Oregon State University

About the Program

The Collegiate Recovery Community (CRC) at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon was established in the fall of 2013 as part of the Division of Student Affairs, housed within the Student Health Services Department. The CRC is a small program (defined by the Association for Recovery in Higher Education as 1-14 students in abstinent recovery who are actively involved in supporting others in the community on campus). The program has a dedicated space approximately 1100 sq. ft. in size, including the “Clubhouse” open 24/7 to members of the program and an office for program staff. The Clubhouse includes a small kitchen space where students can store and heat their lunches and a large common area, which provides students with multiple areas to study, computers, a pool table, and an entertainment center. The program has partnered with University Housing and Dining to make rooms available on a substance free living floor on campus; students in recovery who choose to live here are in the same building as the Clubhouse and efforts are made to pair them with other students in recovery. Overseeing the program is the Alcohol, Drug and Recovery Specialist, a full time position at the University. Other staff include a .49 FTE graduate assistant and an hourly student worker. Programming for CRC members includes a wide variety of social activities including movie nights, sober tailgates, bowling tournaments, sober holiday events, retreats, and collaborative events with other CRPs in Oregon. The program provides weekly member check-in meetings where students and staff talk about their challenges and help each other overcome them. Additionally, member’s recovery birthdays are celebrated many times a year, during which members are given coins specific to the program. Local recovery support groups also hold their weekly meetings in the program’s space. Staff are constantly working to expand the program’s support of its student’s academic, physical, and mental wellbeing and are rolling out initiatives such as cooking classes, recovery yoga, and career skills workshops as the program moves forward. Requirements for membership are simple: the student must have 3 months of sobriety and fill out a membership application. Once the student is made a member they have full access to all CRC resources and programming, including 24/7 access to the Clubhouse. Students who do not have three months of sobriety are allowed to attend most programs and are allowed to be in the clubhouse when full members are present.