Oxford House - Bliss

120 S. Spencer Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46201

4.3 (60 reviews)

Oxford House, Inc., a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 1975, oversees a network of over 3,500 self-run, self-supported recovery residences across 47 states, providing community-based, supportive, and sober living environments for individuals in recovery from substance use disorders.
The Oxford House Model, an evidence-based practice recognized by the federal government, enables residents to live together in drug- and alcohol-free homes where they democratically govern through elected officers with six-month terms, share equal expenses, and support one another without external authority or time limits, as long as they maintain sobriety, pay their share, and remain non-disruptive.
Originating when residents took over a closing halfway house in Silver Spring, Maryland, the model emphasizes recovery, responsibility, and replication, encouraging long-term stays (average one year, many longer) to foster leadership, self-efficacy, and relapse prevention, with research from DePaul University showing over 80% long-term sobriety rates, reduced substance use, criminal involvement, and improved employment outcomes compared to usual care.
Oxford House, Inc. issues no-cost charters, provides technical assistance via field staff, and facilitates expansion through chapters, state associations, and the World Council, while promoting active participation in AA/NA for continued sobriety, serving diverse populations including women with children, veterans, and those with co-occurring disorders, all while remaining non-professional, autonomous, and financially self-sustaining.

What we treat

Treatment & Programs

Levels of Care

At Oxford House - Bliss, the traditional treatment hierarchy is stripped away to prioritize pure, peer-run sober living. Rather than structured step-down phases, residents experience a long-term aftercare environment with absolutely no imposed time limits, allowing them to bridge the gap to independent living in Indianapolis at their own pace.

Sober Living Aftercare Support

Therapies

Following the network’s seventh tradition, Oxford House - Bliss remains strictly non-professional and does not provide clinical therapies or on-site counseling. Residents are instead encouraged to utilize outside professionals and actively participate in local AA or NA chapters to support their own independent healing.

Addictions

This self-supported home is explicitly designed for individuals seeking lasting recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. The foundational rule of every Oxford House relies on absolute abstinence—any resident who returns to using substances is immediately expelled to protect the shared goal of unmatched, long-term sobriety.

Alcohol Use Disorder

Conditions

While primarily serving those with substance use disorder, the peer-supported environment successfully accommodates individuals managing co-occurring mental illnesses. Members learn to maintain their own medication routines and navigate daily life stressors together, relying on mutual responsibility rather than clinical oversight.

Issues

The Oxford House environment naturally addresses the practical life barriers that often follow addiction, such as job loss, homelessness, and criminal justice involvement. By living democratically and splitting expenses, residents rebuild their financial independence while simultaneously developing an invaluable sober social network built on mutual accountability.

Homelessness/Housing Insecurity Criminal Justice Issues Sober Social Network / Community Building Job Loss / Unemployment

Programs

The Oxford House Model is grounded in an evidence-based, peer-led recovery community structure rather than a managed specialty track. Validated by extensive research, this abstinence-oriented approach requires residents to independently elect their own officers, hold weekly house meetings, and govern themselves entirely without outside authority.

Peer-Led / Recovery Community Model Abstinence Oriented Evidence Based

On-site

Amenities

Designed to resemble a true family dynamic rather than an institution, this single-family residence typically features shared bedrooms with twin beds to prevent isolation and build immediate camaraderie. Residents share household chores, cook together, and split practical amenities like cable TV and groceries as part of their democratic lifestyle.

Shared Rooms Cable/Satellite TV

Coverage

Payment

Financial independence is completely central to the model; residents share all household costs through a strictly self-pay system known as an "Equal Expense Share" (EES). Moving away from traditional rent, this egalitarian approach means every house member pays the exact same weekly amount to cover the lease, utilities, and basic home staples.

Eligibility

Who We Serve

The broader network serves a highly diverse population of adults, expanding recovery access through gender-specific homes for men and women. Within the democratic model, the community embraces individuals from all walks of life, uniquely supporting groups like veterans and those rebuilding their lives following primary treatment or incarceration.

Genders Accepted

Men Women

Additional Services

Even after transitioning out of the home, residents are invited to stay deeply connected through a robust national alumni program. For prospective members facing immediate financial barriers, the broader network can sometimes facilitate housing assistance through state-funded revolving loans that help cover initial move-in costs.

Alumni ProgramHousing Assistance

About

Facility Info

Operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Oxford House - Bliss functions as an autonomous, single-family residence seamlessly integrated into its Indianapolis, Indiana neighborhood. The environment relies entirely on egalitarian peer management without the presence of any outside house managers or formal facility staff.

Credentials

Accreditations

While operating outside the traditional clinical licensing system, the overarching model is formally recognized as an evidence-based practice by SAMHSA. The network's unmatched success rate is also backed by decades of longitudinal research conducted by DePaul University.

Oxford House - Bliss