Campus Celebrates Students in Recovery
This week, a series of campus events will take place to encourage and celebrate students who are in recovery from alcohol and drug addictions and to reduce the stigma for those who struggle to talk about it.
National Recovery Month events will take place all week, beginning Monday at 5 p.m. with an open house for the Collegiate Recovery Program in Room 319 of the Student Center. For Tech students who are in recovery from alcohol and drug addictions, the Collegiate Recovery Program offers a safe and welcoming community. Students are invited to meet for a weekly recovery seminar, participate in service projects and sober social activities, and attend on-campus AA meetings at the Catholic Center.
"The Recovery Program has helped me feel that the Tech campus is truly my home,” said one program participant. “Every time we meet, the stress from my day melts away and I am surrounded by friends and staff who have become my closest confidants. Georgia Tech had always been a great experience for me, but the recovery program has made it even better."
The open house will include food, T-shirts, hula hooping, and an opportunity to learn more about the program and connect with other students in recovery.
On Wednesday there will be a film screening and discussion of The Anonymous People at 5:30 p.m. in the Student Center Theater. In the days following the screening, the film will be shown on the Georgia Tech Cable Network.
Thursday is Go Purple Day, in which students, faculty, and staff are invited to wear purple to show support for the recovery movement. There will be a group photo taken at the Campanile at noon, and everyone can use #GoPurpleGT on social media to show their support. Free purple bracelets and ribbons can be picked up during the week at the Counseling Center and Health Promotion.
National Recovery Month has been around in some form since 1989. In 2013, Tech President G.P. “Bud” Peterson signed a proclamation declaring the month of September “National Recovery Month” on campus.
Tech’s Collegiate Recovery Program was created to respond to the growing need for recovery support among college students. According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, nearly one in four college students meets the medical criteria for a substance use disorder. By seeking help, people who experience substance use disorders can embark on a new path toward improved health and overall wellness. Data has shown that involvement in a Collegiate Recovery Programs leads to greater success in recovery and academics.
“The Recovery Program continues to grow as a new initiative to provide services and programs for Tech students in recovery,” said Ruperto Perez, director of the Georgia Tech Counseling Center. “The programs that we have planned and scheduled for this year reflect the Center's and the program's efforts to raise awareness of the concerns and issues that students in recovery experience and ways to provide support and affirmation." Funds from the Student Alumni Association's Gift to Tech, which students elected to give to the Counseling Center, are helping to support programs for this year's National Recovery Month.
For more information about the Collegiate Recovery Program and National Recovery Month events, visit the Counseling Center website or contact Erin English, recovery programs coordinator, at erin.english@vpss.gatech.edu.