Cougs do not have to choose between their recovery and their education.
Cougs for Recovery is a community of students who foster social connections, well-being, and acceptance through peer support and a harm reduction approach. The community is made up of students with lived experience and allies.
Community Practice
- 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!
How to get involved
If you're interested in the community, you are welcome to try out a few events or meet with one of our Recovery Coaches for a chat. The best way to get involved with Cougs for Recovery is to check out weekly in-person events, such as the Friday Art & Pizza Night. Also, monthly overdose prevention trainings (in person or on Zoom) are a great way to learn about harm reduction and connect with our team. Follow Cougs for Recovery on social media to stay updated with all semester events.
What to expect
We know that talking about substance use and mental health is not always comfortable. Our welcoming and judgment-free approach centers on meeting students "where they're at" through various individual, group, and community-centered support services.
Phone | 509-335-4750
Email | cougs.forrecovery@wsu.edu
Location | Washington Building, Room 254
- Campus Events
- Resource List
- Opioid Overdose Prevention
- Harm Reduction & Recovery Services
- State of Washington Collegiate Recovery Initiative
Upcoming Recovery Events
Cougs for Recovery Art Exhibition
By Light & By Darkness
Annual art show and catalog featuring visual and written artwork exploring recovery, healing, and personal well-being.
In the News
'Cougs for Recovery allows students to find recovery-education balance'
'WSU Launches Harm Reduction Initiative'
'Training for WSU residence hall staff goes above and beyond'
'In Recovery - How campus programs are changing the narrative around substance use'
'New Washington law requires colleges to provide Narcan and fentanyl test strips to students'
'Campus recovery groups support student sobriety as overdoses rise in WA'
'Cougs for Recovery allows students to find recovery-education balance'
'There's something to be said about knowing you're not alone'
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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.