Group homes are simply temporary residential facilities that serve unrelated individuals who need certain levels of personal or medical care. Note that these services might include medical, psychiatric or personal care assistance.
However, these homes permit residents to live with a level of autonomy while still ensuring there are resources available if and when required. Have it in mind starting and managing a group home anywhere in the United States requires complying with specific licensing requirements and also scaling through the inspection and application process.
But first, you will be expected to understand the type of group home you intend to open. Note that there are numerous types of group homes in the United States, serving different needs to different demographics.
State requirements differ massively in the United States, and group home requirements will also vary depending on the demographic and services you intend to offer. For elderly group homes, consider visiting your state’s department of aging and disability services.
For a residential unit meant for individuals suffering from autism, Down syndrome and other severe developmental conditions, visit your state department of developmental services.
You will also be expected to register your group home as a legal business in the state through the secretary of state’s website. Ensure to pay any registration fees and get a federal employer identification number from the IRS. With these, you can apply for other permits and licenses needed to run your home.
Indeed, every state institutes their licensing application process. A good number of states also mandate background checks, fingerprinting and drug screening for you and your staff. Include relevant education, experience and credentials that concern your group home.
Also expect on-site inspections from the licensing body of your state to ensure the facility meets all health and safety requirement.
Best States to Start a Group Home
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District of Columbia
According to reports, this state has the greatest number of overdose deaths in the United States, but the third lowest number of substance abuse treatment facilities.
Owing to that, the best approach especially for government and entrepreneurs, according to experts, is to grow the number of substance abuse treatment facilities, and reduce the number of opioid pain reliever prescriptions given out. Therefore, starting and running a group home for drug addicts in this state is a choice to consider.
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Minnesota
Minnesota is renowned as one of the best states that provide support services to a large number of families caring for a relative with disabilities.
Note that some of these programs let families stay together and enable people with disabilities to live in a community setting. Also note that the state ranks seventh in terms of percentage of short-stay residents showing functional improvement, at 74.34 percent.
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Michigan
According to reports, Michigan has a very high percentage of teenagers who have used marijuana before the age of 13, accounting for 8.6 percent.
According to the same reports, 26 percent of teenagers residing in the state were illegally offered or sold drugs on school property. It is also one of the states in the United States that does not warrant employee drug test regulations and does not consider substance abuse during pregnancy a crime.
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Arkansas
Arkansas ranks very high in a lot of areas when it comes to drug problems and addiction. First and foremost, Arkansas has witnessed a high percentage of teenagers who were given, sold, or even offered illegal substances. According to reports, this accounts for 30.7 percent of the teenage population.
Also note that about 12 percent of Arkansas children have stayed with a person who actively abused substances. In terms of opioid prescriptions, there are on average 105 prescriptions given out per 100 people.
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Colorado
Colorado remains one of eight states that are high performers in the “home-like setting standard” category. Note that this entails that 80 percent of people with disabilities live in their own home, a family home, or group setting that has fewer than four residents.
It is also one of the many states to legalize recreational use of marijuana, and has witnessed an increase in illicit substance use. With the fourth-largest share of adults who used illegal substances, nearly 19 percent of the adult population account for this statistic.
When it comes to getting treatment for their substance abuse disorders, only 3 percent of these individuals were able to get the treatment they require.
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Mississippi
Mississippi has the sixth-highest rate of short-stay residents assessed and given the flu shot appropriately, at 88.65 percent.
In addition, this state ranks in the top 10 for two other metrics used to analyze the relevance of group homes, with an average fine amount of just $6,231 and the relatively low 1.49 percent of long-stay residents showing depressive symptoms. The average cost of residential home care in Mississippi is $80,300.
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Kentucky
In the United States, Kentucky is renowned for having one of the worst opioid epidemics. To further buttress the need for good group homes in the state, there are approximately 87 opioid prescriptions given out per 100 people. A good number of states across the nation have been striving to lower numbers like these, but Kentucky remains one of the states with some of the highest prescription rates in the country.
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New Mexico
New Mexico has the fifth-highest share of teenagers who use illicit substances in the country, which amounts to about 11 percent of the teenage population. In addition, New Mexico has the largest share of teenagers who illegally used marijuana before the age of 13.
This also amounts to about 16 percent of the teenage population. New Mexico is also a state that has one of the greatest problems with drugs being sold on school campuses and there are always relapses that warrant a more controlled evaluation and environment.
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West Virginia
According to reports, 9 percent of the teenage population below the age of 13 have tried illegal substances. A massive 15.6 percent of children in the state of West Virginia have also stayed with or have lived with someone who struggled with drug or alcohol addiction.
West Virginia is more or less tied with Colorado for most college campus arrests related to illicit substances. Also note that the state is void of any laws regarding employee drug testing, making it easier for people to abuse substances without fear of losing their jobs.
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Missouri
Note that Missouri ranks number 3 on the states with the worst drug problems. For one it does not have any drug prescription monitoring laws, which more or less lets pharmacies go scot-free with over-prescribing medications. This also grows the chances of overdoses and opioid-related deaths.
Missouri is also among one of the top 10 states with the highest drug arrests per capita and group homes are always required for recovering victims.
Starting and managing a group home anywhere in the United States is not an easy task and will require that you comply with certain licensing requirements. However, note that the states mentioned above, owing to certain personal or medical lapses, are open and ripe for group homes.