We Are Virginia’s Unified Voice for
Recovery Housing
About VARR
Learn more about VARR, our mission, and certified recovery residences.
Accreditation Process
Learn about how to get a recovery residence accredited in Virginia.
NARR Standards
Learn about the standards, ethics, and social model of recovery.
Our Mission
VARR is dedicated to establishing a comprehensive network that delivers quality recovery support services to every Virginian.
As the Virginia state affiliate of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR), VARR monitors, evaluates, and improves standards to build the highest level of quality for recovery residences; so all Virginian’s have timely access to effective recovery support services.
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Certified Recovery Residences
As of July 1, 2025, the Certification of Recovery Residences is mandatory through SB838 and the re-enacted Virginia code § 37.2-431.1.
As a credentialing entity for state certification through the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS), VARR certifies recovery residences around the NARR Standards and a Social Model of Recovery. VARR members provide the highest level of service to their residents in the state of Virginia. A “recovery residence” denotes a safe and healthy residential environment in which skills vital for sustaining recovery are learned and practiced in a home-like setting, based on Social Model principles. The Social Model is fundamental to all levels of recovery residences and is operationalized by the NARR Standards. Social Model philosophy promotes norms that reinforce healthy living skills and associated values, attitudes, and connection with self and community for sustaining recovery.
