Cougs do not have to choose between their recovery and their education.
Cougs for Recovery provides a welcoming community and engaging support for students in recovery, for students who are contemplating recovery, and for those who are allies. This program fosters social connections and acceptance through peer support and a harm reduction approach by:
- Fostering connections through similar experiences with fellow students.
- Promoting awareness to stop or reduce substance use or other harmful behaviors.
- Providing supports & resources for self-empowered wellness.
- Scholarships, peer-to-peer coaching opportunities, fun social events, all-recovery meetings and more!
Upcoming Recovery Events
Cougs for Recovery Art Exhibition
By Light & By Darkness
Featuring visual and written artwork exploring recovery, healing, and personal well-being.
Washington State Collegiate Recovery Support Initiative
With funding from the Washington State Health Care Authority, we launched our Collegiate Recovery Support Project in 2020. Ongoing funding supports expansion of collegiate recovery programs at institutions of higher education across the state and at Washington State University.
Collegiate Recovery Programs use a variety of strategies to support students in recovery from substance use while pursuing college education.
Learn more about the Washington State Collegiate Recovery Support Initiative.
Become a Recovery Coach
Using a harm reduction approach, a peer Recovery Coach (RC) promotes recovery and removes barriers and obstacles to recovery, serves as a personal guide and mentor for people seeking or already in recovery from substance use and other interrelated health concerns.
What Does a Recovery Coach Do?
A peer Recovery Coach works in a paid part-time position within the Health Promotion Dept. and the Cougs for Recovery program to grow a welcoming student-based recovery community on the WSU Pullman campus. Specific duties might include coordinating social media, leading All-Recovery meetings, or coordinating weekly sober social activities in order to enhance the personal growth, recovery support, & academic success of students.
Recovery Coach Sessions
Students can contact us at cougs.forrecovery@wsu.edu to set up a one on one meeting with a peer Recovery Coach for wellbeing planning and goal setting or general mentoring sessions. These sessions are open to students on all WSU campuses and are for those in recovery, considering recovery, and allies.
Apply to be a Recovery Coach
Contact Patricia Maarhuis, PhD (Co-PI, State of WA Collegiate Recovery Initiative) at maarhuis@wsu.edu for information about applying.