The Association of Recovery in Higher Education (ARHE) is pleased to announce its annual conference will take place in conjunction with the national conferences for the Association of Recovery Schools (ARS) and the Association of Alternative Peer Groups (AAPG). The combined 4-day event will take place from July 9th – 12th, 2018 at the University of Houston. Monday, July 9th features the Recovery Research Summit and Inaugural ARHE/ARS Awards Ceremony and Gala, while the rest of the conference programming commences on Tuesday.
The conference is expected to draw upwards of 1,000 attendees to Houston, Texas, representing upwards of 100 different schools across the country. Students, staff, treatment professionals, families, allies, advocates, and policymakers will be in attendance. The conference tracks for this year include Recovery Research, Students, Families, Treatment, Social Justice, Alternative Peer Groups, Collegiate Recovery, and Recovery High Schools. This conference is made possible by top supporters Transforming Youth Recovery, Sober College, Ashley Addiction Treatment, Ammon Labs, Cumberland Heights, and many other sponsors and exhibitors.
The conference committee is excited to bring the conference back to its roots in Texas. Highlighted speakers include:
– Mary Winnefeld and Admiral Sandy Winnefeld, SAFE Project
– Dr. John Kelly, Harvard University
– Amy Boyd Austin, Association of Recovery in Higher Education and University of Vermont
– Tom Hill, National Council for Behavioral Health
– Dr. Danielle Dick, Virginia Commonwealth University
– Rev. Dr. Matt Russell, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church
– Becky Flood, Ashley Addiction Treatment
– Dr. Patrick Bordnick, Tulane University
– Sylvia Parsons, A&E’s Intervention
– Ryan Leaf, Former NFL Quarterback and Current Ambassador for Transcend Recovery Community
The collaboration with the Association of Recovery Schools and Association of Alternative Peer Groups continues to emphasize the importance of education and recovery support services. Conference attendees will have full access to all programming from each of the three associations. Some highlighted parts of the conference include:
– Monday night entertainment including the ARHE/ARS Awards Ceremony and Gala
– Tuesday advocacy luncheon, moderated by Tom Hill
– Tuesday night entertainment including Comedy Night with Mark Lundholm and POP-AART Sober Party
– Wednesday afternoon activities and service opportunities on campus and in the Houston community
– Wednesday night- Emerging Leaders in Recovery: Evening Reception and Forum (Open to all!)
“This is my favorite professional development experience of all time”, says Amy Boyd Austin, President of ARHE. “The Association of Recovery in Higher Education / Association of Recovery Schools conference is more than a learning opportunity, more than a networking opportunity; it’s even more than a coming together of professionals sharing similar challenges. It’s a gathering of the community. Supporting young people in recovery to further their personal, academic and professional lives is a passion and a privilege for most of us. Fighting the stigma of addiction to provide students with recovery opportunities is also challenging and exhausting. Attending this conference is both reward and rejuvenation as we celebrate recovery in education and the community we feel together.”
“The annual ARS conference is a life-giver for me,” says Sasha McLean, Board Chair for the Association of Recovery Schools (ARS). “I come back feeling energized, connected, and inspired. Most local conferences are either about education OR recovery but the ARS conference is the only place I can go where there is focus on the unique interweaving of both. I get to spend a few days with my tribe from all over the country. The sessions fill up my gas tank for the long year to come.”
The 2017 ARHE/ARS Conferences were held together in Washington, D.C. back in July of 2017. The 2016 National ARS Conference was held in Austin, TX while the 2016 National Collegiate Recovery Conference was held in Atlanta, GA. To learn more about this year’s event, please click here and to register, click here.