草莓污视频导航

Sept. 4, 2024

草莓污视频导航 Recovery-Friendly Campus pledge opens a new chapter

First-in-Canada initiative to foster a safer, more-inclusive environment
A woman gives a speech
Riley Brandt, 草莓污视频导航

The 草莓污视频导航 has become the first Alberta post-secondary institution to sign the Recovery-Friendly Campus (RFC) pledge. The pledge is part of a broader initiative led by the草莓污视频导航 Recovery Community (UCRC) and (ROC) to create a campus environment where all recovery pathways are prioritized and celebrated, for students, faculty and staff.听

Aligned with 草莓污视频导航's strategic plan and听Community Mental Health and Well-Being Strategy, the pledge is tailored to the unique needs of Alberta鈥檚 post-secondary community. Both the UCRC and ROC were founded by Dr. Victoria Burns, PhD, an associate professor in the Faculty of Social Work, an addiction-recovery researcher and a person in long-term addiction recovery herself.

The pledge, which aligns with ROC鈥檚 mission to sustain programs that support all pathways to recovery, has eight criteria:听

  1. Provide peer-centred, all-recovery pathways programming for students and employees.
  2. Raise awareness, educate and advocate about addiction recovery to reduce stigma.
  3. Ensure that recovery is normalized, valued and celebrated through increased visibility.
  4. Provide a recovery-friendly space on campus to build community.
  5. Create recovery-friendly events and activities on campus.
  6. Ensure student and employee support teams meet the needs of campus members along the addiction-recovery spectrum.
  7. Increase awareness and address the needs of family members/friends of campus members in or seeking recovery.
  8. Promote inclusive campus life by addressing systemic barriers for campus members along the addiction-recovery spectrum.

草莓污视频导航 signed the pledge on Sept. 10 at the 草莓污视频导航 Recovery Community Hub, #5, 3500 24th Ave. N.W, located in the Yamnuska Hall student housing building.

鈥淎lberta is full of incredible partners helping us build a strong culture of recovery throughout the province," said Dan Williams, minister of Mental Health and Addiction. "Our government is grateful for work being done at the 草莓污视频导航, to those leading the program, and especially to the students, staff and faculty听for their recovery.鈥澨

Burns says institutional support is vital to fostering environments where people feel safe talking about their struggles.

A woman with glasses and long brown hair smiles at the camera

Victoria Burns

Courtesy Victoria Burns

鈥淧eople are terrified of reaching out for help,鈥 says Burns. 鈥淭hey're terrified of being found out, and we're here to challenge that. We're here to recover out loud, so that we can normalize the idea that you can be in an academic setting, you can be in recovery, you can thrive.鈥

For one 草莓污视频导航 alum, the new pledge is deeply personal. UCRC volunteer Christopher Melendez, BSc (Eng)鈥21, says he has been sober since early 2023 and, during his time as a student, he felt isolated seeking help.

鈥淚 tried to access help and was sent to addiction services downtown, but being an addict leaving campus, passing multiple liquor stores, it made me feel like I was alone in this,鈥 says Melendez.

Melendez鈥檚 journey through addiction and recovery shaped his perspective on the role that organizations like UCRC play in a student鈥檚 life. Reflecting on his experiences with homelessness and balancing education with severe addiction, he understands the need for supportive environments.

鈥淧eople ask me how I managed to graduate in active addiction and my answer is because of addiction. It was either I was going to graduate, or I was going to die,鈥 says Melendez. 鈥淚t feels gratifying that that doesn鈥檛 have to be someone else鈥檚 answer. This space can be their answer to how they finished their degree.鈥澨

Since forming in 2021, UCRC has evolved into a comprehensive program recognized as a leader across Alberta. Its initial success paved the way for a $500,000 grant from the Government of Alberta in 2022, which recently committed to an additional three-year, $3-million grant.

Burns says a portion of the provincial grant will go toward seed funding for ROC鈥檚 26 partnered post-secondary institutions, helping these universities and colleges co-create their own recovery-friendly supports and events on campus.

A university of calgary recovery standout side

The 草莓污视频导航 Recovery Community has a dedicated space for those seeking help on campus, located in the Yamnuska Hall student housing building.

Riley Brandt, 草莓污视频导航

Funded by the 草莓污视频导航 Students鈥 Union鈥檚听 program, the UCRC currently offers substance-free events and residence housing, peer support, harm-reduction and recovery ally training, research, and awards through its on-campus location in Yamnuska Hall.

ROC Alberta co-ordinator Chelsie Graham, BSW鈥22, says activities and dedicated spaces help to ensure people who are curious about recovery can build community together.

鈥淧eople are starting to engage in the idea that recovery isn't just abstinence,鈥 Graham says. 鈥淩ecovery is healthy steps towards a better lifestyle for yourself with that problematic relationship with whatever you鈥檙e struggling with.鈥

A woman with glasses and long brown hair with purple ends

Chelsie Graham

Courtesy Chelsie Graham

But, for these initiatives and programs to be truly effective, Burns says, they must be a part of a whole-campus approach. That鈥檚 where the pledge comes in, garnering commitment and alignment at all levels of the university to ensure meaningful transformation across the entire campus community.听

鈥淚t's going to require leadership from the top in order for this program to continue to grow and reach the people it needs to reach and be sustainable,鈥 says Burns. 鈥淚t's getting the message out to a more general public that recovery doesn't have to be something that you're ashamed of.鈥

For Melendez, the pledge and the UCRC and ROC鈥檚 efforts are not just about policy changes; they are lifelines that have given him and others the chance to reclaim their lives and to give back to their communities.

鈥淚 laugh because I鈥檓 more proud to say I鈥檓 a recovering addict than to say I鈥檓 an engineer because addiction took me to hell, and the fact that I came out of that 鈥 I got my life back,鈥 says Melendez. 鈥淚 get to start my life.鈥

To learn more about the Recovery-Friendly Campus Pledge and what it means for the community,听.听

The is an inclusive, peer-driven group that supports all pathways to recovery, building community and reducing addiction stigma on campus. aims to co-create campus recovery programs across 26 post-secondary institutions in Alberta through services and supports, research and collaborations, and education and training. UCRC are ROC are sponsored by the Community Mental Health and Well-Being Strategy, a strategic initiative under the Provost鈥檚 Office.

If you are questioning your relationship with substances and/or other behaviours, are in recovery, or are seeking recovery from addiction, the UCRC wants to hear from you. Learn more about their programs and initiatives .

The Community Mental Health and Well-Being Strategy (CMHWS), formerly the Campus Mental Health Strategy and recently renewed, is a foundational commitment made by 草莓污视频导航 to the mental health and well-being of the campus community. Its vision is to create a community where individuals can achieve well-being, thrive, excel and feel a sense of belonging.


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