Assessing Technical Assistance Needs among Recovery Residence Operators in the United States

Recovery support services such as recovery housing assist individuals with increasing their access to social support, employment services, and systems of care. Lack of evidence-based practices and calls for increased oversight of these settings suggests a growing need for technical assistance and training for recovery residence owners and staff, yet little is known about their areas of greatest need for technical assistance. We developed and administered a survey to assess the technical assistance needs of recovery housing operators in the United States using a convenience sample of individuals who own or operate a recovery residence (N = 376). A total of 77 owners/operators completed the survey (20% response rate), representing urban, suburban, and rural communities. Differences were observed between number of owned residences: owners/operators of a single residence were interested in technical assistance on house-specific policies and linkage to established systems of care, whereas owners/operators of multiple residences were interested in technical assistance on building financial sustainability and incorporation of best practices into their recovery residences. As an increasing number of states move to implement voluntary certification or licensing for recovery residences, targeted training and technical assistance to owners/operators will facilitate the successful adoption of recovery residence best practices and quality standards.