Day in the life of a Recovery Case Manager – what living in with a guest is really like

Recovery doesn’t happen in isolation. For many people rebuilding their lives after addiction or mental health challenges, consistent support can make the difference between surviving and truly moving forward. This is where a Recovery Case Manager (RCM) comes into play. When the role involves living in with a guest, that support becomes even more personal and hands-on.

Being a live-in Recovery Case Manager isn’t a typical 9-to-5 job. It means sharing space with a guest while helping them establish structure, maintain accountability and navigate the everyday challenges that come with recovery. The role involves balancing professional boundaries with genuine human connection.

Every day looks a little different. Though through it all, the goal remains the same: to provide stability, guidance and hope while the guest enters their recovery journey.

This article explores what a typical day in the life of a live-in RCM really looks like. From the responsibilities and the challenges to the deeply rewarding moments that make the work meaningful. We hear first hand from one of our own RCM’s, Jack Cotterill, who with his lived experience of addiction and ADHD, provides support for our guests through the nurturing environment that is Montrose.

About you / Your lived experience

"I'm a sobriety coach with over seven years of sobriety, having overcome alcohol and cocaine addiction myself. Before stepping into coaching, I was a professional jazz drummer, a world where substance use was normalised, and where I watched both my father and grandfather die young as a result of poor lifestyle choices. My own recovery involved not just getting sober, but completely rebuilding my identity, losing around 60kg, transitioning into entrepreneurship, and developing a framework I now use with guests called The Evolution Method. I have ADHD, and for years alcohol was how I managed an overstimulated mind. That personal experience gives me a level of understanding that goes beyond theory, I know what it feels like from the inside. When I had the opportunity to work with Montrose as a Recovery Case Manager, it felt like a natural extension of everything I had been through and everything I stand for."

Living in: what it really means

"Living in with a guest at a Montrose retreat is an immersive, around-the-clock experience. You are sharing a space, meals, and moments with someone at one of the most vulnerable points in their life. This is the perfect environment to help someone build the right foundations to a sustainable and evolving sobriety. What it really means is being switched on at all times, not in a tense or exhausting way, but in a state of constant awareness. You notice the shifts in mood. You read the room at breakfast. This is a type of support which is unmatched."

Supporting the Guest

"Support in a live-in setting is far more holistic than traditional coaching or therapy. Yes, there are structured sessions, but the real work often happens in between. It happens on a walk, over a meal, or in a quiet moment when the guest drops their guard and says something they haven't been able to say in a formal setting.

In a live-in environment, you also become a stabilising presence. For many guests, structure itself is the intervention. Knowing what comes next, having someone consistent beside them, and experiencing what a sober, purposeful day actually feels like, often for the first time, can be profoundly impactful."

Unique challenges and emotions faced

"The most significant challenge is maintaining your own emotional boundaries without becoming detached. You care, genuinely, and that care is what makes the work effective. But it also means you carry things. When a guest has a difficult night, you feel it. When progress stalls, you question yourself. Learning to hold space for someone else's pain without absorbing it is a skill that develops over time, and it requires real self-awareness.

There is also the challenge of proximity. Living in with someone means they see you as a complete human being, not just a professional. That can be powerful, it builds trust in a way that weekly sessions rarely do. But it also means you have to be consistent. You cannot be one person in a session and another person at the dinner table."

The rewarding aspect

"There is nothing quite like watching someone begin to believe in themselves again. In a live-in setting, you get to witness that transformation in real time, not in weekly snapshots, but continuously. You see the moment something shifts. You're there for it. That is an extraordinary privilege. For me personally, the most rewarding moments are when a guest begins to see themselves the way I see them, not as broken or weak, but as someone who has been using the wrong tools for a very understandable problem. When that reframe lands, the change that follows can be rapid and profound. The depth of connection that forms in a live-in environment is also something I hadn't fully anticipated. These are not transactional relationships. They are some of the most meaningful interactions I have had as a professional — and many of them continue long after the retreat ends."

If you or someone you care about could benefit from support, you don’t have to navigate it alone. Our team is here to listen, understand, and help you take the next step at your pace, in your way.

Reach out today to find out how we can support you on your recovery journey.

support@montrosehealthgroup.com 0114 499 0500