Alberta is supporting post-secondary institutions to embed addiction recovery into the post-secondary experience through Recovery on Campus Alberta – an initiative that reduces stigma and improves access to recovery-oriented resources. Recovery on Campus Alberta is supported by a provincial investment of $3 million over three years, double the province’s previous commitment.
By providing individual and group support, sharing education, offering scholarships, creating research opportunities and collaborating across campuses, Recovery on Campus Alberta empowers students, staff and faculty to pursue and sustain a substance-free life of purpose, connection and wellness.
“The Alberta Recovery Model ensures mental health and addiction recovery is supported at every stage of life, including post-secondary education. We’re proud to support Recovery on Campus Alberta so students can focus on their education while accessing the help they need. Recovery is possible.”
Founded in 2022 and led by the University of Calgary, Recovery on Campus Alberta has expanded to include all 26 publicly funded post-secondary institutions. In addition, the program just unveiled its three-year action plan and formally launched the Recovering in Place Lab, a central hub to advance recovery-oriented approaches in post-secondary settings.
“Students can’t succeed academically if they’re struggling alone. Recovery on Campus Alberta ensures that recovery supports are visible, accessible and integrated into campus life. This investment strengthens student well-being and reinforces our commitment to safe, supportive learning environments across Alberta.”
While specific supports vary by institution, Recovery on Campus Alberta aims to:
- Provide peer-centred programming that supports all pathways to recovery for students, staff and faculty.
- Increase awareness, education and advocacy around addiction recovery to help reduce stigma.
- Normalize, value and celebrate recovery by enhancing its visibility on campus.
- Offer recovery-friendly spaces that foster connection and community.
- Create inclusive, recovery-friendly events and activities on campus.
- Ensure support teams can meet the needs of people at various stages of their recovery journey.
- Raise awareness of, and respond to, the needs of family members and friends who are supporting someone pursuing recovery.
- Address systemic barriers that may affect people pursuing recovery.
“We’re excited to launch this three-year action plan and continue strengthening recovery across Alberta’s campuses. Through our pillars of direct support, education and training, research and sustainability, we are embedding recovery into campus life across the province. We are grateful to the Government of Alberta and the University of Calgary for their continued support and investment.”
Recovery on Campus Aberta is part of the Alberta Recovery Model, a comprehensive continuum of mental health and addiction care that is focused on ensuring every person has an opportunity to pursue recovery.
Through this model, the province is increasing access to bed-based addiction treatment, expanding virtual access to addiction medicine care anywhere in the province through the Virtual Opioid Dependency Program and Virtual Rapid Access Addiction Medicine program. Alberta’s government is also building 11 world-class recovery communities across the province, four of which are open and supporting clients.
Quick facts
- Recovery on Campus Alberta is operating at 26 publicly funded post-secondary institutions.
- Through the $3-million provincial investment, Recovery on Campus has issued $75,000 seed grants to Mount Royal University, the University of Alberta and Red Deer Polytechnic, with additional seed funding available to the remaining publicly funded institutions.
- To date, Recovery on Campus Alberta has offered a total of more than 480 capacity-building information sessions, workshops, seminars and outreach events, reaching more than 8,100 participants Alberta-wide.
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