A Collegiate Recovery Program has many "firsts".The first staff members, the first policy manual, the first housing contract, the first student, the first Recovery House, the first relapse, the first student making the Dean's list and the first student graduating with a Bachelor's Degree.         

At Fairfield University, in Connecticut, two members of the Collegiate Recovery Program (CRP) graduate this month. They are clean and sober, full of life and gratitude and willing to lend a helping hand whenever needed.They are saying goodbye to Fairfield, the CRP and those of us who have witnessed their success, and we are preparing to bid farewell to these remarkable students.

 by Karyn Zweifel

The Middle Earth Peer Assistance Program is home to a growing collegiate recovery program for University at Albany (NYSU). Originally begun in 1970 to address alcohol and other drug use among college students, Middle Earth is home to one of the only surviving campus-based peer assistance hotlines in the United States. Since 1970, Middle Earth has provided hotline services to over 110,000 students and outreach education programs to over 160,000 people.

"Our students who are in recovery are engaged in providing services to their peers within this organization as well as in receiving support and mentoring themselves," says Dolores Cimini, PhD, director of the program. Over the last forty-five years, Middle Earth has become a leader and pioneer in the development of peer-to-peer support for academic, social and emotional issues for young adults. 

by Kathy Moser 

Marvin Ventrell, the new executive director of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP), has a mission: "Be of service to addiction treatment professionals so they can be of service to people in need. To do that we need more voices in the choir, especially the voices of young people."  

Having been on both sides of that equation, Ventrell has an understanding and respect for where the industry is, and he has his eye on the future.  One of his achievements during his time at Harmony Foundation was to start the highly successful annual Recovery Skiathon, 3 days of skiing and fellowship in Breckenridge, CO.  This event attracted hundreds of young people in recovery from across the country.  

This spring, we asked our collegiate recovery program grantees to submit photos of "a day in the life" of students in recovery on their campuses. Many schools participated, submitting photos of their students participating in events, hanging out in their spaces, and having fun together. The schools with the best photos were awarded cash prizes ranging from $100-$1,000. Congratulations to the University of Missouri, who took the top prize! Check out the full list of winners and some of their awesome photos below.