Starting a Collegiate Recovery Program

Collegiate recovery has a rich and fresh history with founding programs starting as early as 1977 and 1986. Early programs led the way so that many collegiate recovery communities (CRCs) and collegiate recovery programs (CRPs) could adopt and adapt their models for their own campuses.

Starting a CRP can seem like a daunting task, especially in the beginning stages. The best place to start is exactly where you are! It is important to have a vision and long-term goals, and it is even more important to have a plan. The plan should start with meeting the current needs of the students on your campus while also looking to the future for how you will continue to grow services that align with the availability of resources over time.

ARHE, in partnership with the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, published a guide in 2020 to help you get started with building a CRP on your campus. This document is intended to help you get started in your planning process. Since every campus has its own unique culture, this document is not intended to be a step-by-step how-to guide, but rather it is something every school can adapt in its own way in order to meet the needs of students in recovery on that campus.

Collegiate Recovery Programs are becoming more and more widespread nationwide, and every single one of them started in a slightly different way. Some started out as a student organization, others came out of Counseling Offices, and still others from Residential Life.

In order for a Collegiate Recovery Program to develop within a college or university, it needs to have buy-in from major stakeholders within the institution. Providing information to these major stakeholders about the current research and data available on schools that have Collegiate Recovery Programs, student success, retention, GPAs, graduation rates, relapse rates, etc. can help support those within the institution who are fighting for the development of a collegiate recovery program.