The intent of a new recovery housing bill is clear: create a path toward independent oversight of all Virginia recovery residences, protect vulnerable sober home residents from exploitation and ensure transparency with the public. Sponsored by Virginia lawmakers on both sides of the aisle — state Sen. Schulyer VanValkenburg, D-Henrico, and state Delegate David Owen, […]
For the last few years, Virginia has been dumping millions of dollars for recovery housing into the hands of a few sober home owners and operators — organized as the Virginia Association of Recovery Residences (VARR) — and relying on them to fairly distribute the money to recovery homes throughout the state. Since January 2023, […]
Reporting on Virginia’s sober home hot spot is a slow and tedious process. But the project is never on pause.
Henrico County leaders discuss recovery housing and the need for oversight with state legislators representing Central Virginia.
Once again, recovery housing is on the agenda for a special meeting of the Henrico County Board of Supervisors. This time, state legislators will be in attendance. The meeting, which is open to the public, will take place at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24, in the County Manager’s Conference Room, located on the third floor […]
In the wake of mounting concerns about unregulated sober homes, Henrico County leaders say it’s time to push for meaningful oversight.
The topic of recovery home regulations is on tomorrow’s agenda for a special meeting of the Henrico County Board of Supervisors, which is open to the public. The Board meets tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 5 from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. at Deep Run Recreation Center, 9900 Ridgefield Parkway. The meeting will also be accessible via […]
At Lotus Recovery RVA, sober home residents allege sexual harassment and abuse of power by the brother of Virginia Senator Lamont Bagby, a VARR ally.
Every year, Henrico County courts order dozens of defendants with substance use issues to live in sober homes certified by the self-policing Virginia Association of Recovery Residences (VARR). Henrico Deputy County Manager for Public Safety Michael Feinmel explains how the courts came to rely on recovery homes with no government oversight as an alternative to jail.
Beneath their charitable image, the Tillems have built a sober home empire that puts profits over people, former residents say.
Under current Virginia regulation, a recovery house operator seeking to be state certified must be accredited by the Virginia Association of Recovery Residences (VARR) or Oxford House, Inc. That regulation – which delineates a few other requirements and penalties for violations – is undergoing a periodic review. It is open for public comment until June […]
Four months have gone by since I posted the last big installment. For those of you who are wondering, that doesn’t mean this project is ending. It’s nowhere close. When I first started digging into Richmond’s addiction recovery industry around March/April 2022, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Two years later, […]
For the first time since the Virginia Association of Recovery Residences (VARR) was written into the state budget four years ago, legislators are attaching strings to the money. The house budget bill, which passed in the House of Delegates last week, allocated $2.2 million per year for VARR members. But it comes with new stipulations: […]
The Virginia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Services (DBHDS) created a new Recovery Residence Quality Assurance Coordinator position. Applications for this full-time position are open to the general public. According to the job posting, this person “will play a crucial role in ensuring the highest standards of safety, support, and services for individuals living […]
At 8 a.m. today, I settled into Senate Room A at the Virginia General Assembly Building to see what would happen with SB19 (sponsored by state Sen. Barbara Favola) and SB190 (sponsored by state Sen. Suhas Subramanyam) – the two Senate bills designed to initiate state oversight of recovery housing. As soon as the Senate […]