Addiction support coming to WCC’s campus

By Rachel Duckett
Contributor

On Jan. 30, Washtenaw Community College will hold a kick-off meeting for their new Collegiate Recovery Program, a sobriety support initiative for students coping with addictions.

WCC counselors looked into creating a Collegiate Recovery Program, or CRP, after interested students expressed a need for such a program on campus, said Dean of Support Services, Elizabeth Orbits.

The first CRP was developed at Brown University in 1977 and since then, schools across the country have initiated similar support programs on their campuses, according to a report from the Association of Recovery in Higher Education.

CRPs intend to create “a supportive environment within the campus culture that reinforces the decision to disengage from addictive behavior,” as defined by the ARHE.

Orbits said counselors at WCC followed the models of other schools in southeast Michigan that have similar programs, such as the University of Michigan and other two-year colleges, including Lorraine Community College.

Like Alcoholics Anonymous, CRPs are not treatment programs, but offer group support, full confidentiality and are open to people in all different stages of recovery, Orbits said.

However, CRPs differ from other support groups, as their specific focus is on: “helping students achieve academic goals and sobriety,” said Orbits.

WCC has contracted Josh Meisler, a social worker from Growth Works, a social service provider specializing in addiction treatment, to facilitate weekly open CRP meetings, Orbits said.

These meetings could lead to sober events and more support groups, according to Orbits. “We want to provide support for people who want to stay sober and [support] their post-secondary education goals,” Orbits said.

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