Indigenous victims of Arizonas sober living scam sue the state

The term is primarily applied to those in recovery from drug addiction or alcoholism. Sober living typically involves making a conscious decision to abstain from drugs and alcohol, and frequently involves actively working on recovery through participation in counseling, support groups, or other forms of therapy. In the context of a sober living home, sober living specifically refers to the living environment that is designed to support those in recovery by providing a substance-free space with a structured and supportive community. The rules and guidelines of the sober living house are intended to encourage sober behavior and prevent relapse, and residents are typically required to maintain their sobriety while living in the house. Sober living can be an important transitional step in the recovery process for those who have completed an inpatient treatment program and are transitioning back into everyday living.

I ended up staying with a friend from my recovery group for a few weeks while I waited for a spot to open up in a sober home. Don’t be afraid to ask friends, family, or members of your recovery community for temporary assistance while you search for a more long-term, rent-free option. One option I took advantage of was becoming a house manager at my sober living home. In exchange for rent, I helped with the day-to-day running of the house—organizing meetings, helping residents stick to their chores, and coordinating with the home’s management. Many sober living homes rely on house managers and assistants to keep things running smoothly, and they often offer free rent in return for your help. While Level 2 homes don’t have recovery services onsite, there’s usually a strict requirement for maintaining membership in a recovery group or sticking to an aftercare plan with a counselor.

In a brief statement, Daniel A Guide To Sober House Rules: What You Need To Know Scarpinato, a Ducey spokesperson, did not comment on missed opportunities to detect and stop the fraud under his administration. But he said that the former governor went to great lengths to ensure a smooth transition for Hobbs and that members of Ducey’s staff continued to make themselves available to her administration after he left office. The state’s Medicaid agency, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, acknowledged the fraud cost taxpayers as much as $2.5 billion. But it has not accounted publicly for the number of deaths tied to the scheme.

Outpatient Treatment

Inpatient or residential rehab offers intensive, 24/7 medical and therapeutic care. Sober living homes, on the other hand, provide a more relaxed level of support for people who have completed rehab or are further along in their recovery journey. Many patients don’t realize the toxicity of prolonged alcohol abuse and how it affects the body. Alcohol detox at the luxurious rehab addiction centers at Gratitude Lodge leeches your body of these toxins in preparation for successful treatment for drugs and alcohol abuse. Alcohol detox may not take as long or produce severe withdrawal symptoms, but it is still an essential beginning to your recovery. The average stay in a sober living home is 90 days, but arrangements can be made for a longer stay.

Living at Home After Rehab

The fraud flourished for years under the state’s American Indian Health Program, a Medicaid insurance option for tribal citizens that allowed providers to set their own reimbursement rates. This fee-for-service model, established as a result of federal requirements, aimed to ensure coverage for Native Americans living in areas not typically served by insurance companies. But with no limit on how much they could bill, some behavioral health providers claimed tens of thousands of dollars for a single counseling or treatment session. The deaths, almost all from drug and alcohol use, span from the spring of 2022 to the summer of 2024, according to a review of records from the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner.

Massachusetts Center for Addiction

• Some treatment centers work with financial institutions to help you get a loan, which can be used as a form of payment to can help you get into a program quicker.
• Two lawsuits alleging wrongful deaths of Navajo men were recently filed against the state, more are expected.
• Members of the sober living community support and motivate each other to avoid relapsing into past behaviors.
• The Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity uses evidence and innovation to reduce poverty and increase equity.
• Choosing the right home can make a big difference by offering the customized support needed for a successful recovery journey.

Individuals who breach this are usually removed from the home immediately to protect the other residents. Finding rent-free sober living isn’t easy, but it’s possible if you keep searching and tapping into every resource available. I had moments of frustration where I felt like giving up, but staying persistent eventually paid off. Keep attending meetings, reach out to people who have been in your shoes, and don’t hesitate to ask for help. Additionally, you can check platforms like Craigslist, local Facebook groups, or Reddit’s recovery communities for more personalized recommendations or even find individuals offering rooms in sober households. Overall, sober living homes are a great choice for anyone who is serious about overcoming addiction – the more struggles you’ve had getting and staying clean, the more you may benefit from a Recovery Residence (RR).

Stability and Support

In 2024, a group of behavioral health providers and patients filed 60 notices of claim, statements of intent to file lawsuits against the state over the Medicaid fraud scandal. The claims were made by 38 Indigenous people who are former patients at Arizona behavioral health facilities and 22 behavioral health providers who were affected by the state’s crackdown on massive Medicaid fraud. At AHCCCS, staff received news in March of a death inside a residential treatment program, Adams said. In an interview, she could not recall details of the death or the facility where it occurred. But she said a health and safety committee reviewing the death discovered the facility did not have a health department license, a key detail that would repeatedly appear in later investigations. Meanwhile, word spread on social media that white vans were appearing on reservations and people with addiction were disappearing, said state Sen. Theresa Hatathlie, a Democrat from Coalmine Mesa on the Navajo Nation.

• Her group, Stolen People Stolen Benefits, prioritizes helping any Indigenous person affected by the ongoing scheme.
• The length of time that a person lives in a sober living facility varies based on their unique needs and progress on their recovery journey; however, the average length ranges from 6 months to several years.
• First, think about your specific needs and where you are in your recovery journey.
• In 2023, Mayes called the fraud a “stunning failure” of the government and said that their office would work to address it adequately.
• The statute provides that the grant funds shall be treated as Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds under Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.).
• That’s when sober living can help with the transition from rehab to your normal environment.

Most often, a supervisor is elected, and he or she is responsible for ensuring that residents comply with the rules and works to resolve any community complaints. Some will work with you on a payment system, allowing the individual or their loved ones, to pay for the services over an extended period of time. Even if you are currently unemployed, you can still sign up for health insurance and, depending on your income, it may be at no cost to you. However, please note that currently due to high demand and lack of sufficient funding, our sober housing scholarship applications are temporary closed. Learn more here and if you can, consider donating so we can support more people in need.

Government Assistance Programs

Our program includes cognitive therapy approach combined with lifeskills education, role-playing, and moral and situational dilemmas. In addition, participants will develop a detailed relapse prevention plan to aid in recovery. Graduates of the Sober Living Program may enter long-term housing options at the Shelter or at Hotel Louisville. Many graduates secure outside employment, live on-site save money, then move out to a market-rate apartment.

Two lawsuits alleging wrongful deaths of Navajo men were recently filed against the state, more are expected. Hobbs said that the state’s response was broad, which included shutting down any providers suspected of fraud and finding the loopholes allowing them to operate. Hobbs said in an interview with the Arizona Mirror that she could not comment on the lawsuit, but the state is still responding to the sober living crisis. It has been nearly two years since the predatory practice that intentionally targeted Indigenous people by offering them shelter, food and rehabilitation help they never got was exposed and state officials moved to shut it down.

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AZCIR holds powerful people and institutions accountable by exposing injustice and systemic inequities through investigative journalism. Debra Krol reports on Indigenous communities at the confluence of climate, culture and commerce in Arizona and the Intermountain West. The Arizona Republic has been covering https://thecinnamonhollow.com/a-guide-to-sober-house-rules-what-you-need-to-know/ the sober living scandal since 2022, and launched an in-depth investigation, which was published in June 2024.