Funding for new platform to bring recovery support to students across the UK
As many of our followers, ambassadors and people know, we’ve spent many years of endeavour in bringing Collegiate Recovery to the UK. And right now, we’re delighted to officially announce the start of a brand new project that will make this longstanding vision a reality.
Funded by the Society for the Study of Addiction (SSA), we’re building and launching a new platform that will transfer the knowledge and success of Collegiate Recovery in the United States, to all UK Universities. Supported by other project leaders at both The University of Birmingham, and Texas Tech, a website and suite of practical resources will be created and officially launched, in Summer 2024.
Building on the work we’ve already accomplished, since starting the UK’s first Collegiate Recovery Programme (CRP), at Teesside University in 2017, we hope the accessible, user-friendly nature of the new platform will inspire others to follow suit.
Since 1977, Collegiate Recovery Programmes in the US have provided students who identify as in recovery from addiction, with a safe, peer-led network of support, on campus. But it was in 2005, when Texas Tech documented and exported a distinct model for recovery support services on campus, that the frequency of CRP’s in the US began to rapidly increase.
There are now an estimated 150+ such programmes in the country, supporting thousands of students across the country. It has been proven that participation in CRPs leads to a higher average GPA (grade point average) than the general student population, while also improving student retention, and reducing the frequency of relapse.
In contrast, only Teesside, the University of Birmingham, and the University of Sunderland have begun implementing a similar level of support for students on campus. This potentially leaves a gaping hole in support for students who have struggled with addiction, or those who have experienced it within the family.
CEO, Dot Smith, said of the impact this work could have on university life: “After many years of showcasing the potential of Collegiate Recovery to the UK, this work will provide the opportunity for all universities to make it a reality. I’ve spent a lot of time listening to the experience of students, who have thrived within these programmes, and have always wanted this opportunity for those who study in the UK.”
“The funding, from the Society for the Study of Addiction, will not only create the UK’s first, centralised model of how the programme works, but also a platform where university students and staff can find all the information they need to build a programme on campus.”
Marketing and Communications Lead, Simon Trelfa, who is coordinating the project, with support from other project leaders and a steering group, added: “In the last ten years, I have experienced life as both a student in addiction, and in recovery. A Collegiate Recovery Programme could have made a difference to both of these experiences.”
“Not only would there have been peer-support, on campus, it’s likely I would have become part of that group, too, and supported others. To now be on board with this project, and see the work rolled out across the country, is an astounding privilege.”
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