MASH and NARR Standards & Code of Ethics
The Minnesota Association of Sober Homes (MASH) adopts and enforces the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) Standards 3.0 & Code of Ethics, the nationally recognized best practices for the operation of recovery residences.
What is NARR?
The National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) was founded in 2011 by organizations and individuals with extensive experience in recovery housing across the United States. NARR’s mission is to support persons in recovery from addiction by improving their access to high-quality recovery residences through standards, advocacy, and education.
Today, NARR's standards are the most widely adopted framework for recovery housing in the country, providing the foundation for quality assurance in more than 30 states, including Minnesota.
What are the NARR Standards?
The NARR 3.0 Standards define best practices for recovery residences based on the Social Model of Recovery, which emphasizes:
Peer support
Community building
Resident empowerment
A structured living environment that promotes healthy recovery behaviors
The Standards are organized into:
4 Domains: Core functional areas of operations
10 Principles: Key values guiding recovery residences
31 Standards: Specific requirements that recovery residences must meet
Level-Specific Operational Rules: Tailored to the four levels of support that homes may offer
The standards apply to all types of recovery residences, from peer-operated homes to clinical treatment residences, while recognizing the critical role of community, accountability, and resident self-determination.
Learn More:
NARR/MASH Code of Ethics
All persons working in a MASH Accredited Recovery Residences are expected to comply and adhere to the following Code of Ethics: It is the obligation of all recovery residence owners, operators, and staff to value and respect each resident and to put each individual’s recovery and needs at the forefront of all decision making. To uphold this obligation, we adhere to the following principles:
1. Assess each potential resident’s strengths and needs, and determine whether the level of support available within the residence is appropriate. Provide assistance to the residents with appropriate referrals.
2. Value diversity and non-discrimination.
3. Provide a safe, homelike environment that meets NARR Standards.
4. Maintain an alcohol and illicit drug-free environment.
5. Honor individuals’ rights to choose their recovery paths within the parameters defined by the residence organization.
6. Protect the privacy, confidentiality, and personal rights of each resident
7. Provide consistent and uniformly applied rules.
8. Provide for the health, safety, and welfare of each resident.
9. Address each resident fairly in all situations.
10. Encourage residents to sustain relationships with professionals, recovery support service providers, and allies.
11. Take appropriate action to stop intimidation, bullying, sexual harassment, and/or otherwise threatening behavior of residents, staff, and visitors within the residence.
12. Take appropriate action to stop retribution, intimidation, and any negative consequences that could occur as the result of a grievance or complaint.
13. Provide consistent, fair practices for drug testing that promote the resident's recovery and the health and safety of the recovery environment.
14. Provide an environment in which each resident's recovery needs are the primary factors in all decision-making.
15. Promote the residence with marketing and advertising that is supported by accurate, open, and honest claims.
16. Decline taking a primary role in the recovery plans of relatives, close friends, and/or business acquaintances.
17. Sustain transparency in operational and financial decisions.
18. Maintain clear personal and professional boundaries.
19. Operate within the residence’s scope of service and within professional training and credentials.
20. Maintain an environment that promotes the peace and safety of the surrounding neighborhood and the community at large.
The Code of Ethics must be read and signed by all those associated with the operation of the recovery residence: recovery residence owners, operators, staff, and volunteers. Individuals subject to this code are obligated to report unethical practices in accordance with the reporting rules set forth by MASH.