Community Involvement among Residents of Second-Order Change Recovery Homes

The present study investigated the process of second-order change among a group of individuals recovering from substance abuse problems. Data were collected from 56 individuals who were current or past members of Oxford Houses, which are democratically operated recovery homes that have no professional staff and where there is no limit on length of stay. We collected data on individual and house demographics, per week involvement in the community, house involvement in the community, and types of community involvement while residing in the Oxford House. Findings reveal a significant positive relationship between the length of time living in an Oxford House and level of participant involvement in the community. Participants reported multiple factors that increased their community involvement and reported the type of impact that their involvement had on their neighborhoods. Findings from the present study indicate that not only do residents help themselves stay abstinent by living in the Oxford Houses, but residents report that they also make important contributions to their neighborhoods and communities.