Jan 2023 - December 2024

RECOVERY HOUSING SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH PROJECT

Problem and Solution

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PROJECT RATIONALE

  • One structural barrier to recovery is limited access to safe and stable recovery housing. 

  • Numerous research studies have documented that recovery housing facilitates positive outcomes for residents.

  • Housing costs, in recovery residences, are not presently covered by private or public health insurance which presents barriers to individuals who need recovery housing

RESEARCH PROBLEM

Housing costs in recovery residences are not presently covered by private or public health insurance. Lack of insurance coverage for recovery housing presents barriers to individuals needing recovery housing and may also threaten the quality and sustainability of recovery housing at the provider level as well. 

SOLUTION

  • Development of innovative funding models to address the financial gap created by insurance coverage ineligibility

  • Generation of empirical research to inform new policy initiatives that advocate for RHOs insurance coverage eligibility

Our Team

Fiona Conway, Ph.D.
Co-Principal Investigator

Tyler Barnes
Research Assistant

Kasey Claborn, Ph.D.
Co-Principal Investigator

Koren Hansen
Research Assistant

Latawnya Peachy
Program Manager

Julie McElrath, MSSW
Co-Principal Investigator

Justin York
Data Manager

Leah Davies, MSSW
Project Manager

RHS ADVISORS

UT Interdisciplinary Collaboration Group

Anton L.V. Avanceña, Ph.D.
Health Economist
UT Austin College of Pharmacy

Kristie J. Loescher, MPH, DBA
Healthcare Management
UT Austin McCombs School of Business

RHS Advisory Council

Jessica Cance, Ph.D.
Recovery Researcher

Lori Holleran Steiker, Ph.D.
Recovery Researcher

Jackson Longan
Oxford House, Inc.

Jason Pullin
TROHN Executive Director

Dave Sheridan
Recovery Housing Expert, NARR

Corrie Vilsaint, Ph.D.
Recovery Researcher & National Expert, CCF BOD

Stephen Courter, MBA
Business Management
UT Austin McCombs School of Business

Sheryl McCurdy, Ph.D.
Health Promotion
UTHealth Houston School of Public Health

Sierra Castedo de Martell, Ph.D.
Public Health Expert

Tracy Levins, Ph.D.
Research and Training/TA Expert

Judge Leigh Mathews Rodriguez
Justice & Legal System Expert

Lisa Ramirez
HHSC Policy & SUD Expert

Lynn Sherman, J.D.
Nonprofit, Community & Business Expert

De Wysocki
Lived Experience Expert

Sherri Greenberg, MS
State and Local Gov’t Engagement
UT Austin LBJ School of Public Affairs

Lilly Ettinger
UT Austin Center for Students in Recovery\

Nick Long
Sharpen Recovery & TROHN BOD

Russ Norwood
Business Expert

Jerry Roberson, Ph.D.
Nonprofit & Public Health Expert

Scott Strehli
Nonprofit & Business Expert, CCF BOD

Project Progress

Legend:
  • Hashed lines indicate project components underway/upcoming
  • 56 unduplicated provider surveys collected
  • 53 key informant/provider interviews completed

TEXAS RECOVERY HOME PROVIDER SURVEY

Data Collection:

  • 321 provider surveys solicited / 56 unduplicated provider surveys completed

    • Text Follow-Ups

    • Email Follow-Ups

    • Social Media post

  • 4  information sessions provided

Preliminary Data:

  • 84% of individual respondents from recovery home organizations identify as persons in recovery

  • 56% of respondent recovery home organizations identified themselves as “For-profit” and 37% identified themselves as “Not for profit”

  • 48% of respondent recovery homes estimated that they typically breakeven re: monthly revenue

  • 84% of respondent recovery homes say that they have never applied for non-COVID state funding and 77% say that they have never applied for non-COVID federal funding.

TEXAS KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS

Data Collection:

  • Key informants are individuals with state-level insights and information on the substance use and/or recovery housing landscape in Texas.

  • Categories:

    • Residential Treatment Providers

    • Accreditation/Advocacy Organizations 

    • Recovery Support Organizations 

    • Texas State Department/Agencies

    • Government Officials

    • Recovery Housing Residents (including Oxford House)

  • Goal:  30 interviews - 24 completed; 6 more planned

Representative Participant Quotes:

  • The role of funding source:

    • "Success rate is tied to the level of [financial] support; with outside funding [recovery homes are] most successful."

  • The role of insurance coverage in recovery housing:

    • "Recovery housing is more cost effective than treatment."   

  • Recommendations:

    • “There is fun in addiction and recovery needs to help individuals find fun in sobriety, and life."

    • “The definition of recovery housing will need to expand beyond the historical upper, white class version of recovery." 

TEXAS PROVIDER INTERVIEWS

Data Collection:

  • Providers are individuals with insights and information on the substance use and recovery housing landscape in Texas.

  • Categories:

    • Owner/Operators (Key Informant Questions)

    • Owner/Operators (Business Model Questions)

    • Oxford House Inc. Representatives (Key Informant Questions)

    • Oxford House Inc. Representatives (Business Model Questions)

  • Goal:  21 interviews; 22 completed

Example Business Model Concepts:

  • Admissions 

  • Revenue/Cash Flow

  • Barriers/Facilitators

  • Resources/Training

  • Future Planning

  • Self Assessment

GROUP MODEL BUILDING

Data Collection:

  • Two group model building sessions:

    • RHS Advisory Council

    • Providers/Operators

    • Analyze data and engage participants in feedback process

  • Goal:

    • 14 advisory council participants; session completed with 14 participants

    • 10 provider/operator participants; session planned Dec. 2024