Raleigh Sober Living & Recovery Directory

Getting help in Raleigh: a local guide

Checked November 6, 2026 against the official sources listed at the end. General information, not medical advice.

Sober living in North Carolina: certification and the state's anti-fraud law

Sober living homes (recovery residences) in North Carolina can be certified by the North Carolina Association of Recovery Residences (NCARR), the state affiliate of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences. NCARR lists its member homes by level of support and takes grievances from residents, families and neighbors.

A 2023 state law, the Stop Addiction Fraud Ethics Act, covers recovery residences as well as treatment providers. Their advertising has to be accurate and in plain language, and an operator that runs both a recovery residence and separately licensed outpatient treatment must disclose that and label each one separately (G.S. 90-113.151). Knowingly lying about services, staff credentials, insurance network status or success rates to defraud someone, or paying or taking kickbacks for patient referrals to or from treatment providers (G.S. 90-113.152), is a Class G felony.

Treatment programs are different: the NC Division of Health Service Regulation licenses mental health and substance use facilities and publishes lists of licensed facilities by type of service.

If cost is a barrier

The NC Department of Health and Human Services tells anyone who needs substance use services to start with the LME/MCO for their county, the regional agency that manages public mental health and substance use services. Wake County's is Alliance Health: call 800-510-9132 for member and recipient services, according to the state's LME/MCO directory.

Crisis and support lines

• In immediate danger, call 911.
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988, any time.
• Alliance Health behavioral health crisis line, for Wake County: 877-223-4617.
• SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357), free and confidential treatment referral, 24/7, in English and Spanish (TTY 1-800-487-4889), or text your ZIP code to 435748.

AA in Raleigh

The Tri-County Intergroup of Alcoholics Anonymous, which serves Wake, Franklin and Warren counties, answers its helpline 24 hours a day at 919-783-6144.

Naloxone (Narcan)

Naloxone reverses an opioid overdose. Under North Carolina's statewide standing order, most retail pharmacies sell it without a prescription and most insurance covers it, and many syringe services programs and local health departments give it out at no or low cost, NCDHHS says. NaloxoneSaves-NC lists places to get it.

Before you move into a sober home

• Is the home NCARR-certified? Check NCARR's member list and ask what level of support it offers.
• What does rent cover, what's due at move-in, and is any of it refundable?
• What are the house rules (curfew, chores, meetings, guests), and what happens after a relapse?
• How and how often is drug testing done?
• Does the home accept residents who take medication for addiction treatment, such as buprenorphine, methadone or naltrexone?
• Can you read the written resident agreement before you pay?

Be wary of anyone who offers free rent, travel or cash to get you into a particular program. Paying or accepting kickbacks for referrals to recovery homes and treatment facilities is a federal crime (18 U.S.C. § 220), and North Carolina's own law makes kickbacks for treatment referrals a felony too. Problems with an NCARR member home can be reported through NCARR's grievance form.

Sources

• NARR: North Carolina Association of Recovery Residences
• NCARR: member homes
• NCARR: file a grievance
• G.S. 90-113.151: truth in marketing (Stop Addiction Fraud Ethics Act)
• G.S. 90-113.152: patient brokering and kickbacks
• NC Division of Health Service Regulation: licensed facilities
• NCDHHS: substance use disorders
• NCDHHS: LME/MCO directory
• SAMHSA: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
• SAMHSA: National Helpline
• Tri-County Intergroup (AA, Raleigh)
• NCDHHS: syringe and naloxone access
• NaloxoneSaves-NC
• 18 U.S.C. § 220 (Cornell LII)