other recovery supports from there, rather than receiving clinical treatment on-site.
How do I refer someone to a certified recovery residence?
Treatment programs, courts, probation/parole, hospitals, and case managers can refer directly. Rise Recovery Residences, operated by RiseTN in the Memphis area, is NARR / TN-ARR certified at Level 2 (Monitored) and admits through these supported referrals rather than self-find walk-ins.
Case manager, discharge planner, or agency?
Refer a client to a NARR / TN-ARR certified recovery residence.
Looking for housing yourself?
RiseTN admits through supported referrals. Ask your treatment provider, case manager, discharge planner, or caseworker to refer you — it keeps your clinical and support needs connected to the people already helping you.
General questions? Contact us