Description of Recovery Schools

Recovery high schools support adolescents recovering from substance use disorders by providing an alternative environment to support their recovery, usually after treatment. For students, returning to their previous high school will likely expose them to old peer groups and contexts that previously facilitated their substance use. Recovery schools provide a fresh start, surrounding adolescents with peers who share in the struggles of battling a substance use disorder. Peers, school staff, and school programming provide support for recovery.

Although the mission of recovery schools is to support recovery from substance use disorders, their primary function is still that of a school: to provide students with the education they need to move toward a successful future. Students attending recovery schools engage in a full day of academic courses in addition to time spent in support groups or in individual counseling sessions. Recovery schools are typically small with student enrollment generally ranging from about 5 to 70 students. This small size allows for schools to provide more individualized curricula for students, enabling acceleration or remediation of content as needed. In sum, recovery schools provide a high quality educational experience while also supporting the sobriety of students working toward clean and sober futures.