Collegiate recovery communities (CRCs): campus‐embedded recovery support services within larger universities¶

Element · All elements
Evidence · 1 claim (1 mixed) · 1 study (1 review), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description¶

CRCs "provide recovery oriented support services (e.g., self‐help groups, counseling sessions, sober dorms) for students, but are embedded within larger college or university settings." They operate on at least 75 college campuses, range in size from 5–80 students, and offer seminars, 12‐Step meetings, counseling, recreational and social events, life‐skills training, and linkages to community supports. Unlike RHSs, they do not usually offer separate academic classes; their primary aim is improving abstinence rates and preventing relapse so students remain enrolled and succeed.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Eligible CRCs must have an explicit goal of providing recovery support services focused on encouraging abstinence, a collegiate recovery‐oriented environment (dedicated space, group mutual aid meetings, and/or individual counseling), and be located in a postsecondary setting

Constraints¶

• Presence of a sober dormitory does not in itself constitute a CRC; some CRCs require a recovery period of one year or weekly 12‐Step meeting attendance

Target Learners¶

• college and university students in recovery from substance use disorders

Target Learning Goals¶

• maintaining abstinence during postsecondary education
• college persistence and completion

Affordances¶

• Recovery School Social Capital Theory Of Change

Claims¶

• No eligible studies of collegiate recovery communities were identified, so there is no rigorous evidence on CRC effectiveness [~W]

Related Elements¶

• Recovery high schools (RHSs): secondary schools combining standard education with therapeutic recovery programming

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Hennessy E. A., Tanner‐Smith E. E., Finch A. J., Sathe N. A., Kugley S. A. (2018). Recovery schools for improving behavioral and academic outcomes among students in recovery from substance use disorders: a systematic review. Campbell Systematic Reviews. https://doi.org/10.4073/csr.2018.9