Conditional Certification
Changes made in the 2025 Virginia General Assembly now require recovery residences to be certified in order to remain active and legally operate in coordination with state agencies. To support independent operators in meeting this requirement, the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) has established a Conditional Certification process, allowing time to achieve full accreditation through a DBHDS-recognized certifying body.
Tiered Certification Structure
Tier 1: Initial conditional certification for 6 months
Tier 2: One-time 90-day extension (based on demonstrated progress)
Not Certified: Termination of certification due to insufficient progress
Progress Monitoring
Applicants must provide documentation, as requested, showing meaningful steps toward full accreditation through an approved body (e.g., VARR, Oxford House).
A 5-month check-in will assess progress and determine eligibility for continuation or extension.
Enforcement
Operating without certification may be subject to penalties, including a Class 1 misdemeanor under Virginia law.
Certified Recovery Residences in Virginia
A recovery residence is a housing facility that provides alcohol-free and illicit-drug-free housing to individuals with substance abuse disorders and individuals with co-occurring mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders that does not include clinical treatment services.
The Code of Virginia § 37.2-431.1 provides that no person shall advertise, represent, or otherwise imply to the public that a recovery residence or other housing facility is a certified recovery residence unless it has been certified by the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (“DBHDS”). In accordance with the DBHDS regulation, Certified Recovery Residences [12VAC35-260], each location that an entity seeks to operate as a certified recovery residence must be accredited by or hold a charter from an accrediting entity and be credentialed by and included on the certification list maintained by DBHDS. The are two accrediting entities:
Oxford House
Oxford House is a 47-year old model for democratically self-governing, financially self-supporting recovery residences for individuals with substance use disorders. They are gender-specific homes with no time limit on residency which allows for the development of long-term sobriety. They operate in compliance with the requirements of the Oxford House Charter and System of Operations found in the Oxford House Manual. Oxford Houses do not have resident staff managing the individual houses however the model includes training and oversight from the local network of houses and state association, along with technical assistance from Virginia outreach workers. The system encourages the development of leadership skills and self-efficacy and allows residents to learn or relearn values and responsible recovery behavior. Oxford House’s uniquely peer-supportive model has a long record of requiring its houses to meet high-quality standards.
Virginia Association of Recovery Residencies
VARR presents a collaborative voice for recovery residences throughout our Commonwealth and works to ensure that everyone in recovery is able to access programs that offer high quality recovery residences.
VARR’s mission is to set high levels of standards for quality recovery residences in Virginia and accredit residences that meet such rigorous criteria in order to support persons in recovery with information and access to recovery residences bound together by the core principles of standards, ethics, and unity. VARR approved houses demonstrate adherence to a rigorous set of standards. Compliance is affirmed through submission of extensive documentation, annual onsite inspections, participation in sponsored training, and events and responsiveness to all reported concerns and/or grievances. VARR approved houses demonstrate adherence to a rigorous set of standards that is produced at the National level through NARR. National Standards can be reviewed at NARRonline.org.
Level One Houses – Peer Run
Self- Governed
Minimal Staff involvement
Focuses on peer support and community integration
Level Two Houses – Monitored
Also offer involvement in self-help services and peer run groups
Could possibly be apartments or other dwelling types
Have at least one compensated person
Level Three Houses – Supervised
Also offer in-house service hours and life skills development emphasis
Vary in housing type and residential setting
Have a facility manager and certified staff or case managers
Level Four Houses – Service Provider
Have a credentialed staff
Also offer in-house clinical services and programming
Are various in type and may be a more institutional environment
If you have any questions, please contact us at: rrofva@dbhds.virginia.gov
