Characterizing Collegiate Recovery Programs in the United States and Canada: A Survey of Program Directors

Collegiate recovery programs (CRPs) play a vital and expanding role in supporting students in recovery from substance use disorders and behavioral addictions at higher education institutions. Despite their importance, there is a lack of comprehensive research characterizing CRPs, including their program directors and the nature and influence of their funding streams.

A survey was administered to 70 CRP directors across the United States and Canada. Directors reported on their CRPs across a variety of site physical features, policy and program offerings, and funding sources, with "sustainable" funding defined as coming from two or more sources.

CRP directors were predominantly non-Hispanic, White, and female, with representation from gender and sexual minorities. The highest concentration of directors responding was in the U.S. states of North Carolina, California, and Texas. CRPs with more than one funding source served twice as many students and had significantly more space, drop-in facilities, and relapse management policies. CRP directors had positive perceptions of harm-reduction principles. In addition, results highlighted the robust availability of All Recovery meetings and the wide diversity of mutual-help group meetings offered within CRPs, as well as the directors' positive perceptions of these meetings.

This research lays a foundation for enhancing CRPs within higher education settings, emphasizing the significance of sustained funding and an inclusive support framework for the program directors who run CRPs. Future studies should further explore the effectiveness of CRPs and their impacts on the schools and students they serve.