A Collegiate Recovery Program (CRP) is an on-campus organization that provides resources and help to students living with a substance use disorder (SUD).  There are 178 CRPs across the United States (U.S.); however, Bowling Green State University (BGSU) does not have one.

In the Mid-American Conference (MAC), four of the 13 schools have a CRP and half of the MAC schools in Ohio have a CRP.  Those are Kent State University, the University of Akron and Ohio University.  That leaves Miami University, the University of Toledo (UToledo) and BGSU without one.

Stone Foltz, a BGSU student, died from a hazing incident involving alcohol on March 4, 2021.  Foltz died three days after being initiated into the Delta Beta chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha.  He died from alcohol intoxication and at his time of death, his blood alcohol level was .394%; the legal limit to drive is .08% for non-commercial drivers.

While this student was not living with a SUD, with the bar culture around Bowling Green, it is highly probable that some students do.  With nearly 20 bars near campus and terms like “thirsty Thursday” being a popular motto for drinking during the week, the probability of students living with an SUD goes up.

A 2021 National Library of Medicine survey found that 21% of U.S. college students met the criteria for an SUD.  Of these students, less than 5% received treatment.

In a statement to BG Falcon Media, BGSU said other on-campus programs provide recovery resources to students.

“While BGSU does not offer a Collegiate Recovery Program, the University provides similar support services and resources through the Counseling Center, peer educators and connections to outside health and well-being partners,” as written in a statement from BGSU.

To help, students can become a peer educator, to educate students “on various wellness topics, including nutrition, body image, alcohol and other substances and sexual health,” as stated on BGSU’s website.  You can also request a presentation on substance abuse to teach students how to make important decisions when it comes to drinking alcohol.

The BGSU Counseling Center provides resources for students living with SUDs like workshops and presentations, individual consultations and referrals to treatment centers.  The services provided by the counseling center are free to students, unless it is court or university-mandated.

The Wood County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board is a local organization that can help students living with an SUD.

“The Wood County ADAMHS Board serves as the umbrella organization for eight county-wide behavioral health agencies.  While we don’t provide direct services ourselves (per Ohio Revised Code Section 340), we do offer funding, oversight and promotion for programming across the county,” said Kaylee Smith, the manager of marketing and communications for the board, in an email statement.

What they can do is help community members and students find treatment and services.

“All services funded by our board are available to Wood County residents, typically on a sliding fee scale if private insurance is not being utilized.  This includes students who live in the county year-round or reside on campus during the academic year,” Smith said.

The board promotes local treatment centers like Harbor and Unison Health, which both offer counseling, medication and outpatient treatment methods.

UToledo is another MAC school that lacks a CRP.  Like BGSU, they said other on-campus programs provide recovery resources to students.

“The University of Toledo is uniquely positioned to offer recovery services through UToledo Health, our institution’s clinical enterprise that infuses teaching, research and care to provide an expert and compassionate patient experience.  The UToledo Counseling Center also encourages students navigating substance abuse to connect with a wide range of community services as appropriate,” said Nicki Gorny, the media relations specialist for UToledo in an email statement.

The University of Toledo Medical Center also offers inpatient, partial-hospitalization and outpatient treatment options for those living with an SUD.  UToledo has looked into starting a CRP, but didn’t due to these existing resources.

Unlike these two schools, Kent State established its CRP in 2013.

“We wanted to provide a safe space for these students to engage in fellowship and receive support, in addition to providing more specialized care and support. It was really a grassroots effort and took a good amount of advocacy,” said Jennifer Knott, the assistant director of Counseling and Psychological Services at Kent State.

A problem Knott has been working through at the on-campus CRP is the amount of funding they are provided.

“The funding was meager at first, but over the years, our higher administration recognized the need and provided some financial support, which allowed us to hire a substance use specialist who is dedicated to growing and overseeing the Collegiate Recovery Community,” Knott said.  “We have also been able to secure grant funding over the years to help with expansion and training.”

John Ellis, the leader of Roots in Recovery, the CRP at the University of Akron, dealt with this same issue.

“We did not receive any support from the university.  We did not receive any funding right away, so we just did it now word of mouth,” Ellis said.

This year, Roots in Recovery has seven active students, but in years past, they had many more.

“This year, it’s slower.  This year, we only have about seven active students and we’re trying to build up.  We lost a lot to graduation last May,” Ellis said.  “The high water mark was about 40 and that was pre-Covid.”

Ellis and students started Roots in Recovery due to his own battle against addiction.

“I’m a faculty member here and I’m in recovery and I teach classes on addiction.  I’m also the addictions curriculum coordinator… When I started here, I started sharing a little bit about my story when we had introductions on the first day of class… Every single time I did that, a student came up to me afterwards and said, ‘I’m in recovery too,’” Ellis said.  “Many students came up to me afterwards that year.  I set up a meeting just with those students and I said, ‘Hey, do you guys want to meet each other?’  And they did.”

With these students and funds from the state, Ellis was able to send students to national conferences on collegiate recovery.

“This year, I sent six of them down to New Orleans to the national conference on collegiate recovery.  Two years before, I sent three of them and myself to the national conference in Richmond, Virginia,” Ellis said.

Ellis emphasized that Roots in Recovery would be willing to help BGSU students who wish to start a CRP.  Ellis adds that it’s the students who start one, not the university.

“Somebody’s got to start it and what I’ve experienced is that universities don’t start it, students do… If you are a Bowling Green State University student and you do recognize yourself as in recovery from addiction, please reach out,” Ellis said.

For more information on how to start a CRP: https://collegiaterecovery.org/starting-a-crp/