Virginia Integrates Recovery into College Life

By: Lauren Rosenbaum
Researcher

By: Jenna Lee Mathews
Senior Research Manager

When you think of the college experience, sobriety likely doesn’t come to mind. But for students with substance use disorders, balancing academics, a social life, and recovery is essential for a positive college experience. Collegiate Recovery Programs (CRPs) are designed to provide services and supportive spaces that address the needs of students in recovery. With the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services’ State Opioid Response (SOR) grant funding, universities across Virginia are integrating Collegiate Recovery Programs into campus life.

As part of our broader evaluation of Virginia’s SOR funding, OMNI has had the privilege of evaluating, supporting, and watching Virginia CRPs grow for the past five years. Working with the CRP leaders on campus, we see the warmth, compassion, and excitement they bring to students individually and schools as a whole. We’re excited to spotlight this aspect of Virginia’s ongoing work to support those with substance use disorders.

Creating Supportive Communities

Collegiate Recovery Program leaders, often Certified Peer Recovery Specialists, understand the transformative power of a recovery community and the life-changing aspects of maintaining recovery during an academic journey. In addition to supporting the academic success and overall wellness of students,^1,2 these spaces create an important sense of belonging on campus. Students have also described the positive impacts of having CRPs onsite and integrated into their academic experience rather than having to put their education on pause while in recovery.

“This program provides me with a support system to navigate the challenges and stressors of academic life to ensure that I excel in my studies.”

— University of Mary Washington Student

Services Provided

Services provided by these on-campus communities include:

Recovery coaching – Recovery coaches provide non-clinical assistance to support long-term recovery from substance use disorders. They help people create their own recovery plans and develop their own recovery pathways.³

Recovery meetings – CRPs host recovery meetings, including 12-step meetings and SMART recovery meetings.

Educational programming – CRPs provide educational programming on campuses about recovery and harm reduction topics such as Narcan training.

Social recovery events – Creating social events for students in recovery helps students feel less isolated from their peers. For example, the Virginia CRP spring break trip connects students from across Virginia to unwind without the pressures of substance use.

Pre-recovery interventions and support – CRPs can help students find the resources or programs they need to start their recovery journey.

During the 2021-22 school year, Virginia SOR-funded CRPs provided:

Being a Recovery Ally

Virginia Commonwealth University's CRP, Rams in Recovery, facilitates Recovery Ally training for university students, staff, and faculty, as well as the surrounding community.

The Recovery Ally curriculum developed by Rams in Recovery's leader, Tom Bannard, identifies ways that anyone can support people in recovery, such as using destigmatizing language, understanding the science of addiction, or accommodating people in recovery when planning events. Creating more Recovery Allies, on campus and off, builds a safer community for those who may benefit from recovery and a more inclusive culture that de-centers substance use.

Learn More

To learn more about the Virginia CRPs, read the 2023-2024 CRP Guidebook here: https://omni.org/s/Virginia-Collegiate-Recovery-Guide-2023-2024.pdf.

Footnotes

1. Robert D. Ashford, Austin M. Brown & Brenda Curtis (2018) Collegiate Recovery Programs: The Integrated Behavioral Health Model, Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 36:2, 274-285, DOI: 10.1080/07347324.2017.1415176

2. Robert D. Ashford, Austin M. Brown, Emily Eisenhart, Anne Thompson-Heller & Brenda Curtis (2018) What we know about students in recovery: meta-synthesis of collegiate recovery programs, 2000-2017, Addiction Research & Theory, 26:5, 405-413, DOI: 10.1080/16066359.2018.1425399  

3. https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/programs_campaigns/brss_tacs/peers-supporting-recovery-substance-use-disorders-2017.pdf