The Situation
The Foundation has contributed over $1.3 million dollars to Sobriety High Charter Schools (recovery school) located on four campuses.
Over the past two years the Board of Directors and staff of the Foundation have engaged in a series of discussions in their board meetings, with community leaders, the recovery community,education, health and human services, criminal justice, and chemical dependency advocates. These discussions raised more questions than answers.
Nationally, more than two million students meet the generally accepted criteria for specialty treatment for drug or alcohol abuse or addiction. Each year, fewer than 200,000 of these students receive the treatment they need. Most young people who want to be in recovery don’t have access to treatment.
Those who seek treatment return to school. Research shows a young person new to recovery needs a small supportive school community that has a strong academic program with a recovery component. While the number of youth seeking treatment and a recovery school has grown; funding of treatment and the number of schools available remains a significant barrier.
Here is the challenge, presently:
- There are only 33 recovery high schools in the U.S. today.
- Fewer than 20 colleges and universities have sober dorms or support services for young people in recovery.
- There is a huge shortage of treatment programs for teens.
- A less than complete aftercare transition system exists for teens leaving treatment and returning to school.
