By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
The Council on Postsecondary Education received a roughly $488,000 grant from Kentucky’s Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission to fund Collegiate Recovery Resource Centers on up to five college campuses.
“Unfortunately, Kentucky has been severely impacted by the opioid crisis,” said council President Aaron Thompson. “As we look to expand postsecondary opportunities to all Kentuckians, we must be prepared to meet them where they are, so they can ultimately succeed in college and the workforce.”
These centers will support students struggling with addiction, recovery or co-existing mental health challenges who are seeking a college degree or certificate. Kentucky Recovery Resource Centers will employ research-based practices proven to boost retention, engagement and graduation rates among participants.
Providing campus resources for students battling substance use disorders is part of a growing trend, the council press release states, as over 150 campuses have joined The Association of Recovery in Higher Education.
The council will issue a request for proposals later this spring inviting two-year and four-year postsecondary institutions to compete for funding to establish Recovery Resource Centers on their campus.
“This grant builds on [the council’s] success in implementing the [Career Ladders in Mental and Behavioral Health] initiative at several KCTCS campuses,” said Senior Fellow for Healthcare Workforce Initiatives Carl D. Wilson . “While helping people in recovery become certified to work as peer support specialists, we saw a need for more specialized support services, especially in areas where substance use has reached epidemic proportions.”
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