Transitional living refers to any type of living situation that is transitional. The primary purpose or mission of transitional living environments is temporary. Transitional living facilities often offer low-cost housing. Transitional living residents that cater to those recovering from economic hardship often graduate from a shelter to a lesser crowded living situation. Transitional living may or may not have other common threads among residents. Transitional living provides professional support, education, and a stable living environment. Common types of transitional living include transitioning from jail or prison, an addiction treatment center or a mental health facility. They may also target homelessness, especially among youth. Transitional living is provided by many well known private and non-profit organizations, by government, churches and other charitable organizations.
Transitional living for drug and alcohol rehabilitation Transitional living that caters to people recovering from addiction are often referred to as sober living, 3/4 houses or recovery residences. While traditionally, transitional living facilities were known to cater to people recently released from incarceration, this type of program is most often referred to as a halfway house. Transitional living facilities are now common for people coming out of thirty-day residential or inpatient treatment settings who need ongoing intensive therapy while being able to work part-time or begin or reintegrate back into school and living a life in recovery. There are many excellent transitional living programs where people with addictions and mental health issues can continue their long term recovery.
Of British design The most earnest beginning of transitional living began when in 1878 through the "holiness" teaching of William Booth and wife Catherine who began the Whitechapel Christian Mission in London's East End to help feed and house the poor. The mission was reorganized along military lines, with the preachers known as officers and Booth as the general. After this, the group became known as the Salvation Army.
The U.S. transitional program The birthing of the "half-way" house concept became popular during the United States Great Depression which began in 1929. With an enormous increase in the use of alcohol, and introduction of opiates from the Far East and Asiatic countries, society in general began to resent the presence of these "drunks" (as they called them) in public. This protest, along with the efforts of the women's suffrage, and like groups, sparked the prohibition by the Federal Government on any alcoholic production, distribution, use or sale. Oddly enough drug use was not a consideration, as a matter of fact it was a largely accepted social practice that permitted use of such drugs as opium and heroin. This "drunks protest" also caused the development of an unofficial industry of half-shod, shanty structures for the intoxicated (see drunkenness) that were given the name "flophouses" where the "proprietor" would charge inflated prices for use of squalor spaces or rooms to allow the renter to find sobriety. This extortion concept of "sobering-up" continued until post World War II.
The A.A. influence In 1934 a man known as Bill W.(William Griffith Wilson, 1895–1971), admitted himself to a hospital for help with his drinking problem. He then became associated with the Oxford Group and shortly after that met Dr. Bob Smith (doctor) (Robert Holbrook Smith, M.D, 1879–1950) who too was a member of the Oxford Group. Together they formed the organization known as Alcoholics Anonymous with its concepts set on the Spiritual matters and on scripture with basic program design from the Oxford Group. This program was designed to help the individual "admit" and "act" to their drinking problem. With group support and selection of an individual "Recovery Sponsor" one might come to sobriety. The two designed the A.A. Big Book to provide "standards" for recovery. Through it one can establish a path to walk on toward finding God and sobriety. The only major revision made to the original text is that the individual must come to an understanding of God, as they know Him, so as to develop the spiritual relationship and surrender to His will. Within the Big Book are personal stories and testimonies of a variety of personalities and social standings to show that the disease is not a respecter of persons, status, gender, or race/ethnicity. Bill W. would bring "drunks" to his own home and help them sober up. Dr. Bob would use a strong spiritual approach through hospital admissions. The A.A."12 step program" was (and is) the standard for not only Alcohol recovery groups and meetings but it began to gain acceptance in the medical and mental health fields and today other addiction programs such as Narcotics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous and many other groups have adopted the 12 Step approach. The standards established by the early AA members are still the foundation of many transitional living and other addiction recovery groups.
Homeless youth The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act provides a grant to the transitional living program, as well as the basic center program, for emergency shelter, and the street outreach program, which focuses on informing youth about resources and services. The program focuses on providing long-term stable living conditions to help youth prepare for independent lives.
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