OUR STORY

IAEC is a grassroots statewide association which represents the interests of thirty-seven Recovery Homes (RH), Sober Living Environments (SLE) and addiction treatment centers in the State of Illinois, in addition membership includes 165 ICB (Illinois Certification Board) holders of the NCRS (National Certified Recovery Specialist) Certification.

 

IAEC began and adopted its Bylaws on October 12, 1988, as the Illinois Association of Residential Extended Care Programs (IARECP) to unite extended care programs and to serve as a voice and united front for extended care programs in the State of Illinois. Initial membership was open to residential extended care facilities serving the recovering population. Residential extended care facilities include both licensed and unlicensed operations; ex. half-way house, recovery home, sober-living home, and Oxford Houses. Unlicensed facilities were allowed to participate, but were not voting members. Individuals and agencies who were interested in improving the quality of services and in promoting the role of residential extended care facilities in the alcohol/drug addicted treatment continuum were eligible to become non-voting Associate Members.  In the late eighties and early nineties there was a proliferation of Recovery Homes/ Sober Living Environments in the Chicagoland area, many having negative reputations (overcrowding, little or no services, substance use on premises, etc.). Basically, these facilities operated without standards of operation or oversight. As a result, in November of 1994 IAEC amended its By Laws that in order for a facility to be a voting member: “Licensed facilities must submit an application with a copy of their current OASA license to the Association.

 

Unlicensed facilities must obtain OASA licensure within two (2) years of initial membership or membership will be revoked. Such facilities shall also be inspected by a Facility Review Committee annually, in order to guarantee they meet substantial compliance with (a) the 15-page document titled Registration for Sober Living Environment of the California Association of Alcoholic Recovery Homes (CAARH), (b) Section 2060.30(Facility Requirement of OASA Licensure Provisions), and (c) Operator must obtain NCRS (National Certified Recovery Specialist) certification prior to facility membership approval.

 

In 1995, when the state of Illinois began looking to license Recovery Homes, Director Jim Long of OASA approached IAEC regarding development of standards for the facilities and credentialing of the staff. IAEC (specifically Skip Land and Sterling Gildersleeve) worked with OASA to develop the standards for licensed Recovery Homes in Illinois (which became Statute 2060.509).