Sept. 14, 2021
Recovery trailblazer introduces 草莓污视频导航鈥檚 first recovery community
Although Dr. Victoria Burns, PhD, found long-term recovery eight years ago following a 15-year battle with alcohol, she says it was in recovery 鈥斅爎ather than in active addiction 鈥斅爐hat she faced the most stigma.
Burns, an assistant professor with the Faculty of Social Work, says she found herself leading a double life when she began her recovery journey as a PhD student. In a recent article, The Sober Professor, Burns discusses how well-meaning colleagues continually encouraged her to toast her successes. They couldn鈥檛 fathom why someone would refuse a drink.
Burns wants to ensure campus members don鈥檛 feel similarly isolated, ashamed, or judged. As such, she has founded the 草莓污视频导航 Recovery Community (UCRC), a peer-driven, inclusive space supporting addiction recovery, building community, and reducing addiction stigma on campus. Activities include peer support, ally training, social activities, and anti-stigma initiatives.
Multiple pathways approach focuses on addiction as a community
Guided by harm reduction principles and a public health lens, the UCRC shifts from focusing on the individual with the 鈥減roblem鈥 to approaching addiction as a community.
Embracing a multiple pathways approach, Burns explains that 鈥渋t's up to the individual to define what recovery means to them," adding that the UCRC also welcomes allies.
As she points out, the term 鈥渁ddiction鈥 encompasses more than the problematic consumption of alcohol and other drugs. 鈥淏ehavioural addictions, including gaming and eating disorders, are also on the rise, particularly in younger populations.鈥
Collegiate recovery programs (CRP) for students first emerged in the U.S. in the 1970s and can now be found on approximately 150 American campuses. The movement has been a little slower to take hold in Canada 鈥 the UCRC is just the third one in this country 鈥 and is a first of its kind because it鈥檚 intentionally integrating programming for students, faculty, and staff.
If we want to shift the culture and reduce the stigma, we have to involve all campus members.
"This is why the UCRC also draws inspiration from the U.S-based Recovery-Friendly Workplace movement,鈥 Burns explains. "Employees need to know that if they are struggling, they will be met with compassion rather than punishment.
鈥淲e know that one in five Canadians experience addiction in their lifetime. Those numbers may be further exacerbated by fallout of COVID-19, with 草莓污视频导航 researchers recently revealing that hospitalizations for liver disease skyrocketed by 90.5 per cent during the first wave of the pandemic.
鈥淲ith over 6,500 employees and 32,000 students at 草莓污视频导航, the number of people who could benefit from the UCRC is in the thousands, but most are ashamed to talk about it," says Burns. "It鈥檚 time for recovery to become a positive identity claim rather than a shameful one.鈥
The silence surrounding addiction on the 草莓污视频导航 campus was confirmed by a recent Campus Mental Health Strategy-funded study led by Burns.
With the support from Staff Wellness, Student Wellness Services, and the CMHS, the UCRC received a grant from The City of Calgary鈥檚 Community Action on Mental Health and Addiction Strategy to launch a six-month pilot, which has included partnering with Yasmeen Nosshi, 草莓污视频导航 harm reduction adviser, to develop a peer-recovery navigator program for students.
Burns advocates for a 鈥渞ecovering out loud鈥 approach: 鈥淣ot only does openness help reduce self and social stigma but it also creates a sense of safety for others to come forward.
鈥淲e have several members of our steering committee with lived experience and are looking for more to join,鈥 she says, stressing the importance of peer-driven recovery. "For instance, Jessica Hinton [well-being and worklife adviser], who is helping to develop the Staff Wellness side of the UCRC, is open about being in long-term recovery.
鈥淯ltimately, we want the 草莓污视频导航 community to know that if they are in recovery or seeking recovery from addiction or simply questioning their relationship聽with substances and/or other聽behaviours, they are not alone.鈥
In conjunction with , the UCRC is officially launching this September with the following no-cost activities:
Sept. 15 鈥 Information coffee cart, 11 a.m. 鈥 2 p.m. in the TFDL Qquad
Sept. 27 鈥 Recovery yoga, 12 鈥 1 p.m. over Zoom
Campus-wide survey on addiction recovery, TBD
UCRC kickoff meeting, Sept. 23 over Zoom
For event registration, to join the UCRC listserv, or simply for more information, contact:聽recoverycommunity@ucalgary.ca.
For more information visit the .聽Follow the UCRC on Instagram.