Blackburn Recovery Services provides sober living for men only in West Los Angeles, with homes in Venice, Mar Vista, Cheviot Hills and Mid City, plus Sober Apartments. Serving the Westside since 2012. Call (888) 305-5422 to ask about a home or schedule an in-person or virtual tour.
Blackburn sober living at a glance
Sober living for men in West Los Angeles: the key facts
- Who it is for
- Men only. Men in recovery from alcohol or drug addiction who want structure, accountability and a sober community, often after residential treatment, while in outpatient care, or after a relapse.
- Where
- Homes in Venice, Mar Vista, Cheviot Hills and Mid City, plus independent Sober Apartments, all in West Los Angeles.
- Experience
- Blackburn Recovery Services has been serving the Westside since 2012. It is owned and led by its founder, Robby Patrick.
- Structure
- Full-time staff at every location, weekly 12 Step meeting requirements and weekly goal setting.
- Testing
- Drug testing three times a week and daily alcohol testing.
- Medication
- Established medication management. Residents on Vivitrol are supported.
- Included
- Furnished rooms, utilities and WiFi. Food is also provided by the house at the Venice, Mar Vista and Cheviot Hills homes. See what sober living costs depend on.
- Work and school
- Residents can work full time and attend local colleges such as UCLA, Santa Monica College and West LA College. You do not need a job to move in.
- Families and providers
- Weekly updates to families, providers and treatment teams, with the resident’s permission, plus a free virtual family support group every other Tuesday from 6:00 to 7:00 PM Pacific, led by a licensed therapist from Blackburn Clinical Services.
- Tours
- In-person tours, and virtual tours by video for families who cannot visit.
Blackburn Recovery is one of the longest running sober living programs for men in West Los Angeles, serving the Westside since 2012. Our homes give people at every stage of recovery a safe, structured place to build a foundation, not only around physical sobriety but across every part of their lives.
What is sober living?
Sober living, also called a recovery residence, is a shared, substance-free home for people in recovery from addiction. It is not a treatment program, and there is no clinical care in the house. What it gives you is structure, accountability and a community of people working toward the same goal, while you work, go to school or attend outpatient treatment. Most people move into sober living after detox, residential treatment or a relapse, when going straight home would mean going back to the same pressures.
Sober living is different from a halfway house, which is often tied to the justice system, and from IOP or residential treatment, which are licensed clinical programs. Our guide to sober living vs halfway houses, IOP and residential treatment compares them side by side.
Who sober living is for
Blackburn sober living is for men who are serious about staying sober and want more structure and support than living alone or going home can offer. Most of our residents come to us in one of these situations:
- Stepping down from residential or inpatient treatment and not ready to go straight home (see sober living after rehab)
- Attending an outpatient or intensive outpatient program and needing a stable, sober place to live
- Coming back from a relapse and wanting a fresh start with real accountability
- Leaving a home environment that makes recovery harder
- Families looking for a safe, supervised setting for a loved one in early recovery
- Young men early in recovery who need structure, mentoring and a plan their parents can trust (see sober living for young men)
If you are not sure whether sober living is the right level of support, call us. We will talk through where you or your loved one is today and help you figure out the next right step, even if that is somewhere other than Blackburn.
What daily life looks like
- Day-to-day structure and accountability
- Full-time staff at every location
- Frequent random drug and alcohol testing
- Weekly 12 Step meeting requirements
- Weekly goal setting, with support building a personal schedule
- Regular updates for families and treatment providers, with the resident’s permission
What to expect when you move in
Every resident starts with an assessment so we understand their history, their treatment and what they want out of recovery. From there, the first weeks focus on settling into the house and the routine:
- Meeting your house staff and the other residents
- Learning the house expectations, including curfew, daily tasks and meeting requirements
- Getting connected to 12 Step meetings and working toward a sponsor
- Setting weekly goals and building a schedule around work, school, treatment and recovery
- Random drug and alcohol testing from the start, so accountability is part of daily life
Residents who are also in outpatient treatment keep attending their program, and we stay in touch with their clinical team so everyone is working from the same plan.
A clean break
Our homes are a clean break from old, triggering or unhealthy environments. Residents build new habits and routines, form lasting relationships and start becoming the best versions of themselves.
Working with your support system
We work alongside outpatient programs, treatment professionals and families, tracking daily progress and sharing regular updates. A thorough assessment process keeps our homes focused on recovery. The average length of stay is 12 to 18 months.
Three cornerstones of recovery
- A meaningful experience through thorough 12 Step involvement
- Finding a purpose
- Feeling inspired by where life is heading
Community ties all three together. The relationships residents build here often last well beyond their time at Blackburn.
What we believe
Everyone who has suffered from alcoholism and drug addiction deserves the chance to do the work and experience real freedom. Recovery is about much more than getting physically sober. We meet you where you are and help you get where you want to be.
Our homes
Our sober living homes are in Venice, Mar Vista, Cheviot Hills and Mid City. Each is a real home in a residential neighborhood, close to meetings and transit, with staff on site and a community of people working toward the same goal. Every home is active today.
Ready for more independence? Blackburn Sober Apartments in West Los Angeles are a step down from sober living: fully furnished, month to month and independent, with weekly random drug and alcohol testing included. They are open to any man in recovery, not only Blackburn residents.
Venice
See all 40 Venice photos
Mar Vista
See all 75 Mar Vista photos
Cheviot Hills
See all 25 Cheviot Hills photos
Mid City
See all 13 Mid City photos
Want to see a home for yourself? We offer in-person and virtual tours. Call (888) 305-5422 or request a call back to set one up.
Areas we serve
Our homes are in Venice, Mar Vista, Cheviot Hills and Mid City, and our office is at 12326 Venice Blvd in Los Angeles. Residents and families come to us from across Los Angeles, including Culver City, Santa Monica, Palms, West Los Angeles, Del Rey and Marina del Rey. Families from outside Los Angeles are welcome to call too; we can talk through what moving here for sober living involves.
Coming from somewhere else in Los Angeles County? Our areas we serve pages cover the move to the Westside from every part of the county, from the San Fernando Valley to Long Beach and the Antelope Valley.
Looking for meetings near one of our homes? Our West LA meeting guide lists where to find AA, NA, Al-Anon and other recovery meetings on the Westside, plus free crisis lines and naloxone in LA County.
Support beyond the house
Sober living works best as part of a bigger plan. Because Blackburn offers a full range of recovery services, residents can add support as they need it, all coordinated by one team:
- Mentoring for life skills, career, school and finances
- Case management to coordinate treatment, legal, medical and family needs
- Clinical services, including therapy and psychiatry through Blackburn Clinical Services
- Monitoring and aftercare for accountability after moving out
- Wellness and volunteer and experiential programs that build health, purpose and community
Compare your options
Sober living questions
How long do people stay in sober living?
The average length of stay at Blackburn is 12 to 18 months. There is no fixed timeline. Residents stay as long as the structure is helping them build a stable, independent life in recovery, and we help plan the move out when the time is right.
Do you require residents to be in treatment?
No. Residents come to us at every stage of recovery. Many are attending outpatient programs or working with a therapist, and others have completed treatment and are focused on work, school and 12 Step recovery. Our assessment helps make sure sober living is the right fit.
Is there drug and alcohol testing?
Yes. Every home has frequent random drug and alcohol testing. Testing is part of the accountability that keeps our homes safe and focused on recovery for everyone who lives there.
Can families stay involved?
Yes. With the resident’s permission, we share regular updates with families and work alongside treatment providers. Many families find it reassuring to know a team is tracking daily progress.
How much does sober living cost?
Cost depends on the home and the level of support a resident needs. Call us at (888) 305-5422 and we will walk you through current options and what is included.
Where are your sober living homes?
Our homes are in Venice, Mar Vista, Cheviot Hills and Mid City in Los Angeles. You can see photos of each home on this page.
Can I tour a Blackburn sober living home?
Yes. We offer in-person tours and virtual tours by video for families who can’t visit in person. Call (888) 305-5422 to schedule one.
Guides for your situation
- Sober living for young men
- Sober apartments
- For families
- For treatment professionals
- Sober companion and sober transport
About our homes
Blackburn sober living homes are peer-supported recovery residences, not licensed treatment facilities. They are not licensed by the California Department of Health Care Services and do not provide medical, detox or clinical treatment on site. When clinical care is needed, it is provided separately by licensed clinicians, including through Blackburn Clinical Services.
Talk with our team
Call (888) 305-5422 or email info@blackburnrecoveryservices.com to talk with our team.