Collegiate Recovery Programs

Abstract

More than ever, people are seeking substance use disorder treatment during the adolescent and young adult stages of development. Developmentally, many of these young adults new to recovery are in the process of making career decisions that may require attendance at a college or university. However, the collegiate environment is not conducive to a recovery lifestyle. Since the 1980s, several colleges and universities have implemented Collegiate Recovery Programs, offering students “safe havens” where they can obtain support from other students in recovery and from staff while they pursue a college education. The collegiate recovery programs have been successful at graduating students and supporting their recovery. Today, there are more than 75 collegiate recovery programs already established or in the process of development, serving more than 500 students across the United States. Although the various programs offer different types of services, each one seems to be having some type of success based on the research thus far. This article describes the emerging adult population of recovering college students, the history of Collegiate Recovery Programs, and what they offer.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kitty S. Harris

Kitty S. Harris, Ph.D., is a Professor and Faculty Member in the Addictive Disorder and Recovery Studies program in the Department of Community Family and Addiction Services in the College of Human Sciences at Texas Tech University. She serves as the director of Recovery Science Research. Dr. Harris served for 12 years as the Director of the Center for the Study of Addiction and Recovery at Texas Tech University.

Thomas G. Kimball

Thomas G. Kimball, Ph.D., LMFT, is an Associate Professor at Texas Tech University and the Director for the Center for the Study of Addiction and Recovery. His research focuses on addiction, recovery, and collegiate recovery programs. He is a Board Member of the Association of Recovery in Higher Education. In addition to his responsibilities at Texas Tech, he maintains a private therapy practice and enjoys presenting on research and ideas on recovery in multiple venues.

Ann M. Casiraghi

Ann M. Casiraghi, M.S., is currently the Manager of Business Affairs at The Center for the Study of Addiction & Recovery at Texas Tech University. Her interests include social support and its role in collegiate recovery, recovery in emerging adulthood, and program evaluation. 

Sara J. Maison

Sara J. Maison is a Research Assistant at the Center for the Study of Addiction & Recovery and a Graduate Student in the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at Texas Tech University. Her research interests include parentification of children of alcoholics, eating disorder recovery, and mindfulness-based therapy.