Standards Overview

The term Recovery Residence was promulgated by the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) and refers to standards-based recovery housing. As the Florida NARR affiliate, FARR certifies provider compliance with the NARR Standard. This Standard is constructed atop the Social Model of Recovery Philosophy (SMRP) which emerged in California some seventy years ago, attracted science-based, academic researchers over the following decades which, in turn, led to SMRP migration nationwide in the late 60’s and beyond. Recovery-oriented housing founded on SMRP principles continues to be studied academically due to its proven effectiveness in promoting and sustaining long-term recovery.

Levels

FARR recognizes Four distinct levels of support as outlined by the NARR Standards. No level is "better" than another, nor is certification for any level easier to obtain the next. Levels are designed to support the needs of the individual served.

Domains

FARR certifies homes in accordance with NARR Standard 3.0 which operationalizes the Social Model across four Domains, 10 Principles, 31 Standards and their individual rules. The Standard is tailored to each of NARR’s four levels.

Standards

What is the distinction between certification and licensing? Consider the differences between these word groupings: Mandatory, Licensing & Regulations -vs- Voluntary, Certification & Standards.

Who is NARR?

The National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR)is a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding the availability of well-operated, ethical, supportive recovery housing and has developed the most widely referenced national standard for the operation of recovery residences.

“I believe the emergence of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) is one of the more important things to have happened in recent years in the recovery domain—and the development of your preliminary recovery housing standards marks a significant milestone in our field. The work you are doing is extremely important, and we thank you for it.”

David Mineta, Deputy Director of Demand Reduction for the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)

Initially developed through an intensive year long collaboration between regional and state level organizations supporting recovery residences nationwide, the preliminary NARR Standard for Recovery Residences was first introduced in 2011. Following a similar collaborative process, the enhanced 2015 NARR Standard reflects the consensus of NARR Affiliates, including FARR, that the Social Model of Recovery Philosophy, implemented to varying degrees, is the foundation for all four support levels.

The NARR Standard does not instruct providers how to specifically operate their recovery residence. Instead, thirty-eight standards organized under six domains provide a measurement platform upon which certification may be achieved. By way of example: Standard 1.08 states: “Recovery Residences provide drug and alcohol free environments”. Applicants for certification submit a policy and procedure for the implementation of this particular standard. If FARR Certification staff are satisfied this policy and procedure achieves the objective, then nothing further is required to meet the standard. Conversely, if staff have concerns regarding the efficacy of the provider’s policy and procedure, they then consult with the provider to arrive at an alternative path by which the applicant might achieve compliance.