University of Calgary

The UCalgary Recovery Community (UCRC) at the University of Calgary (UC) is an innovative peer-driven program that aims to support students, staff, and faculty who are in recovery, or curious to explore their relationship with substance use and/or other types of addictive behaviors (e.g., gambling, gaming, eating disorders, etc.). The UCRC supports and respects all recovery pathways, from harm reduction to abstinence, and everything in between. The UCRC is also a safe place for individuals who do not engage in substances for personal, health, cultural and/or religious reasons. The UCRC was established in 2021 and is currently funded by grants including the City of Calgary and the UC Student Union, a In October 2023, UCRC received funding from UC Administration to open a dedicated space on campus, The UCRC is committed to providing programming that adheres to EDIA principles for all campus members, including faculty and staff. Operating at the intersection of harm reduction, prevention and recovery, UCRC supports include 1-on-1 peer support, weekly mutual aid meetings, on-campus outreach, scholarships/awards , substance-free housing, lived experience speakers, presentations by educators and professionals in the addiction and recovery field, substance-free events, recovery ally training, and a Recovery Navigator certification (for students and staff). The UCRC serves as the coordination, innovation, and research hub for Recovery on Campus, the first province-wide collegiate recovery initiative in Canada. CRP programming is being piloted through UCRC (e.g., substance free housing, needs assessment) that serves as a template for 26 partnered post-secondary institutions across Alberta to adapt to their own unique campus contexts.