Collegiate Recovery Programs Definition and Foundation

A collegiate recovery program is a college or university-provided, supportive environment within the campus community that reinforces the decision individuals make to engage in a lifestyle of recovery from substance use. It is designed to provide an educational opportunity alongside recovery support to ensure students do not have to sacrifice one for the other.

Vest and colleagues (2023) note:

Approximately 600,000 Americans in recovery from a substance use disorder currently attend college ( SUD - ACHA-NCHA II 2019; National Center for Education Statistics (2019); Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2019). Collegiate recovery programs (CRPs) were first established in 1977 at Brown University to support students who were in recovery from an alcohol or other drug use disorder (White and Finch (2006). Since then, numerous universities have established CRPs and there has been a four-fold increase (from 29 to 138) since 2013 in the number of programs operating at institutions of higher education across the U.S. (Laudet et al. 2015; Association for Recovery in Higher Education 2020). The overarching goal of CRPs is to offer support services, resources, community, and programming for students in recovery to ensure they maintain recovery and complete their education (Bugbee et al. 2016). These goals are largely achieved through a variety of programs and partnerships that provide wrap-around supportive resources for college students in recovery. Available evidence suggests that students who engage in CRPs perform well in the college environment (Bell et al. 2009; Harris et al. 2014; Laudet et al. 2015; Hennessy et al. 2021). 

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Foundational Pillars of Collegiate Recovery

Health

Learning to overcome, manage, or more successfully live with symptoms and making healthy choices that support one’s physical and emotional wellbeing

Purpose

Meaningful daily activities, such as a job, volunteer work, or creative endeavors; increased ability to lead a self-directed life; and meaningful engagement in society

Community

Relationships and social networks that provide support, friendship, love, hope, and engagement in the broader community

Academics

Progress toward successful academic and professional pursuits, which supports one’s ability to lead a self-directed life, physical and emotional wellbeing, and meaningful engagement in society

By incorporating recovery support services with current harm reduction strategies, colleges and universities can create a more robust continuum of care for students seeking support. This model is based on the original Social Support Theory and consists of four domains (House, 1981; Krause, 1987; Weinert, 1987):

  • Informational: Information provided to another during a time of stress.
  • Instrumental: The provision of tangible goods and services or tangible aid.
  • Appraisal: The communication of information which is relevant to self-evaluation rather than problem solving.
  • Emotional support: The provision of caring, empathy, love, and trust.

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